Racing down a street where children are playing; scattering a peloton by aggressively driving; nearly causing accidents due to excessive speed and tailgating – I have called the local police to report all of these dangers to our Community. In one instance, the teen age driver who was racing down our street was later picked up for another violation, and was prosecuted for his reckless behavior. I would encourage other bikers, runners and athletes to start speaking up” and reporting dangerous drivers to the police. Stop your bike or jog and call it in immediately. Calling in a “BOLO” (“Be On the Look Out” for…) will cause the dispatchers to alert the local cruisers which may save lives.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the definition of aggressive driving is: “When individuals commit a combination of moving traffic offenses so as to endanger other persons or property.” Police will need to know the following information when you are reporting an aggressive driver:

* Description of Vehicle (color, make, model, license plate state, and license plate number).
* Description of driver (sex, race, age, hair color, height, weight).
* Location of incident.
* Date and time of incident.
* What happened?
* Would you be willing to serve as a witness? If yes, you must give your name, address and phone number.

I would encourage all reader to report unsafe drivers. In the next three posts I will have how to do so for each of the three DC Metro area jurisdictions, starting with DC, then Maryland, Virginia and what to do about unsafe trucks and busses. If you or someone you know has been injured by an aggressive, distracted or dangerous driver, e-mail or call us at ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. (703-796-9555) at once.