Delaware Aggressive Driving Online Courses
Speed Thrills. But It Also Kills.
Speed and curves are a thrilling combination on a roller coaster. But in a car, they can be deadly — especially if you're not wearing a seat belt. Delaware law enforcement officers are on the lookout to slow down speeding drivers and ensure all motorists are buckled up. Don't take the risk. Life's too short to drive too fast. Slow down, buckle up, arrive alive.
Delaware Speed Facts
- Most speed-related crashes occur on roads that have a 50 mph speed limit.
- Friday has the highest number of speed related injury crashes.
- Speed was a contributing factor in about 38% of the fatal crashes in 2016.
- Most speed related injury crashes occur during rush hour (5 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.)
Visit www.arrivealivede.com/Slow-Down for more information.
Aggressive Driving Defined
Aggressive Driving is more than just speeding. It's a whole series of traffic violations including tailgating, failing to yield the right of way whether when turning or merging, running stop signs and red lights, and making unsafe lane changes.
Over the last three years in Delaware (2015 – 2017), 116 people were killed in crashes related to aggressive driving behaviors. Another 10,337 have been injured. In 2017, 37% of all fatal crashes were attributed to aggressive driving behaviors.
Delaware's Law
On June 30th, 1999 the General Assembly passed the state's first aggressive driving law. In simplest terms, if a driver commits three specified traffic offenses (including speeding, failing to yield the right of way, making an unsafe lane change, passing on the shoulder, ignoring a traffic control device, following too closely, or overtaking a stopped school bus) in a single incident, that person will be charged with an aggressive driving violation. They may be fined between $100 and $300 dollars, or face 10 to 30 days in jail. They must also complete a behavior modification class or attitudinal driving course.
If convicted of a second or subsequent aggressive driving offense within three years, they may face a 30-day license suspension.
What to do when confronted by aggressive drivers:
- First and foremost make every attempt to get out of their way.
- Put your pride in the back seat. Do not challenge them by speeding up or attempting to hold-your-own in your travel lane.
- Call 9-1-1 as soon as you can safely do so...but the sooner the better.
- Provide police dispatchers with a location as well as a vehicle description (color, make, model, size, number of doors), direction of travel, and a license plate number if possible.
- Wear your seat belt. It will hold you in your seat and behind the wheel in case you need to make an abrupt driving maneuver and it will protect you in a crash.
- Avoid eye contact.
- Ignore gestures and refuse to return them.
- If an aggressive driver is involved in a crash farther down the road, stop a safe distance from the crash scene, wait for the police to arrive, and report the driving behavior that you witnessed.