Aggressive Driving Accidents

Traffic collisions on the I-5 and I-15, as well as on local roads throughout the North County San Diego area, often result from aggressive or reckless driving. According to a recent study conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, almost 80% of drivers in the U.S. admit to engaging in some type of aggressive driving behavior within the last year, and many drive aggressively with some frequency. Our North County car accident lawyers know that many drivers engage in certain aggressive behaviors without even realizing it, such as speeding or changing lanes without using a turn signal. Others are more overt. The important thing to know is that aggressive drivers are never acceptable, and those who cause aggressive driving accidents will be held liable.

Walton Law Firm has been representing those harmed by aggressive drivers for two decades. Serving the North County communities of Escondido, Carlsbad, Poway, Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos and Encinitas, Randy Walton has a tremendous experience as a car accident attorney in North County, and would be glad to evaluate your injury case free of charge.

Whether you are in downtown San Diego or in North County, aggressive driving can lead to a serious or even fatal car accident. What is aggressive driving, exactly? According to AAA, it is “any unsafe driving behavior, performed deliberately and with ill intention or disregard for safety.” We have compiled examples of aggressive driving from the AAA study and from the State of California Department of Motor Vehicles, which can include but are not limited to:

• Tailgating, or following another car too closely;
• Changing lanes unnecessary, including weaving in and out of lanes whenever you are on a highway;
• Speeding, especially when you are in heavy traffic;
• Cutting in front of another vehicle only to slow down immediately afterward;
• Running a red light or stop sign;
• Changing lanes without properly signaling;
• Blocking cars that are trying to pass you or change lanes; and
• Using your headlights or your brakes to “punish” other drivers on the road.

You might recognize some of these behaviors as fitting into a type of behavior known colloquially as “road rage.” Indeed, AAA emphasizes that road rage can result from “extreme cases of aggressive driving.” Road rage can lead to incredibly dangerous actions like aggressive driving accidents, including vehicles sideswiping or ramming into one another, or even situations in which one driver attempts to force another driver off the road.

How often do drivers in Carlsbad, Escondido, and other parts of the San Diego area engage in aggressive driving? The AAA study cites some of the following statistics:

• About 51% of drivers purposefully tailgate;
• 47% of drivers admit to yelling at another driver;
• 45% of drivers have honked to show anger or annoyance toward another driver;
• Around 24% of all drivers have attempted to block another vehicle from changing lanes;
• 12% of drivers admit to having cut off another car on purpose;
• 4% of drivers admit to actually getting out of the car to confront a driver; and
• 3% of drivers say they have purposefully bumped or rammed another vehicle.

If you or someone you love was hurt in a car accident caused by an aggressive driver, you should speak with Randy Walton, a car accident attorney in North County, at 760-571-5500 about filing a claim for compensation. All consultations are free of charge.