Many drivers in Ohio have felt frustrated and even angry behind the wheel. When these feelings turn into aggressive driving behaviors, everyone on the road is at risk for being injured in a car accident.
Aggressive driving and acts of road rage are more common than thought in Ohio and this dangerous driving behavior can cause very serious car accidents. The Ohio State Highway Patrol believes that some aggressive driving behaviors may be caused by distracted driving, which is also very dangerous and very common on Ohio roads.
To address the dangers of aggressive driving and distracted driving, the OSP is using their aviation section to help troopers track and review car accidents caused by aggressive behaviors and distracted driving.
The aviation group looks for common violations such as aggressive driving, following too closely, driving left of center and marked lane violations to see if these behaviors are contributing to car accidents and if the drivers were distracted while committing these violations.
The OSP said that the aviation group is able to see more driving behaviors from the birds-eye view and can see which drivers are driving unsafely and violating state driving laws. The aviation group works with troopers on the ground to catch aggressive drivers, and since they can see a vehicle’s behavior for a longer amount of time, they are able to catch more vehicles speeding and performing other unsafe behaviors on the road. If the aviation group sees an unsafe driver, they notify troopers on the ground where the vehicle is travelling so they can pull them over.
The OSP said the combined effort helps catch more aggressive drivers and reduces the risk of a serious car accident happening. They hope that their efforts will continue to stop unsafe drivers and make the public more aware about the dangers of aggressive driving.
Source: 10 TV, “Ohio State Highway Patrol Targets Aggressive Drivers By Air,” July 19, 2013
