GPS Trackit’s Fleet Management Solutions include Hard Braking, Rapid Acceleration and Hard Turn Alerts that notify fleet managers and dispatchers of aggressive driving behaviors.

Relaxed Driving Reduces Accidents, Costs Less, and Lowers Emissions

Overall there is almost Zero to Gain, and much to Lose by Driving Aggressively

Many people view aggressive driving as the expression of anger, frustration, a deep-rooted desire for dominance, or simply foolish recklessness while operating a motor vehicle.

“…The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines aggressive driving as “the operation of a motor vehicle in a manner that endangers or is likely to endanger persons or property … a traffic and not a criminal offense like road rage.” -NHTSA

The only non-negative news – per the NHTSA definition – is that one can be driving aggressively without it being considered a legal case of road rage.

Aggressive Driving is one of the Top Causes for Minor as well as Serious Accidents

Throughout the day and night drivers across the country speed, tailgate, hard brake, rapidly accelerate, and make hard turns as well as abrupt lane changes.

All of those aggressive behaviors are extremely dangerous for everyone on or around the road, including other drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, road workers, law enforcement personnel and first responders.

Tailgating, cutting off other vehicles, speeding, and abrupt lane changes are the culprits of roughly one-third of non-fatal accidents, and around two-thirds of fatal accidents.

Each year, about 70,000 accidents involve pedestrians, and a little under 5,000 of pedestrian accidents are fatal.

About every 113 minutes a pedestrian is killed, and every 8 minutes a pedestrian is injured.

Statistics show that about 11.4% of deaths due to vehicle accidents are pedestrians, despite the fact that only around 8.6% of people walk to their destinations.

Though walking is good for one’s health, saves gas, and is a fun way to get to know a neighborhood or city, walking is also dangerous due to reckless drivers. Why would anyone take the risk?

Businesses with Fleets Pay More for Aggressive Fleet Drivers

Injury and accident risk – as well as a liability – skyrocket with aggressive driving. Managers and business owners want their drivers safe on the road, as well as their companies safe from legal action and high insurance premiums.

Studies show that fuel economy can be improved by around 27% with more relaxed driving practices.

Aggressive driving burns more fuel, generating higher fuel costs that are unnecessary as well as avoidable.

Tailgating, for example, often requires frequent hard braking when traffic ahead slows down. Hard braking, in turn, requires re-acceleration to recover speed, an action that burns unnecessary fuel.

If, for example, a mere *10% of fuel is wasted due to frequent hard-braking and re-acceleration, that can add up to about $9 per fill-up for a 25-gallon tank at today’s gas prices.

At one fill-up per week the additional cost due to hard-braking amounts to about $460 per year, or eight additional 25-gallon tanks of gasoline.

For fleet drivers who have to fill up once a day, additional costs due to hard-braking can skyrocket to about $2300 per year or forty-two additional tanks of gasoline.

Hard-braking also wears down brake pads and drums faster, incurring more frequent repair costs.

Costly maintenance is required more regularly for vehicles driven aggressively. When vehicles are pushed too hard, essential parts wear down faster, and more often.

Aggressive Driving Harms the Environment

Below is some information regarding the results of aggressive driving courtesy of EarthEasy, Solutions for Sustainable Living:

*…Jackrabbit starts and hard braking can increase fuel consumption by as much as 40%.

Tests show that “jackrabbit” starts and hard braking reduced travel time by only four percent, while toxic emissions were more than five times higher.

The proper way is to accelerate slowly and smoothly, then get into high gear as quickly as possible.

In city driving, nearly 50% of the energy needed to power your car goes to acceleration.”

With a global need for reduced carbon emissions, people have the opportunity to reduce their own carbon footprints in many easy ways. One easy way is to simply drive more safely.