From the Editor
Put the Brakes on Aggressive Driving
During the Labor Day weekend, I hoped to include a peaceful, leisurely drive into Rocky Mountain National Park with my son, who lives in Denver. The weather was perfect—75 degrees, vivid blue sky, marshmallow clouds—we thought a hike in the mountains would be therapeutic for body and soul.
Several miles outside of Estes Park, however, we came to a halt. Traffic was lined up bumper to bumper—others apparently also wanted to commune with nature. After a few near misses with cars darting in and out of lanes; poor visibility—car tops and campers loaded with bicycles and camping gear; and tail-gating, impatient motorists, we opted for the scenic drive back to Boulder.
The Central Illinois Chapter of the American Red Cross recently hosted a Safe Communities Traffic Safety Forum. Various speakers reminded the more than 350 attendees that wearing seatbelts save lives. Congressman Ray LaHood, Representative David Leitch, Mayor David Ransburg, RLI Vice President Mike Quine, and local father Shelley Epstein sobered the audience when relating their personal stories of the value of seatbelts. We all have a story or two to tell—with thanksgiving that we are still around to tell it. Now that public focus on seat belts and proper child safety seat usage has had a positive effect on decreasing injuries and fatalities, wouldn’t it be great to add aggressive driving to the list of public awareness issues?
It can happen in an instant. You’re driving along a pleasant stretch of Illinois Route 150, Grandview Drive, Knoxville Avenue, etc., calm and attentive, when a car suddenly zooms up behind you, filling your rear-view mirror and flashing its headlights in a bold show of impatience. Maybe you’re able to change lanes and allow your tormentor to speed angrily by. Maybe you’re forced to endure a blaring horn or obscene gesture. Either way, your attention is diverted and your mood is ruined. You’re a victim of aggressive driving.
In a recent survey sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 60 percent of U.S. drivers said they consider unsafe driving practices a major threat to their personal safety and that of their families. Their fears are warranted. Estimates indicate that drivers who tailgate, race down the road, run red lights and zip from lane to lane without warning contribute significantly to the more than 6 million crashes in the United States each year. When the traffic offense of aggressive driving escalates into criminal road rage, the consequences are sometimes tragic.
Road congestion is considered a factor that tends to exacerbate aggressive driving behaviors. As the number of licensed drivers and registered vehicles increases, this congestion often causes drivers to become frustrated, which leads to a more aggressive, high-risk driving style.
With the advent of Fall, highway repair and construction around Peoria is at its peak. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the anonymity of being behind the wheel gives aggressive drivers a false sense of control and power, and they seldom take into account the consequences of their actions. Distractions—including cell phone usage, talking with other people in the car, changing radio stations and compact discs, not to mention driving after a drink or two—further increase the possibility of accidents. Accidents that can be prevented by common sense.
The Illinois Department of Transportation’s I-74 project is beginning around Peoria and we need to remind ourselves to take a deep breath, slow down, and focus on driving.
None of us can be complacent when it comes to protecting ourselves and our loved ones from the senseless acts of careless drivers. Let’s spread the word.
Several miles outside of Estes Park, however, we came to a halt. Traffic was lined up bumper to bumper—others apparently also wanted to commune with nature. After a few near misses with cars darting in and out of lanes; poor visibility—car tops and campers loaded with bicycles and camping gear; and tail-gating, impatient motorists, we opted for the scenic drive back to Boulder.
The Central Illinois Chapter of the American Red Cross recently hosted a Safe Communities Traffic Safety Forum. Various speakers reminded the more than 350 attendees that wearing seatbelts save lives. Congressman Ray LaHood, Representative David Leitch, Mayor David Ransburg, RLI Vice President Mike Quine, and local father Shelley Epstein sobered the audience when relating their personal stories of the value of seatbelts. We all have a story or two to tell—with thanksgiving that we are still around to tell it. Now that public focus on seat belts and proper child safety seat usage has had a positive effect on decreasing injuries and fatalities, wouldn’t it be great to add aggressive driving to the list of public awareness issues?
It can happen in an instant. You’re driving along a pleasant stretch of Illinois Route 150, Grandview Drive, Knoxville Avenue, etc., calm and attentive, when a car suddenly zooms up behind you, filling your rear-view mirror and flashing its headlights in a bold show of impatience. Maybe you’re able to change lanes and allow your tormentor to speed angrily by. Maybe you’re forced to endure a blaring horn or obscene gesture. Either way, your attention is diverted and your mood is ruined. You’re a victim of aggressive driving.
In a recent survey sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 60 percent of U.S. drivers said they consider unsafe driving practices a major threat to their personal safety and that of their families. Their fears are warranted. Estimates indicate that drivers who tailgate, race down the road, run red lights and zip from lane to lane without warning contribute significantly to the more than 6 million crashes in the United States each year. When the traffic offense of aggressive driving escalates into criminal road rage, the consequences are sometimes tragic.
Road congestion is considered a factor that tends to exacerbate aggressive driving behaviors. As the number of licensed drivers and registered vehicles increases, this congestion often causes drivers to become frustrated, which leads to a more aggressive, high-risk driving style.
With the advent of Fall, highway repair and construction around Peoria is at its peak. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the anonymity of being behind the wheel gives aggressive drivers a false sense of control and power, and they seldom take into account the consequences of their actions. Distractions—including cell phone usage, talking with other people in the car, changing radio stations and compact discs, not to mention driving after a drink or two—further increase the possibility of accidents. Accidents that can be prevented by common sense.
The Illinois Department of Transportation’s I-74 project is beginning around Peoria and we need to remind ourselves to take a deep breath, slow down, and focus on driving.
None of us can be complacent when it comes to protecting ourselves and our loved ones from the senseless acts of careless drivers. Let’s spread the word.