Recognizing Aggressive Driving on Florida’s Roads
The rising prevalence of aggressive driving has become of increasing concern to anyone who spends time on Florida’s roads. The kinds of reckless driving that this spawns poses a very real risk to drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists alike. Read on to learn more about aggressive driving and your own recovery options if involved in an accident caused by these types of dangerous driving practices.
Identifying Aggressive Driving
Aggressive driving occurs when someone commits a combination of moving traffic offenses in a manner that endangers others. This actually encompasses a variety of dangerous driving behaviors, including but not limited to:
- Tailgating or otherwise following improperly;
- Excessive speeding;
- Swerving around other vehicles;
- Driving on the shoulder, sidewalk, or median;
- Passing illegally;
- Weaving through traffic;
- Failing to yield the right-of-way;
- Failing to signal;
- Making improper turns;
- Running red lights and stop signs; and
- Making erratic lane changes.
All of these behaviors are dangerous to road users, as they make it a lot more likely that someone will be involved in an accident. The results of these collisions are also often severe, as they typically occur at high speeds. Vehicles involved in aggressive driving-related accidents may end up totaled and the injuries can reach catastrophic levels. Perhaps the biggest danger of aggressive driving, however, is that it can result in road rage incidents, which occur when drivers engage in dangerous confrontations that can escalate to violence or assault.
Legal Consequences of Aggressive Driving
Besides putting other people at risk of injury, engaging in aggressive driving behaviors comes with legal repercussions in Florida, where aggressive driving can result in:
- Traffic citations, points on a driver’s record, and fines, all of which can lead to higher insurance rates and even the suspension of someone’s driver’s license;
- Criminal charges and potential jail time, especially if the aggressive driving resulted in an injury or death; and
- Civil lawsuits, where accident victims can attempt to hold dangerous drivers liable for their actions.
Fortunately, even if a criminal charge of aggressive driving is unsuccessful, someone who was injured in this type of accident could still successfully seek compensation from the at-fault driver in court by filing a personal injury lawsuit. Claimants who can provide proof of the driver’s recklessness through eyewitness testimony, traffic, security, and dashboard camera recordings, and police reports could recover monetary damages for their accident-related losses.
Were You Injured in an Accident Caused by an Aggressive Driver?
Aggressive driving is dangerous and puts anyone else who is unlucky enough to be on the road at risk of injury. If you were injured by a reckless driver, you could be entitled to compensation for your injuries and the damage to your vehicle. To find out more, please call Boone & Davis at 954-566-9919 or contact us online and a member of our legal team will help you set up a free consultation with one of our experienced Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyers today. We are prepared to get started on your case right away.
Sources:
nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/809707.pdf
iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-aggressive-driving
