From speeding, to weaving, to failing to yield there’s more to aggressive driving than just road rage. From March 19-30, the Idaho Office of Highway Safety (OHS) is teaming up with law enforcement partners across the state for targeted aggressive driving enforcement. Expect to see more officers on the road to stop aggressive driving behavior.
Preliminary data from OHS shows that in 2023 there were nearly 14,000* aggressive driving crashes in Idaho and 103* people died.
Contributing factors used by OHS to identify aggressive driving include speeding, driving too fast for conditions, following too closely, failing to yield, and failing to obey a stop sign or signal.
“Aggressive driving is a choice, which means it’s within our power to change,” explained Highway Safety Manager Josephine Middleton. “Choosing to drive engaged and safely may save your life or someone else’s.”
It is incredibly important for parents to talk to their teens about the dangers of aggressive driving because teens are overrepresented in aggressive driving crashes. OHS found that in 2022, drivers ages 19 and younger were four times as likely to be involved in aggressive driving crashes as all other drivers. Drivers under the age of 25 represent more than one-third (35%) of the drivers involved in aggressive driving crashes that year.
While the term aggressive driving leads many people to think of road rage, many behaviors are considered aggressive driving. Road rage is a violent criminal act that falls on the extreme end of aggressive driving.
If you encounter an aggressive or violent driver do not engage. Safely get out of their way as soon as possible. If you can get a vehicle description, license number, and location report the information to law enforcement.
*Preliminary data subject to change