As many as 56 percent of deadly crashes involve one or more unsafe driving behaviors typically associated with aggressive driving, according to a new analysis by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.


The analysis of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data shows speeding is the most common contributing factor and is involved in nearly one in three deadly crashes.

Aggressive driving is one of America's main traffic safety worries. Last year's AAA Foundation Traffic Safety Culture Index, a nationally representative telephone survey, found nearly eight out of every 10 people surveyed rated aggressive drivers as a serious or extremely serious traffic safety problem.

However, in the same survey, many individuals reported driving in ways that could be deemed aggressive. For example, nearly half of drivers reported exceeding the speed limit by 15 mph on major highways in the past 30 days, and 15 percent even admitted exceeding the speed limit by 15 mph on neighborhood streets. This reflects the "Do as I Say, Not as I Do" attitude society has toward traffic safety, say AAA officials.

"It's easy to think 'that other guy is the problem' - the one who runs someone off the road, tailgates, or yells obscenities," said AAA Foundation President and CEO Peter Kissinger. "In reality, examples of driving aggressively - any of which can lead to crashes, injuries and deaths - are all too common."

Examples of aggressive driving include running stop signs or red lights, preventing other drivers from passing, speeding, improper following or passing, illegal driving on the shoulder, and failing to yield.