High temperatures will be no excuse for hotheaded drivers this week as dozens of D.C.-area law enforcement agencies crack down on aggressive driving.
In each of the past nine summers, members of the Smooth Operator program have conducted four one- to two-week enforcement waves, putting more officers on the street to issue citations and warnings for aggressive driving. The third wave this year began Sunday and lasts through Saturday.
Officers watch for seven behaviors in particular: speeding, tailgating, making unsafe lane changes, running red lights, running stop signs, passing improperly and failing to yield. In 2005, Smooth Operator participants in Washington, Maryland and Northern Virginia recorded more than 390,000 violations.
However, the campaign’s first priority is to raise awareness among drivers in the Washington area, the traffic congestion in which is among the worst in the country. Linda Robinson, trauma research manager at Inova Fairfax Hospital, said aggressive driving was a factor in more than 22,500 crashes in Northern Virginia in 2004. In Maryland, aggressive driving is involved in about 3,000 highway crashes each year, with most aggression-fueled crashes occurring in Montgomery, Prince George’s, Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties.
Though anyone can be an aggressive driver, media campaigns are targeting 18- to 34-year-old men, said Bob Barton, master police officer in the Fairfax County Police Department.
“Our main goal is to get drivers to take a deep breath before they get into the vehicle and start their car,” Barton said. “Deterrence would always be the last step. As for those who can’t check themselves or can’t correct themselves, we’ll do it.”
Maryland uses aggressive driver imaging, digital technology that captures violations on camera. Though aggressive drivers caught through camera enforcement receive mailed warnings only, violations recorded through other means in Maryland carry a $360 fine and five-point penalty on their license, which is enough send the violator to traffic school.
In Washington, where police rely mostly on red-light and speed-reduction cameras, penalties for aggressive driving vary, but serious violations can lead to arrest. Aggressive drivers in Virginia, which does not use camera enforcement, face fines as high as $2,500 and may have their licenses suspended for up to six months.
Barton advises people not to antagonize aggressive drivers and to leave their own frustrations at home or work.
“Drive among people in the manner that you want them to drive around you,” Barton said.
