A bill has passed in Florida senate that would penalize motorists who cause congestion in the left lane in a multilane highway by driving too slow. The penalties include fines and points on the driver's license. This measure is aimed to reduce the number of aggressive driving cases caused by drivers who drive too slow on the left lane, causing stress for the drivers behind.

Known as the "Highway Safety Act," it gives law enforcement more authority to ticket drivers who block traffic, even if they are driving the speed limit. Failure to keep to the right will be warranted as "aggressive careless driving."

The senate voted 37-1, advancing the bill. Not only would this bill target those who cause slow-downs on the left lane, but also the eruptive behavior of drivers behind the slow vehicle, such as: tailgating and other risky maneuvers to try and take over that vehicle. Repeat offenders may face fines up to $500 and a mandatory court appearance.

Critics, however, state that the move is only designed to encourage speeding among drivers, and that it will unnecessarily punish drivers who follow speed limits. Backers say that even more dangerous situations, such as overtaking on the right lane or aggressive driving will be prevented.

Current Florida law requires drivers to yield the left lane to other motorists, except when overtaking and passing on the right is allowed. Currently passing on the right is allowed in most of Florida's multi-lane highways, and a lot of motorists are frustrated with one slow driver slowing up the rest of the lane.

The bill still must be approved by the Florida house and signed by Florida governor Rick Scott before it becomes law.

Learn more about about Move Over Law at www.moveoveramerica.com to help make drivers more aware of changing lanes and highway safety.

Labels: aggressive careless driving, aggressive driver, florida highway safety act, slow driver, traffic ticket

Some recent news articles concerning road rage incidents have pointed out how people can draw themselves into a road rage incident and some of the terrible mistakes that drivers make when they try to retaliate against an aggressive driver. A recent incident in Florida involved an enraged driver who started shooting and another driver, believing he had to defend himself, shooting back, resulting in a pitched gun battle on an interstate highway while other drivers swerved to get out of the way. Not only was the “road-rager” arrested but the other driver, who felt justified in shooting back, was surprised when he was arrested as well.

In previous articles, we discussed the difference between aggressive driving and road rage and the fact that people often use the terms interchangeably or get them confused. Road rage occurs when a driver snaps and tries to physically punish another driver. In this article we are going to discuss how to avoid road rage incidents and what to do if you find yourself the target of an enraged driver.
Incidents of road rage have grown to epidemic proportions and a quick Google search turns up a surprising number of road rage incidents that happened within the past 24 hours, several of them involving gunfire. Current economic conditions may be adding to the problem.

In 2006, the American Psychiatric Association gave road rage its own diagnosis, referring to it as Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED). IED is characterized by a degree of aggressiveness during the episode that is grossly out of proportion to any influencing events; it is a form of temporary insanity, in which the enraged individual wants to hurt other individuals or to destroy property. IED is more commonly found in young men and it is estimated that one in fourteen individuals are capable of experiencing the disorder. The bottom line is that, when you are dealing with someone in a road rage incident, you are not dealing with someone who is rational or reasonable.

How can you avoid being the victim of a road rage incident? There are a number of steps you can take; the key is to avoid, as much as possible, irritating another driver.

• Pay attention to the road ahead and be aware of the drivers around you. If you see an aggressive driver approaching in your rear view mirror, get out of his way. Move into another lane or give him plenty of space to get around you.


• Giving full attention to your driving means staying off of cell phones. Cell phone users tend to drive slower and are slower to regain speed after stopping at a red light.


• Stay in the right hand lane unless you are passing another driver. Keep the left lane clear for passing traffic. If you are on a two-lane road and traffic is building up behind you, pull over and allow faster traffic to pass.


• Use turn signals and slow in time so other drivers will have time to react to your brake lights.


• Remember that you can’t take the right-of-way, you can only give it up to someone else. If someone else insists on taking the right-of-way, give it to them even if you legally have the right-of-way.


• Most importantly, be courteous to other drivers even if they aren’t courteous in return.

Retaliating against other drivers by honking your horn, flashing your lights, making gestures, or trying to keep another driver from passing can trigger a traffic game, which can lead to a road rage incident. You may have experienced a traffic game in the past. One example is when a driver slows down in response to a tailgater, only to have the tailgater pass the driver and slow down as "punishment." In this situation, the tailgater is trying to teach the first driver a lesson. If the first driver tries to pass and becomes involved in the game, the two drivers could very quickly find themselves in a life or death struggle.

If you find yourself in this type of situation, do whatever it takes to get out, including getting off the road if necessary. Don’t allow yourself to be drawn in to a traffic game. You are never in such a hurry that it is worth becoming the victim of road rage.

One mistake people make that often results in serious injury or death is to stop to argue with the other driver. Remember that this person may have temporarily lost all touch with reality and may react in a way that is totally out of proportion to the incident.

If you encounter an aggressive or enraged driver, remember the following tips:

• Never try to retaliate; don’t blow your horn or make any gestures. Let them go! You can't change their behavior and only law enforcement has the authority to correct their behavior.


• Never stop to confront an aggressive driver.


• Never get out of your vehicle if an aggressive driver leaves her vehicle. If you are trapped in traffic or at a red light, do not open your door or roll down your window if the other driver gets out and approaches you. If you have a cell phone, call 911 and ask for help. Let the other driver see you calling. Honk your horn loudly to summon help.

Another aspect of Intermittent Explosive Disorder is that, after the event, the individuals usually feel upset, embarrassed, and genuinely remorseful but, by that time, it is usually too late. If you are confronted by an aggressive driver, you must put safety first.

Additional Articles on Driver Courtesy: Forget It and Drive On

Labels: aggressive driver, aggressive driving, aware driver, cell phone, defensive driving course, intermittent explosive disorder, road rage, road rage incident, thanksgiving traffic safety

If you’ve gotten a traffic ticket lately, you may be trying to decide whether or not going to traffic school is a good idea. With the economy in flux and people worried about every penny they spend, it may seem like a good idea to just pay the fine and forego the extra cost of a traffic school. But sometimes spending a little extra money can save you a lot more money in the long run. In order to help you make the decision, here are a few things that you might want to consider.

There are several consequences to getting a traffic ticket and each much be weighed when deciding whether going to traffic school may be beneficial. Some are obvious, but others are not so obvious.

Fines – This is the most obvious consequence of a traffic ticket. Fines differ from state to state and from county to county.

Points - Driving infractions usually have a point value added and, if you accumulate too many points in a set period of time, your license will be suspended.

Insurance – Insurance companies are very risk-averse and won’t hesitate to increase your insurance rates once they are informed of your traffic ticket. Many states have laws that prevent insurance companies from raising their rates for a driver who attends driving school.

Safe Driver status – Some states reward drivers with a safe driving record with a “Safe Driver” status which allows the driver to renew less frequently than those without the safe driver status.

What type of driver are you? When it comes to traffic tickets, there are basically two types of drivers:

Moderate drivers - These drivers rarely get a ticket but, due to inattention or stress, may find themselves driving a bit too fast and see those dreaded blue lights in the rear view mirror. A driver in this position probably isn’t worried about accumulating points and may decide to just live with the points, assuming that they probably won’t get enough points to risk having their license suspended. While true, these drivers could see their insurance rates go up, eventually costing them much more over the long run than the cost of a driving school. Those drivers may also lose their safe driver status, requiring them to renew their license more often.

Aggressive drivers – These drivers probably get at least two or more tickets per year. One more ticket could put this driver over the point limit, resulting in a suspended license. After completing their suspension period, these drivers may be required by the state DMV or court to attend an extended driving school before they can reinstate their license. The advanced school is much longer and costs much more than a typical driving school. While their insurance rates are probably already pretty high, attending the driving school will prevent them from going up any higher. In an already tough economy, losing your license could turn a shaky job situation into a no-job situation.

Drivers tend to develop negative driving behaviors over time and a traffic school provides a chance to re-evaluate your driving behaviors and look at them from a different perspective. They also can provide you with some valuable tips for avoiding those negative behaviors and, at the same time, update you on new driving laws that you might not be aware of.

Obviously, the best choice is to not get a ticket to begin with. Drivers should be aware that the stresses of the economy can increase your chances of getting a ticket. Stressed drivers tend to allow themselves to be distracted from the very important job of paying attention to their driving. Stress may also lead to aggressive driving behaviors that cause drivers to take more chances than they might otherwise take. Being aware of these issues and trying to put the distractions of the economy aside when you are behind the wheel will make you a safer driver, and safer drivers tend to avoid getting tickets.

Lowest Price Traffic School offers online traffic school for tickets and driver education courses required to obtain a Florida learner's permit. DMV approved and lowest price guarantee.

Labels: aggressive driver, aggressive driving, defensive driving course, distracted driving laws, florida driving laws, traffic school, traffic ticket