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Aggressive Careless Driving

If you were cited for aggressive careless driving then contact a traffic ticket attorney in Fort Lauderdale, FL, at Meltzer & Bell. We represent clients on traffic tickets throughout Broward County, FL. Call Meltzer & Bell or send us your citation and contact information and we will call you back.

Under Florida law, you can be cited for “Aggressive Careless Driving.” The infraction for “Aggressive Careless Driving” is defined under Florida Statutes 316.1923. The violation requires committing two or more of the following civil traffic violations during one incident:

1. Violating traffic control and signal devices as defined in ss. 316.074 and 316.075;
2. Improperly passing as defined in s. 316.083, s. 316.084, or s. 316.085;
3. Failing to yield the right-of-way as defined in s. 316.079, s. 316.0815, or s. 316.123;
4. Following another vehicle too closely as defined in s. 316.0895(1);
5. Exceeding the posted speed as defined in s. 322.27(3)(d)5.b.; and 
6. Unsafely or improperly changing lanes as defined in s. 316.085.

In a study issued in 2011, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) found that the aggregate totals of citations written wherein the officer indicated driver behavior by checking the Aggressive Driving box on the Uniform Traffic Citation were as follows:

• 2003 – 3,815
• 2004 – 5,704
• 2005 – 6,641
• 2006 – 8,299
• 2007 – 9,991
• 2008 – 12,296
• 2009 – 19,766
• 2010 – 23,180
• 2011 – 48,992

The report was compiled by the statistics division of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

Aggressive Driving TACT Safety Campaign in Florida

Beginning February 24, 2017, through March 9, 2017, commercial vehicle enforcement troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) will begin the safety campaign Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks (TACT). The campaign is designed to educate motorists about the dangers of aggressive driving around large trucks and reducing commercial motor vehicle-related crashes.

The TACT campaign explains why motorists are at a serious disadvantage if they are involved in a crash with a large commercial vehicle. Commercial vehicles can be as long as eighty feet and weigh up to twenty tons. During the Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks (TACT) campaign, FHP commercial vehicle enforcement troopers will be looking for car and truck drivers who display aggressive driving behaviors such as:

• following too closely;
• speeding; and
• unsafe lane changes.

Motorists should protect themselves and their passengers by learning how to share the road safely. FHP offers these tips for driving around large trucks:

• Stay out of the No Zone: Be aware that large trucks have large blind spots (also known as “No Zones”).
• Pass trucks with caution: Pass on the left side for maximum visibility and maintain a constant speed.
• Do not cut trucks off: Be sure to leave plenty of room when you pull in front of a truck because large trucks simply cannot stop as quickly as cars.
• Practice patience around larger vehicles that are not traveling at the same speed as your vehicle.
• Don’t drive distracted: Anything that takes your full attention off of the road, even for a second, could be deadly. Distract driving involves smoking, eating, texting, talking on the phone, changing the radio station, and talking to passengers.

The core mission of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles is the issuance of driver licenses, vehicle tags and titles and operation of the Florida Highway Patrol. 

Additional Resources

Increase in Aggressive Careless Driving Citations in Florida – Visit the website of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to see a report showing the drastic increase in citations for aggressive careless driving from 2003 until 2011.

This article was last updated on Thursday, September 21, 2017.