Honk if You're an Aggressive Driver

Washington DC June 9, 2010; The AIADA newsletter reported that you've seen that driver. Maybe you've been that driver. The one who zooms past the speed limit, weaves from lane to lane, tailgates, and even runs a stop sign or two.

According to the Joseph B. White at the Wall Street Journal, Maryland and several other states – Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Georgia among them – are out to get these aggressive drivers, particularly during the summer.

Under a program called "Smooth Operator," police in Maryland, Virginia and the Washington, D.C. will conduct week-long blitzes this summer, ticketing motorists who indulge in "aggressive driving."

In Maryland, for example, getting written up can cost a driver up to $500. Highways in the Washington-Baltimore corridor are among the nation's most congested.

While we wait for the U.S. to be transformed into a nation of motoring Gandhi's, beware: There will be five aggressive driving ticket blitzes between now and September. So if you are driving in Maryland or Virginia this summer and want to hot dog it on the road, you may make an involuntary $500 contribution to a needy state treasury. Click here to read White’s full report on what states are doing to crack down on aggressive driving.