Aggressive Driving and Road Rage

Aggressive Driving

Driving can be a stressful experience, and all drivers have gotten frustrated behind the wheel at some point. But, it’s important to avoid engaging in aggressive driving behaviors, such as speeding, running red lights, quick lane changing and failure to yield, especially as an aggressive driving act can trigger a disproportionate response, which sometimes even escalates into road rage, a criminal act of assault which may stem from a confrontation that occurred on the road.

The AAA Foundation’s Aggressive Driving update found that aggressive driving behaviors are a factor in up to 56% of fatal crashes. Additionally, nearly 90% of drivers view aggressive driving as very serious or somewhat serious threat to their own safety. Think you drive aggression-free?

Here are a few tips from the Foundation’s Road Rage brochure on how to avoid aggressive driving.

Don’t Offend

•            Avoid cutting drivers off and apologize if you do so

•            Avoid tailgating and honking the horn

•            Avoid making inappropriate or offensive gestures

Don’t Engage

•            Steer clear of other aggressive drivers

•            Avoid eye contact

•            Seek help if you’re being followed by driving to a safe/crowded location or by dialing 911

Adjust Your Attitude

•            Leave yourself enough time rather than trying to make good time

•            Put yourself in the other driver’s shoes

•            Take a deep breath and remember escalating a situation will only make things worse.

If you or a loved one is injured or, God forbid, killed in a Nashville auto accident caused by an aggressive driver, you owe it to yourself to have a conversation with the experienced Nashville personal injury lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies. Call 615-356-2000.

Aggressive Driving Kills

Clarksville, Tennessee police are searching for the driver of a car who caused a deadly wreck on I-24 on Wednesday night. According to local media reports a truck and a car were traveling westbound on I-24. One was in the right lane, the other in the left lane when a third car approached them from the rear at a high rate of speed weaving in and out of traffic. The third car went around the two others even though there wasn’t a lane.

As a result, the two vehicles almost collided, and in trying to avoid a crash, a 38-year-old Tennessee man lost control of his Ford F-150 pickup, rolled over and flipped the man’s 14-year-old daughter was hurt in the crash. Both were wearing their seatbelts. Our prayers go out to the family and friends of this innocent victim of an aggressive driver.

Most experienced Tennessee Car accident lawyers think of  aggressive driving as certain driving behaviors, such as speeding, tailgating, or violating traffic control devices. Aggressive driving has emerged as a real threat to the safety of motorists. That’s why the Tennessee Highway Patrol takes a hard stance against any motorist who demonstrates aggressive, dangerous activities while driving in our state.

The public also plays a role in making roadways safer.  If you’re a witness to, or victim of road rage or any other form of aggressive driving, report it by dialing *847.  Never retaliate or react in a manner that causes more danger. Slow down and let the other driver pass.  When it’s safe to use your cell phone, call *847 and provide them with your location, a description of the vehicle and details regarding the aggressive driving behavior.

If you or a loved one is involved in a Tennessee automobile accident involving an aggressive or  road rage driver it is critical that you contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to find out about your rights and remedies.

Keep Your Temper

Road rage incident leaves three innocent people dead with another in critical condition and the 18-year-old rager facing three felony murder charges.  The 18-year-old Signal Mountain man faces three counts of felony murder after authorities say he used a stolen pickup truck to run three people off the road and to their deaths.

He is accused of ramming the victims’ Jeep from behind on Suck Creek Mountain’s Big Fork Road in Marion County.  According to a local media report, the four victims had been out late, gathered around a campfire to watch people ride four-wheelers before heading home and encountering this animal. Investigators believe the man ran the other vehicle off the road and shortly thereafter burned the stolen vehicle he was driving.

Road rage differs from aggressive driving. It is a criminal offense and is an assault with a motor vehicle or other dangerous weapon by the operator or passenger(s) of one motor vehicle on the operator or passenger(s) of another motor vehicle or is caused by an incident that occurred on a roadway.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident by a road raging driver, contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and get a complete picture of your rights and remedies.

Road Rage is a Crime

Road rage, unlike aggressive driving, is a criminal offense. This occurs when a traffic incident escalates into a far more serious situation. For example, a person may become so angry over an aggressive driving incident that he or she overreacts and retaliates with some type of violence.

These violent acts may range from a physical confrontation to an assault with a motor vehicle or possibly a weapon. Often, the roadway incident that caused the person to become enraged may have been something quite simple and even trivial.

Some incidents, by their very nature, are intentional acts, such as when a motorist switches from lane to lane in an effort to go around other vehicles. But others may have been committed unintentionally, such as when a motorist makes an abrupt exit from a roadway without properly signaling his or her intent. Perhaps you have seen this maneuver or even done it yourself when you suddenly realized you were at your exit.

Reference a case in Upper East Tennessee in which an man, angry over his girl friend dumping him, chased after her as she drove away and intentionally rammed her car forcing her off the road. She broke up with him earlier that same day and that night she went to a local dance hall. Apparently he followed her there and waited for her to exit the club, at which time he tried to, and succeeded in running her off the road.

He was arrested a short time later after police found him with a flat tire. He was charged with aggravated assault and felony endangerment. He didn’t have a good day and that bad day is probably going to get him some time in the penitentiary.

I would encourage each driver who ventures out onto the highways and byways of Tennessee to arm themselves with the telephone number of the appropriate law enforcement agency, either 911 or *847 for State Troopers and when you witness an aggressive driver, road rager or a drag racer, pull over to a safe place and call in the license number, description of the vehicle and any other specifics that you observed. Save a life and tell all of your friends and families to step up and help reduce traffic fatalities in Tennessee.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident by an aggressive driver or drag racer, contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and get a complete picture of your rights and remedies. Call 615-356-2000.

Drop A Dime On Dangerous Driving

For regular readers of this Blog you know that I often call on Tennessee drivers to take an active roll in Tennessee highway safety. First I ask each of you to obey the traffic laws, avoid distractions and keep a lookout for other drivers. The other thing I ask you to do is to get involved. By this I mean, use your cell phone and report dangerous drivers to police.

If you witness a dangerous, drunk or aggressive driver get the tag number, a description of the vehicle and driver and pull over and call police to report them. In rural areas dial *847 for the State Troopers and in urban areas call 911.

A recent incident in Johnson City, Tennessee makes clear that citizen involvement can save lives. A number of citizens called police to report a dangerous driver. Police came to the scene, interviewed witnesses and arrested a 60-year-old man who was obviously so drunk he could barely stand, much less drive a motor vehicle.

These good citizens took a dangerous man off the street and possibly saved lives. My hat is off to these fine citizens for taking action.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee auto accident caused by a drunk, dangerous or aggressive driver, call us at Phillip Miller & Associates, and let us put our experienced Nashville personal injury lawyers to work protecting your rights. 615-356-2000

Drop a Dime on a Bad Driver

As an experienced Tennessee auto accident attorney I often suggest to my clients and readers that they make good use of their cell phones when they see a problem driver on the highway. If you see someone who drives as if they were drunk, an aggressive driver, or a road rage incident, get the tag number and description of the car, pull over and call 911 in urban areas and *847 in rural areas for the State Troopers and report what you saw.

Reference a recent incident in Rogersville Tennessee reported in local news media where a citizen reported a woman at a filling station who appeared to be drunk and had had a small child in the vehicle. Police responded and indeed, she was under the influence, in the drivers seat with the keys in the ignition. She failed the field sobriety tests and submitted to a blood test.

There’s no telling whether the called saved the life of the child or some other innocent driver, but keep in mind that drunk driving is one of America’s deadliest crimes. In Tennessee in 2008, 327 people were killed in crashes where the driver or motorcyclist had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher.

If you or a loved one is involved in a Tennessee automobile accident caused by a drunk driver contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies.

A Chapel Hill man is facing aggravated assault charges after a minor accident turned violent Tuesday afternoon in Franklin, Tennessee. According to the police report one driver got out of his vehicle and began cursing the other motorist after their vehicles collided in heavy traffic near the intersection of Mallory Lane and Liberty Pike.

Not satisfied with cursing and abusive language the driver them pulled out a pocketknife and opened the blade. Neither the second driver, nor his 12-year-old daughter who was in the car with him, were hurt. The knife wielding man was charged with aggravated assault and released on $2,500 bond.

In Tennessee and throughout the country, the public’s concern over aggressive driving continues to grow. Some studies indicate the public is actually more fearful of aggressive drivers than it is of impaired drivers. Aggressive driving is truly dangerous and cannot be tolerated. Several states are considering legislation to deal specifically with the aggressive driving issue.

If you or loved one has been injured or killed in a Tennessee auto accident caused by an aggressive driver, the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates have the experience and knowledge needed to successfully handle your Tennessee auto accident case. Contact us immediately after an auto accident and we will discuss the situation with you, free of charge, and come up with a plan of action to help you get compensation for your loss.

Stop Driving Aggressively

Aggressive driving is a traffic offense or combination of offenses such as following too closely, speeding, unsafe lane changes, failing to signal intent to change lanes, and other forms of negligent or inconsiderate driving. The trigger for the aggressive driver is usually traffic congestion coupled with a schedule that is almost impossible to meet. As a result, the aggressive driver generally commits multiple violations in an attempt to make up time. Unfortunately, these actions put the rest of us at risk.

Answer the following questions to see whether you qualify:

DO YOU:

• Express Frustration. Taking out your frustrations on your fellow motorists can lead to violence or a crash.

• Fail to Pay Attention when Driving. Reading, eating, drinking or talking on the phone, can be a majorcause of roadway crashes.

• Tailgate. This is a major cause of crashes that can result in serious deaths or injuries.

• Make Frequent Lane Changes. If you whip in and out of lanes to advance ahead, you can be a danger to other motorists.

• Run Red Lights. Do not enter an intersection on a yellow light. Remember flashing red lights should be treated as a stop sign.

• Speed. Going faster than the posted speed limit, being a “road racer” and going too fast for conditions are some examples of speeding.

If you answer yes to any of the questions ask yourself what, if anything, are you going to do about it. Do you think that these questions don’t apply to you and you don’t intend to change? If so, just remember that in the event you kill or seriously injury another person, I’m waiting and the last thing you will ever want is to have this experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney coming after you in court. I don’t fool around, I’ll open a serious can of butt-whippin’ on you. Wake up and arrive alive.

If you or a a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident caused by an aggressive driver you are going to want me on your side. The Nashville car crash lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates will strive mightily to secure a recovery that will satisfy you.