Aggressive drivers cause serious car accidents in Kentucky far too frequently. According to a study by the American Automobile Association, 56 percent of the fatal automobile accidents that took place between 2003 and 2007 around the country involved some kind of aggressive driving behavior. The data that was used for the study came from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatal Accident Report System.
FARS tracks fatal car accidents as well as the specific driving behaviors that contribute to them. Aggressive driving is an umbrella term that encompasses many different kinds of dangerous traffic law violations. According to the FARS data that was analyzed in the AAA study, speeding is the No. 1 aggressive driving behavior that contributes to fatal crashes.
Aggressive driving is defined by the NHTSA as a combination of traffic violations that endanger other people or property. Besides speeding, some of the other most prevalent kinds of aggressive driving behaviors are following improperly, failure to obey traffic signs, failure to signal, making improper turns and illegally driving on the shoulder of the road. A driver who does not yield the right of way when appropriate or suddenly changes speeds may also be considered an aggressive driver.
If an aggressive driver causes a car accident that seriously injures other people, the driver may be sued by the injured victims in civil court. They could be successful whether or not the driver is convicted in criminal court or even if no charges are filed. An attorney can be helpful in using the police investigation report and eyewitness testimony as evidence that the negligent motorist should be held financially responsible for an injured victim’s losses such as medical expenses.