Police on Lookout for Aggressive Driving in Maryland, DC

As the Labor Day weekend gets underway, so does a traffic enforcement initiative by the Maryland Transportation Authority.

Maryland Transportation Authority Police will target aggressive drivers in Maryland and the District of Columbia from Sunday, Aug. 31, through Saturday, Sept. 6, according to an announcement from the authority.

“Aggressive” driving encompasses these simple driving behaviors that endanger other people and property, according to the authority, which regulates Maryland’s toll facilities:

• Speeding
• Tailgating
• Improper passing
• Weaving

When drivers do these things in sequence, they can create an unsafe environment on the highways, so officers will be out in force with the goal of “reducing injuries and deaths resulting from aggressive driving,” Maryland Transportation Authority Police Chief Col. Michael Kundrat said.

The initiative is part of the multi-jurisdictional “Smooth Operator” campaign, which dozens of agencies across Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and the District of Columbia participate in between June and September, conducting special one or two week “aggressive driving enforcement ‘waves,’” on top of their daily traffic safety efforts, the authority reported.

“As we come to the close of this year’s Smooth Operator campaign,” said Kundrat, “we will take every opportunity to educate motorists in hope that they will continue to maintain good driving habits.”

Photo Credit: Elizabeth Janney. Aggressive driving includes tailgating, improper passing, weaving and speeding, according to the Maryland Transportation Authority.