Georgia Officers Arrest Driver for Road Rage Incident

A woman has been arrested in Atlanta on I-20 West for aggravated assault and aggressive driving. She allegedly shot at another driver during a road rage incident.

As a Georgia DUI Lawyer, there are many offenses allegedly committed by the driver in the story above. Other than the serious felonies, there is also a very serious traffic violation that I will focus on in the paragraphs below - aggressive driving.

Aggressive Driving in Georgia

Aggressive driving in Georgia is defined by Georgia Law in O.C.G.A. §40-6-397 as:

A person commits the offense of aggressive driving when he or she operates any motor vehicle with the intent to annoy, harass, molest, intimidate, injure, or obstruct another person, including without limitation violating Code Section 40-6-42, 40-6-48, 40-6-49, 40-6-123, 40-6-184, 40-6-312, or 40-6-390 with such intent.

To put it simply - aggressive driving refers to any sort of selfish, unsafe and risky driving behavior that shows disregard for the safety of other drivers.

Examples of aggressive driving behaviors include weaving in and out of traffic, changing lanes without signaling, passing in no-passing zones or emergency lanes, forceful merging, failing to yield, cutting off other drivers at close range, speeding, inappropriate gesturing and hand signals, inappropriate use of horns, flashing headlights, and tailgating.

Aggressive driving is classified as a high and aggravated misdemeanor in Georgia. A first time conviction can result in penalties of jail time up to 12 months or fines up to $5,000 or both.

Practice Note

There are various traffic violations that result in jail time and high fines. But just because someone has been accused of a traffic violation such as aggressive driving or DUI in Georgia does not mean that he or she is guilty.

If you have been accused or arrested, call our offices now.