AGGRESSIVE DRIVING: TRAFFIC SAFETY SCOURGE

"Aggressive driving and road rage are not the same", states Sergeant Robert Hohn. He defines aggressive driving as a traffic offense or combination of offenses such as following too closely, speeding, unsafe lane changes, failure to signal and other forms of negligent or inconsiderate driving. The trigger for the aggressive driver is usually traffic congestion, coupled with a tight schedule; he responds to these stresses by committing multiple violations in an attempt to make up time. Unfortunately, these actions put the rest of us at risk. In contrast, road rage typically surfaces as an angry, frequently violent response to an aggressive-driving incident. The violence may take the form of a physical confrontation, an assault with a motor vehicle or even an assault with a firearm. Sergeant Janet Harrison discusses Maryland's Project ADVANCE, used to detect and apprehend aggressive drivers. Funded by a grant from the FHWA, Project ADVANCE incorporates speed and aggressive driving detection capabilities with still photography and video images of a vehicle operator driving aggressively and violating traffic laws. The Project ADVANCE unit is used on the Capital Beltway to increase enforcement without increasing congestion or compromising officer safety. Contained in one vehicle and operated by one trooper, the unit uses a laser-type measuring device (LIDAR) that detects the speed and range of an approaching vehicle, a video camera, a still camera and an interactive computer system.

• Corporate Authors:

  International Association of Chiefs of Police

  11 Firstfield Road
  Gaithersburg, MD  United States  20760
• Authors:
  • Hohn, R L
  • Harrison, J
• Publication Date: 1998-7

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 16-20
• Serial:
  • POLICE CHIEF
  • Volume: 65
  • Issue Number: 7

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aggression; Behavior; Cameras; Computers; Drivers; Lane changing; Police vehicles; Reckless drivers; Road rage; Speeding; Traffic law enforcement; Traffic safety; Traffic violations; Traffic violators
• Identifier Terms: Project Advance (Maryland)
• Uncontrolled Terms: Computer systems; Video technology
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00757891
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-042 738
• Files: HSL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Dec 22 1998 12:00AM