Florida Department of

TRANSPORTATION

State Safety Office

Background

In Florida, aggressive driving is exhibited by the combination of two or more of the following actions: failure to yield right-of-way, improper lane change, improper passing, following too closely, disregarding traffic control, or speeding. While there is no enforceable offense for aggressive driving, violators are ticketed for specific traffic infractions. Aggressive driving often manifests itself in coincidental discourteous and unsafe driving behavior which threatens motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians.

Although aggressive driving is not new, the prevalence of such behavior continues to be a threat to safety on our highways. Data collected for the AAA Foundation's fourth annual 2011 Traffic Safety Culture Index found 55.1 percent of respondents felt aggressive drivers were a very serious threat to their personal safety, and 33 percent responded they were a somewhat serious threat. In on-line surveys of Floridians, aggressive driving is always identified in the public's top three issues of traffic safety. Special efforts to curb such behavior are warranted.

Aggressive driving fatalities and serious injuries have declined from 538 in 2008 to 374 in 2010. Male drivers between the ages 25 to 34 years are involved in the highest number of fatalities and serious injuries related to aggressive driving, followed by male drivers in the age group of 35 to 44 years.

See our Aggressive Driving Programs

Strategies

1. Support and promote effective law enforcement efforts to reduce aggressive driving;
2. Increase training and education on the problem of aggressive driving; and
3. Identify initiatives within engineering to reduce instances of aggressive driving.

Team Members

Aggressive Driving Fact Sheets

2010 SPEEDING Traffic Safety Fact Sheet  |  2009 SPEEDING Traffic Safety Fact Sheet