New initiatives aimed at combating aggressive driving

County officials announced that the Police Department will participate in a grant provided by the New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee through the Nassau Traffic Safety Board in a comprehensive initiative to combat aggressive driving from Aug. 31 to Sept. 13.

As a supplement, rather than a supplant, a precinct wide enforcement initiative aimed at identifying aggressive drivers who operate their motor vehicle in a manner that endangers or is likely to endanger other persons or property. Aggressive driving involves a series of moving violations such as unreasonable speed, passing a red light, tailgating, unsafe lane change, failure to signal a lane change, unsafe passing, failure to yield right away, and failure to obey traffic control devices. An aggressive driver operates his vehicle in a deliberate, selfish, bold or pushy manner which is likely to increase the risk of a collision and is motivated by impatience, annoyance, hostility or an attempt to save time. He or she has low regard for the rights or safety of other uses of the streets.

Priority will be given to high accident frequency locations and areas known for excessive speeding and aggressive driving, they said.