Remarks by Secretary Slater at the Aggressive Driving and the Law Symposium

Rodney E. Slater, United States Secretary of Transportation
January 11, 1999

REMARKS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY
SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION RODNEY E. SLATER
AGGRESSIVE DRIVING AND THE LAW A SYMPOSIUM
JANUARY 22, 1999
WASHINGTON, D.C.

President Clinton and Vice President Gore have made safety this Administration’s highest transportation priority --investing $6.8 billion over the next six years to increase safety on our nation’s highways.

Your attendance and commitment to finding workable solutions regarding aggressive driving shows that safety, too, is your highest priority.

Aggressive driving is one of the leading safety concerns among America’s drivers. In the survey we are releasing today, more than 60 percent of drivers believe unsafe driving --including speeding --by others was a major personal threat to them and to their families.

And as Secretary of Transportation I have met with the survivors of crashes caused by aggressive driving.

Speed --improper lane changes --improper passing --red light running --operating a vehicle in a manner which endangers or is likely to endanger others all fall under the category of aggressive driving.

Who are these aggressive drivers? Unfortunately, about two-thirds of the drivers in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) survey admit to unsafe driving. Why? --late for meetings --traffic congestion --frustration --we all, at one time or another, have either purposefully or unwittingly taken on the role of an aggressive driver.

We can and must do better --which is why we are here today. We must raise the bar on safety. It requires a three-pronged approach --education --enforcement --and strong judicial efforts to prevent this life-threatening behavior from occurring again and again.

A majority of drivers from the NHTSA survey believe that the amount of law enforcement is about right. At least twenty-two states and the District of Columbia currently have active programs to reduce aggressive driving violations.

The Federal government, law enforcement agencies and local communities are partnering through programs like "Smooth Operator" to combat aggressive driving and we are seeing results.

Right now in Wisconsin, a $476,000 NHTSA grant is helping the Milwaukee Police Department to reduce aggressive driving. This 18-month demonstration project, the first in the nation, will provide information and enforcement results to law enforcement agencies across the country. I am pleased to announce we will expand the project into two additional communities later this year.

The Federal Highway Administration next month will release the results of a very successful, $600,000 "Red Light Running" campaign. Through education and enforcement, crashes at 31 sites throughout the nation dropped significantly --some by as much as 43 percent. Communities are so delighted with the results they are continuing the campaign indefinitely --and without federal funding.

Clearly, we have workable solutions already in place, but the court system must be an integral part of those solutions. We must begin to devise uniform policies to enforce penalties for aggressive driving. We need our criminal justice partners to work with us to ensure those penalties are enforced in the courtroom.

We all are witnesses to the unfortunate consequences of aggressive driving. Many of you may remember the terrible crash, several years ago, on the George Washington Parkway. Erratic lane changes and speeds in excess of 80 miles-per-hour caused both drivers to lose control of their vehicles. One driver died and two innocent people lost their lives and the lives of the families involved changed forever.

The public, appalled and outraged, demanded action. The surviving driver was charged and indicted on two counts of involuntary manslaughter and reckless driving. He received a 10-year sentence. But, it was reversed on appeal. Sentencing guidelines do not provide for such a stiff penalty. The trial court resentenced with justification for the upward departure from sentencing guidelines.

We have a great opportunity, through this symposium, to formulate a national policy regarding the seriousness of aggressive driving and to develop recommendations for consistent treatment of offenders.

We can shift the paradigm on aggressive driving penalties just as we shifted the paradigm on drunken driving penalties. No longer can these offenders expect a slap on the wrist --there will be serious judicial consequences for their actions. We want --the public demands --the same course of action for aggressive driving offenders.

America is making progress in the battle for safer roads, but safety is everyone's responsibility and we must all continue our vigilance. Through education, enforcement and uniform judicial policies we can raise the bar on safety.

I wish you much success with this symposium. You have an excellent agenda and I look forward to hearing your findings and recommendations.

Working together, I know our best days are yet to come.

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Source:  U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)