ITD, police team up to curtail aggressive driving

By: 
Philip A. Janquart
Editor/Reporter

   Anyone over 50-years-old remembers the 1950s Walt Disney cartoon where “Goofy,” a normally kind and amenable character, transforms from Dr. Jekyll to a jagged-toothed, snarling Mr. Hyde after sliding behind the wheel of his car.
 All bets are off, so to speak, as he weaves through traffic, tails the guy in front of him, and nearly wipes out a pedestrian attempting to cross the street, all the while shaking his fist and shouting insults.
 Some things never change, but if the thought of being involved in a crash, injuring yourself or someone else, or even seeing someone killed, isn’t enough to chill you out, maybe the thought of a ticket and some jail time will.
 If you are an aggressive driver, take heed:
 The Idaho Transportation Department’s Office of Highway Safety (OHS) is working with law enforcement agencies statewide to reduce aggressive driving during the “100 Deadliest Days” on Idaho roads.
 “The summer days between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends are known as the 100 Deadliest, when there is an increase in fatal crashes,” the ITD stated in a recent press release. “According to OHS preliminary data, 41 people have died in crashes in Idaho since Memorial Day weekend this year.”  
   Beginning Friday, July 23, close to 60 law enforcement agencies throughout Idaho, in conjunction with OHS’ high visibility enforcement campaign, began dedicating patrols to enforcing speed limits and stopping aggressive drivers.
 “We are reminding drivers to stay engaged behind the wheel and watch for those speed limit signs,” said OHS Manager John Tomlinson. “We all have the responsibility to pay attention to how we are driving, have patience and protect other drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.”  
 Aggressive driving is defined as speeding, weaving in and out of traffic, unsafe passing, following too close, and, in general, driving inattentively, erratically, and even recklessly. That extra time you believe you are making could end up costing you up to $1,000 and could, at the discretion of a judge, land you in jail, according to Weiser Police Chief Carl Smith.
 People cited for reckless driving must appear in front of a judge to plead guilty or not guilty. A scheduled hearing follows not-guilty pleas.
 “There can be license suspension and jail time, but that’s up to the judge,” Smith told the Weiser Signal American. “It can be very expensive, and a reckless driving citation on your record can increase the cost of insurance.”
 Smith said there is little aggressive driving in town, but that dispatch commonly receives calls reporting aggressive driving on Highway 95.
 “There are a lot of cell phone reports of aggressive driving that are called in to dispatch that happen out on Highway 95, north and south of town,” he said. “We will wait at the city limits for those vehicles to come into town and we make a traffic stop. If the person calling is willing to stop and sign a citation, then we are more than happy to serve that citation and investigate anything else that might be going on, like drunk driving, drug abuse, or sometimes it may even turn out to be a medical issue.”
 Traffic on Highway 95 has increased ten-fold in recent years, according to Smith who said people’s habits are changing.
 “Everybody uses us on the weekends to get to and from the mountains, and it used to be on a Friday, after work, but now people are heading out on Wednesday afternoon, or Thursday afternoon,” he said. “It’s non-stop all weekend and then everyone comes back on Sunday. There are a lot more semi’s now, too.”
 Reports of aggressive driving have risen in conjunction with the general increase in traffic, said Washington County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy, Cody Strong.
 “Our calls of people reporting aggressive or inattentive driving has gone up dramatically,” he said. “We try to get a traffic stop on those situations before we have an accident. People are reporting drivers passing on double-yellow lines, driving at a high rate of speed and passing unsafely.”
 The motivations behind aggressive driving are many, but Smith said there is a common factor.
 “95 is just a two-lane highway and … people become impatient; they want to pass and they don’t care where they pass,” he said. “Have you seen all the crosses on the highway? I’ve been here a long time and I’ve seen people die. You put your life and somebody else’s life in danger to save, sometimes, not even 30 seconds. It’s ridiculous.”
 For more information, visit shift-idaho.org/aggressive-driving.
 

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Signal American

18 E. Idaho St.
Weiser, ID 83672
PH: (208) 549-1717
FAX: (208) 549-1718
 

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