Aggressive Driving Program
A traffic safety phenomenon known as aggressive driving is a major public safety concern for the motoring public and law enforcement. As the population and traffic increases, frustration over traffic congestion leads to high risk aggressive driving behavior, which in turn leads to an increase in crashes.
New York defines aggressive driving as "operating a motor vehicle in a selfish, bold or pushy manner, without regard for the rights and safety of other users of the streets and highways."Some behaviors typically associated with aggressive driving include: exceeding the posted speed limit, following too closely, erratic or unsafe lane changes, improperly signaling lane changes, failure to obey traffic control devices (stop signs, yield signs, traffic signals, railroad grade cross signals, etc.).
Additionally, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has reported that one-third of all motor vehicle crashes and two-thirds of the motor vehicle fatalities are attributable to behaviors connected to aggressive driving.
The New York State Police uses a multi-pronged approach to combating aggressive driving. Areas that are identified as having higher than normal crash rates are targeted for enforcement. The officers are advised to strictly enforce all posted speed limits and cite any aggressive driving behaviors. In addition, the New York State Police has returned to using unmarked cars to aid in catching distracted and aggressive drivers.