Aggressive drivers targeted by state highway officials
by Michael C. Bender | November 16th, 2009
Aggressive drivers could get hit with a $120 fine under a proposal the Florida Department Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles will take to the state legislature in the spring. No telling yet what the proposal would mean for state coffers, but Miami was pegged as the "least courteous city" in a national 2008 road rage survey.
The department will present their legislative priorities on Tuesday to the Florida Cabinet. Left off the list: a ban on texting and driving. But department officials say that’s only because the issue has already captured lawmakers’ attention. “I think there are 12 pieces of legislation at last count,” department spokesman David Westberry said.
The department is also hoping lawmakers clarify that two DUI offenses in the same day count as multiple offenses. Right now, if a driver is pulled over twice in a day for drunk driving, it’s treated as one conviction.
For aggressive driving, the department wants a new category of traffic offense for “aggressive careless” driving to let law enforcement issue a single citation for multiple violations. The proposal mirrors recommendations from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
More:
*Crist gives green list to ban on texting while driving
*Greenacres endorses effort to prohibit texting while driving
Tags: aggressive driving, road rage, texting
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November 16th, 2009 at 6:39 pm
Hope they target people who do not signal too!!! Too many people think those amber or red colored lights on their cars are for decoration on halloween and christmas.
November 16th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
This is long overdue. Too many drivers are not courteous when driving, like the comment above, don’t use their proper signals, and tend to have road rage at times. Patience on the road is a virtue and it’s high time that this reinforces it. People should have common sense when driving but obviously floridians are lacking in this area.
November 16th, 2009 at 7:09 pm
Also, in reference to another article about cameras giving tickets to those who run red lights, exempt from this are bad areas where homeless people seem to want to run up to you, while you are waiting at a red light late at night. I’ve had to run 2 red lights since on two different occasions a stranger (homeless people)was running up to my car. I’m a young single woman and when confronted at that time of night, it scares me tremendously.
November 16th, 2009 at 7:10 pm
I’ve noticed young women have really become aggressive drivers. Don’t know why, but the 18-24 age range is raging out there.
November 16th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
Fine is way too low. Should be at least $500.
November 16th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
Regardless of speed limit, If someone comes up on your tail and your in the left lane you are required to move over. The sign that states “SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT” should be posted every mile. If this law was truly inforced it would cut down on agressive driving, accidents, road rage etc… When I am president there will be a $250 fine for failure to yield to a faster moving car in the left lane.
November 16th, 2009 at 8:57 pm
To #2 Faith – obviously it’s not “floridians” who lack common sense while driving. It is all the horrible snow birds who come down here for the season or to retire. Bet you can’t name the number of native Floridians you know on one hand. Clearly, these drivers are following the rules of the road from their own state/country.
November 16th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
How about they fine the idiots who have no clue as to the rules of the road. And those that have a cell phone glued to their ear, or are applying paint to the ugly faces, and those that can’t read english much less speak it. or who are here illegally, or have lived up in the northern hinterlands autoless and then move here and buy their first car and try learning to drive at the age of seventy. Or just hand out life sentences for being idiots……………morons
November 16th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
HENRY…I agree!! The fast lane is for us that are actually doing the proper speed limit!! Okeechobee Blvd. west of Jog Road is 50 MPH.. I am ALWAYS caught behind 4 lanes of traffic at 40 MPH. Not to mention that they are on a cell phone or texting, or have no clue what they are doing. LEARN TO DRIVE PEOPLE! So, I quess that I am one of those aggressive (defensive) drivers.
November 16th, 2009 at 9:21 pm
Henry and Cannot Say – Here’s a situation for you: In a construction zone posted 55mph you are already doing 70 in morning traffic, someone comes up on your tail end and you cant move over because a car is beside you. When space opens you put signal on to move over only to have the person behind you move over and pull up next to you. This person then attempts to sideswipe you and after you go over into the grass and get back in lane he gets in front of you and slams the brakes. Who’s the aggressive driver then? Who is the fast lane for when you are already well exceeding the limit? Is it still for the a– riding your rear?
November 16th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
A Says,
That is not what I am referring to. If you stay in the left lane doing 65 when there are 2 lanes to your right that are open and you could continue at the same speed and not hold up traffic then you are who I am speaking of.
November 16th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
Well I hope the law enforcement officials have these comments forwarded by Mr. Bender. They are good ones. AND, we do not want this to be a scheme where the officials buddy lawyers make millions off of people accused of agressive driving. Set up a system where they are guilty beyond a doubt. Otherwise our officials will just continue ripping off the rest of us with high costs to run their systems.
November 16th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
They need to start enforcing the laws they already have in existence before they enact new ones. My husband’s ex-wife has had at least 2 DUIs in less than a year, as well as several previous DUIs here in Florida and in another state, and to date she has not spent even one day in jail. I guess when she kills somebody they might lock her up for a week.
November 16th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
Look people, it should be very simple. Someone is travelling faster than U, MOVE OVER, it does not matter how fast U are or what is the speed limit, just MOVE OVER.
There should be a “Stupid Driver” statute, which will cover all the stupid things that people do while driving i.e. putting make up, driving with the left foot out of the window, reading, texting, talking, eating, moving to different lanes without signaling, etc.
November 16th, 2009 at 10:01 pm
To stop the aggresive drivers all that the cops need to do is ticket every New York or New Jersey tagged car. Problem solved.
November 16th, 2009 at 10:15 pm
I hope they also pass a law to give olderly folks tickets for going 30 in a 45 at 7:30 in the morning with a mile’s worth of traffic behind them trying to get to work! Then there are the people who cant read the yeild while doing a u turn and cut off people that have a green arrow to turn right!!!
November 16th, 2009 at 10:49 pm
They all live in Royal Palm Beach. All aggressive drivers live there. All of them, without exception. Wall that community in and let em all play bumper cars with each other.
November 16th, 2009 at 11:06 pm
How about the 100 year old people who can’t even see and drive in 2 lanes going half the speed limit causing traffic requiring people to speed up to make up time lost?? How about instead of making aggressive drivers pay fines so that the state makes more money, that they make people over 65 require a yearly exam to see if they are fit to drive, I wonder how many old people cause motorcycle deaths from pulling out in front of them ?? I know I had to almost crash 2 times due to that .The aggressive driving may be a reaction to the action of bad drivers. I also agree completely about the MOVE LEFT especially when going UNDER the speed limit
November 16th, 2009 at 11:46 pm
There are WAY too many speed traps on the highway as it is. I get tired of seeing FHP on 95 every day in several places, waiting to nail some unsuspecting motorist. Florida is already WAY over the top with speed traps, moreso than any state I know of, and I think it has gotten worse through the downturn. People should drive responsibly, but there’s a such a thing as harassment too.
November 17th, 2009 at 7:18 am
Guess I’m the odd one out. My complaint is all the speed demons out there that can’t tell the difference between the left lane & the right lane. Folks, my pet peeve is the idiots out there that get in the slow lane, decide it’s not going fast enough for them & promptly start passing on the right side.. aka the exit lane. I have absolutely no sympathy for those idiots in the slow lane that try to pass me and everyone else on the right by going into the exit lane… Especially when they have a problem getting back in the right lane.
November 17th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
Oooh! Ooh! my turn…how about the ones that use a merge lane to pass on the right and then wait til the last possible second to try and get over before the lane ends?? You merging into traffic is NOT the responsibility of the oncoming cars….and Kris Wilson, you are sooooo right…every time I’m making a right turn off of Military onto PGA heading east, there are a passel of people trying to U turn that will NOT yield….They have to start enforcing that.
November 17th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Driving lesson 101: the posted speed limit applies to ALL lanes. The right lane is for those who drive 45-70. The left lane is for those who are at a constant 70. When you are in the right lane and want to pass someone who is going less than 70, go into the left lane and your speed should NOT exceed the maximum posted speed limit, 70. Its in the manual.
November 17th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Aggressive drivers act that way because people around us cannot drive. Too many times I’ve been cut off by people who feel the need to rush out into traffic instead of waiting or better yet, older people who pull out into oncoming traffic and when I blow the horn they act as if they can’t hear. Instead if going after aggressive drivers, get the people who trigger that response. I personally believe the police officers have nothing better to do than to harrass the wrong people!!!!!
November 17th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
To Good Citizen Bob:
That was funny, I live in Royal Palm Beach and I’m not that aggressive anymore.
November 17th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
Police State. Fines do not stop bad driving. Some speeding tickets are over $300 , still I95 is like a car race. These fines have not changed the way people drive. Speed traps on I95 on a Sunday morning at Woolbright with up to 8 or more State Troopers is nothing more than a money making shake down.
Watch Out ! Fines are even higher in this speed enchanched zone.
November 17th, 2009 at 5:56 pm
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November 17th, 2009 at 7:41 pm
Hey all you numnuts…the speed limit that is posted is for ALL lanes!! There is no “fast” lane…what Florida driving manual did you read??
November 17th, 2009 at 7:50 pm
If you are doing 70 and your in the left lane and the guy behind you wants to go quicker just move over. Be corteous and have respect on the road to other drivers!
If your not passing someone stay out of the left lane. More accidents are caused on the highway because of someone holding up traffic in the left lane then anything!!!
It seems so simple to me.
November 17th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
Seraphim1524,
This is not NYC. Your menatlity is what causes accidents. Try and teach yourself some corteousy. Unless your passing stay out of the Left Lane.
You by the book drivers DONT KID YOUR SELF drivers are going to drive over 70.
November 17th, 2009 at 8:57 pm
Again, WE ALREADY HAVE LAWS to handle this. You can already get a ticket for “reckless driving”.
What is agressive driving anyways? I drive agressive sometimes. If a driver is an idiot and the cops are too busy eating doughnuts, you can be certain I’ll give him my middle finger or tap on my brakes so he’ll get the message. I consider it FREEDOM OF SPEECH. And guess what? When people are agressive they are safer drivers because they know the risks and focus on the task.
November 17th, 2009 at 9:00 pm
Seraphim1524… The point here is to be courtious. I dont know how many times I have driven down the road… any road in the “fast” lane and come up behind someone driving 10 miles UNDER the speed limit. You are not God and are not a law enforcement officer who is permitted to pace cars because you think they are going to fast. It is usually the guy driving like a bone head that starts the other driver to go into a rage in the first place. If I am driving slower than the car behind me I move over. They will get caught, Karma is a strange thing…
November 17th, 2009 at 9:37 pm
I wish this new proposed law won’t be used for Racial Profiling. It should not be passed!
November 17th, 2009 at 10:03 pm
I agree with some of this “Law” but lets admit it is only to make money for the state just like Juno Beach’s cameras money maker nothing more. Don’t try to hide behind “safety” it can’t cover the real reason MONEY.
November 17th, 2009 at 10:03 pm
Accidents are caused by multiple factors – speed, attention level, equipment failure and unexpected events, to name a few. In accidents, it often takes two to tango, so it usually cannot be blamed on only one party (the speeder). The notion that ‘just speed’ causes accidents is simplistic. It is being used against residents to raise revenue in the wake of the housing crisis. Funny how when times are tough we suddenly care about aggressive drivers. Do you know who those tickets are payable to on I95? Palm Beach County.
Many of the studies conducted on accidents, which are cited by law enforcement, were financed by the insurance companies. Hmmm, can we say biased source with a substantial profit interest? Wake up people, it is less about safety and more about a chance to pick your pocket – from the county and the insurance company.
November 17th, 2009 at 10:03 pm
The uneducated rednecks should pay extra, especially if they are out of their element (Loxascratchy). Quite frankly, we should build them a trailer park out in the 20 mile bend or further out.
November 17th, 2009 at 10:06 pm
I apologize, I had forgotten that many of our sheriff deputies are uneducated rednecks hired by our wonderful county.