As Americans spend more time in their cars, racing to and from work, navigating suburbia and fuming in sprawl-induced gridlock, incidences of aggressive driving, or "road rage" have drastically increased. Last year the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared road rage the most pressing traffic safety problem facing America today.

There is no one standard definition for aggressive driving. Some academic researchers define aggressive driving as an incident in which an angry or impatient motorist or passenger intentionally injures or kills another motorist, passenger, or pedestrian or attempts to injure or kill in response to a traffic dispute, altercation or grievance. The public tends to view aggressive driving as any type of risk-taking behavior behind the wheel, including speeding, tailgating, weaving dangerously through traffic, and ignoring stop signs or red lights.

In an effort to reduce road rage and punish aggressive and dangerous drivers, the Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have introduced a number of initiatives to discourage reckless driving and promote responsible behavior on our nation's roads and highways.

On One Hand...

States and municipalities across the country have increased the number of police highway patrols in the name of combating road. This is an appropriate reaction to a growing problem. There should also be stiffer punishments and proactive enforcement policies to combat aggressive drivers. The new punishments should include lengthy suspensions and revocation of licenses.

On the Other Hand...

A crack-down on aggressive drivers will not solve the problem. Increases in aggressive driving incidents are a result of the increased numbers of drivers and vehicles on the roads. Road rage is just another sign of the deterioration of civility in modern life and the government has no role in addressing this problem.

• The study "Controlling Road Rage: A Literature Review and Pilot Study" defines road rage as "an incident in which an angry or impatient motorist or passenger intentionally injures or kills another motorist, passenger, or pedestrian, or attempts or threatens to injure or kill another motorist, passenger, or pedestrian."

• According to the U.S. Department of Transportation: two-thirds of fatalities are at least partially caused by aggressive driving.

• The economic cost of speeding-related crashes is $27.7 billion each year.

• An average of 114 persons died each day in motor vehicle crashes in 1998 - one every 13 minutes.

• In 1998, the nation's transportation network consisted of over 3.9 million miles of public roads.

• According to the Federal Highway Administration, there were 211.6 million registered motor vehicles in 1998.

• During 1997, an American Automobile Association survey found a 60 percent increase in aggressive driving accidents.

• Deaths on American highways have actually declined over the past ten years, from 2.4 to 1.7 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. The decline is explained, in part, by the greater use of seat belts and air bags.

• In 1987 there were 2.8 passenger-car crashes per 100 million miles traveled. In 1996 the figure was only 2.0. For both these categories the numbers are now the lowest they have been since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began keeping records.

Federal Highway Administration, American Automobile Association, U.S. Department of Transportation