Aggressive
Driving
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Aggressive Driving Campaign - 1997
Aggressive driving (and Road Rage) was just beginning to be a hot
topic in traffic safety. No other organization had, to date, compiled
such a comprehensive look at the nation-wide problem. From 1997 – 1999, DRIVE SMART was a leader in addressing this situation
and coming up with community-wide solutions.
One of the largest undertakings that DRIVE SMART Colorado Springs has ever attempted took place in the fall of 1997. DRIVE SMART Colorado Springs hosted a unique, daylong symposium addressing the problem of aggressive driving, and coming up with potential solutions to the problem. 114 law enforcement officers, community officials, judges, State Legislators, military personnel, injury prevention specialists, private citizens, and business leaders attended the symposium. Mark Edwards with AAA Safety Foundation, and Col. David Mitchell, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police, were the morning presenters. The afternoon was split into three in depth problem solving work groups/sessions: Traffic Engineering, Law Enforcement, and Public Information.
1998
A follow-up summit took place early’98. Everyone who had attended
the symposium was invited, and 40 interested and committed individuals
attended. It was this group who evaluated what was discussed in
October of ’97, chose the “top three” issues in
the categories of Law Enforcement, Public Education and Traffic
Engineering. They decided that the first priority was to put together
a working definition for aggressive driving – one that law
enforcement could agree on and work with. A meeting was called in
April between representatives from DRIVE SMART, all area law enforcement
and the District Attorneys Office. It was decided at that meeting
that the current reckless driving statute (willful and wanton behavior)
on the books would be sufficient for aggressive drivers, and that
if law 
enforcement
wrote the citations correctly with enough details, the DAs office
would not dismiss the case. The District Attorneys Office would
also make anger management courses a contingency of probation. The
Colorado Springs Police Dept. and El Paso County Sheriff’s
Office added a check box for aggressive driving to the front of
their citations. If the officer suspects aggressive/reckless driving
they would check the box, clearly document their case on the citation
and this would send a red flag to the prosecutors. This new way
to approach aggressive drivers was announced at a very successful
press conference in the Fall of ’98 where nine law enforcement
agencies, the City Attorney for Colorado Springs, the District Attorney,
and several military bases stood together in a showing of solidarity.
1999
DRIVE SMART Colorado Springs worked with the Colorado Department
of Revenue to add a section on aggressive driving into the Colorado
Drivers’ Manual.
Adding
this page to the Colorado drivers manual was one of the goals that
came out of the public education/information component of the community-wide
aggressive driving symposium.
This information may be copied and used without permission of Drive Smart Colorado Springs.
Our goal is to reduce traffic crashes and deaths;
thus, we encourage anyone to share this information in that effort.