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Published on Monday, July 21, 2002
in the Tampa Tribune
There's an epidemic brewing, police say, and given time it could claim more lives than alcohol when it comes to traffic crashes.
The seeds of selfish driving habits, fueled by longer commutes and increased distractions, were sewn long ago and have taken root in the collective consciousness. Many give little thought to tailgating, cursing other drivers and sneaking through red lights.
Yet, bad habits come with a price. For some drivers in eastern Hillsborough County, this was the year the markers were called in.
``We have seen an increase in aggressive-driving fatalities, and it looks like we will have more this year than those caused by alcohol,'' says Cpl. Andy Ross, traffic coordinator for the Hillsborough County Sheriff's District II Office that includes Brandon, Valrico and Plant City. ``We have been out there hitting drunk drivers hard and it's paying off, but we haven't even begun to tackle aggressive driving.''
While alcohol use remains a dominant theme in traffic fatalities, fewer people were killed in alcohol- related crashes last year in the four-county area, according to the state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
Before popping the top to celebrate, consider this. Overall, the number of traffic crashes in Pinellas County soared by 909 last year compared with that of 2000, while Hillsborough saw 412 more crashes. Twenty-three more people were killed on Pasco's roadways in 2001, and 68 more people injured in Polk. Pasco also experienced the largest increase in alcohol-related crashes since 1997.
Double Standard
It's not as though aggressive driving has gone unnoticed, police say. In fact, the Legislature created a law against aggressive, careless driving in 2001.
Motorists who commit at least two traffic violations simultaneously or in succession can be cited. For example, speeding and running a red light or following too closely and failing to yield right of way. A total of 458 drivers in Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Polk counties were ticketed for aggressive driving between January and June, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Nearly everyone has witnessed some type of aggressive action on the roadways, and some motorists have used their cellular telephones to alert police dispatchers. The trouble is, a law enforcement officer can't simply take a motorist's word for it.
``We rely on drivers to call in and tell us when they see someone driving dangerously,'' says Florida Highway Patrol Capt. Mike McElreath. ``It happens all of the time, but if we don't catch these people in the act it makes it difficult to give them a ticket, unless they cause a crash.''
Aggressive driving may raise our blood pressure, but the truth is, it doesn't carry the negative stigma now associated with drunken driving, police say.
Those who scoff at the notion of knocking back a few beers and heading home may feel justified intimidating drivers who they see as nothing more than an obstacle in their path.
Convincing drivers to calm down and allow themselves more time to get to their destinations may be as difficult as teaching them to buckle up, says Capt. Pete Petrosky of the Pasco County Sheriff's Office.
Even though statewide motorists were 78 percent more likely to survive a crash if they wore a seat belt last year, some drivers still refuse to restrain themselves or their children, says Hillsborough sheriff's Sgt. George Mosher.
``Even the most benign crashes can be fatal if someone isn't restrained,'' he says. ``But the Legislature still sees it as OK to let people decide when they want to be killed in a traffic crash by refusing to change the law, and let us pull over drivers who aren't wearing seat belts.''
Last year, 110 people died in seat-belt-equipped vehicles in Hillsborough. Of those, 70 weren't restrained, state statistics show. The same was true of 52 of the 84 people killed in Polk County; 34 people of the 63 who died in Pinellas; and 38 of the 74 lives lost in Pasco.
Sending A Message
Law enforcement consistently has relied on state and federal money to help enforce drunken-driving laws and encourage seat belt use. They have joined Mothers Against Drunk Driving and Buckle-Up Florida campaigns. However, campaigns against aggressive driving so far have been sparse, low-key efforts.
It took years of hearing the mantra ``friends don't let friends drive drunk'' for the message to begin hitting home, say MADD representatives, and even now some residents believe a designated driver is the one who has had the least to drink.
Changing behaviors requires deep pockets and a lot of manpower - something even harder to come by in these lean economic times when governments are looking for ways to save.
After years of watching the body count rise, Hillsborough County made modest progress in the battle against drunk drivers last year, Mosher says. The number of people killed in alcohol-related crashes fell for the first time in four years. Slight declines also were seen in Pasco, Pinellas and Polk counties.
Police in all four counties credit their progress to stepped-up efforts fueled by grant dollars or added staff. In Pasco, the Florida Highway Patrol added 15 troopers and designated six to serve on a DUI squad. But commander McElreath knows aggressive driving is barreling its way to the front of the problematic pack.
``From January to June, troopers handed out 155 aggressive-driving tickets in Pasco, Hernando, Citrus and Sumter counties,'' he says. ``But we've got a long way to go.''
Troopers in Hillsborough County ticketed 71 drivers during this same period, while 116 drivers each in Pinellas and Polk counties were cited, according to FHP statistics.
For now, the Hillsborough sheriff's office is grateful to have a three-year grant aimed at stopping drunk drivers, Mosher says. The agency is beginning to track aggressive- driving tickets and crashes linked to this behavior. The next step is to figure out how to curtail it.
``I would like to think that part of the decrease in alcohol fatalities last year was because of our patrols and checkpoints,'' Mosher says. ``We made 1,116 DUI arrests out of nine checkpoints.
``We're out there doing whatever we can, but you have to worry if it's enough.''