March 1998
Patrol counters Road Rage with Operation TRIAD

Colonel Kenneth B. Marshall
Superintendent
Ohio State Highway Patrol

At some time Road Rage has likely impacted each of our lives.

Whether it was someone aggressively tailgating your vehicle, another motorist making an obscene gesture at you, or even an individual deliberately obstructing the progress of other vehicles, we have all likely experi-enced Road Rage.

It may be a new title for a problem that has existed for sometime, but statistically, incidents of violent and aggressive driving are on the increase.

According to a national AAA study, road-related violence jumped 51 percent from 1990 to 1995, resulting in 218 deaths and 12,610 injuries.

Road Rage is defined as driving behavior that endangers or is likely to endanger people or property.

Examples of Road Rage include: following too close; passing on the berm; lane change violations; speeding; failure to signal; failure to yield; obscene gestures; verbal abuse; and violence, including assault and murder.

Through the participation and support of state, county, and local law enforcement agencies, along with local business leaders, the Ohio State Highway Patrol developed a program to deter the national problem of Road Rage from permeating our roadways.

Aggressive driving and resulting Road Rage became the target of the Patrol in June 1997, with implementation of Operation TRIAD (Targeting Reckless, Intimidating, and Aggressive Drivers).

Since inception of Operation TRIAD, troopers have joined forces with local law enforcement and conducted 46 TRIAD details around the state resulting in 822 Road Rage related arrests. Included in these arrests were 225 violations for passing on the berm. TRIAD operations will continue throughout Ohio in 1998.

There are several strategies you can use to minimize the potential dangers of Road Rage, including:

• Do not react to provocation;
• Stay way from erratic drivers;
• Avoid eye contact with aggressive drivers;
• Use your horn sparingly;
• Do not make obscene gestures;
• Do not switch lanes without signaling;
• Do not tailgate;
• Do not block the passing lane;
• When parking, do not take more than one parking space;
• Be polite and courteous even if other drivers are not; and
• Avoid all conflict, and allow plenty of time for your trip.

If you have been the victim of a highway crime, contact the closest law enforcement agency, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, or call cellular *DUI.