Aggressive Driving in Massachusetts

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Aggressive Driving in Massachusetts

Driving in Massachusetts, doesn’t always get you somewhere. There were 141,675 motor vehicle crashes in Massachusetts in 2003. In response to the problem, Massachusetts law enforcement officials are vowing to get aggressive on aggressive driving, a growing danger in the state.

“We will catch you and there will be consequences, criminal consequences, loss of licenses and even a jail term,” Col. Thomas Robbins, Massachusetts State Police warned aggressive drivers at the launch of ‘Road Respect’, a Spring Mobilization program at the Newton Police headquarters on the morning of April 4.

‘Road Respect’ is an attempt to educate Massachusetts drivers on the dangers of aggressive driving and enforce its decline. The Governor’s Highway Safety Bureau (GHSB), the State Police and over 255 local police departments are participating in the ‘Road Respect’ campaign to make it a success.

Over 5,300 people suffered incapacitating injuries and 462 people died from the crashes in Massachusetts in 2003.

While there was a decline in traffic accidents nationwide in 2003, Massachusetts experienced an increase of 1.9% from the previous year.

“A friend of mine, Barbara Silva, a nurse at Waltham school was driving to work on Route 128 when another car suddenly cut her off. For some reason the truck ahead of [that car] braked abruptly and [the car] banged into it. She slammed into [the car]. It was a horrible accident. It could have been avoided if [the other car] hadn’t jumped lanes.

“I call it a pinball game that aggressive drivers play when they bounce from one lane to the next.

“It was 8 a.m. in the morning last March when it happened. [The driver] wasn’t drunk or anything and it didn’t have anything to do with the weather conditions,” said Carole Ferguson Page, a Massachusetts resident.

The Massachusetts state and local police issued approximately 148,000 aggressive driving citations from 2000 through 2003. 17,950 of these citations involved a crash. The number of aggressive driving citations issued by Massachusetts state and local police increased approximately 3% during this time.

Aggressive driving involves failing to yield right of way, making improper and unsafe lane changes, passing on the shoulder, ignoring traffic lights, following too closely (tailgating) and speeding.

An aggressive driving citation involves two or more of these violations.

Aggressive driving can also result from drunk or drug driving and distracted driving. It is hence densely woven into multiple road dangers.

“Aggressive driving behavior is among our top traffic problems,” said Lt.

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