Belton Police Department targeting aggressive driving

Saturday, 23 June 2012 by Keith Bahlmann

The Belton Police Department will be taking steps to increase public awareness of the dangers of aggressive driving.

During the week of June 18-22, Belton police officers will be taking proactive steps to identify drivers who display aggressive driving behaviors. Drivers who routinely speed, dart among traffic lanes, fail to signal intent, follow too closely and improperly pass make our roadways unsafe. These drivers will be stopped and given educational information about aggressive driving and warnings or citations for traffic violations observed by the officers.

Aggressive driving encompasses a number of unlawful and dangerous actions including exceeding posted speed limits or driving too fast for road conditions; changing lanes without signaling or yielding to other drivers; and passing in emergency lanes or on road shoulders. Aggressive driving can escalate into road rage, sometimes with tragic consequences.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drivers who tailgate, exceed speed limits, run red lights and switch lanes without warning are likely contributors to the more than 6 million crashes that occur in the United States each year.

"We want to take steps now to maintain safety and civility on our roadways," Belton Police Chief Gene Ellis said. "By consistently enforcing traffic laws, raising public awareness of aggressive driving dangers and impressing upon citizens the importance of their own safe driving habits, we can drive home the message that this dangerous behavior cannot be tolerated."

For more information on aggressive driving, visit www.nhtsa.gov.

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