Gary Nelson Published April 30, 2003

"Aggressive driving" bill might send soccer moms to the slammer

Well, folks, the traffic is about to become much lighter around town. Traffic along interstates will be smooth-sailing during rush hour as if you were traveling at 3 a.m.

Why, you ask?

Tennessee may lose a lot of drivers, and the jails will most certainly become even more jam-packed if a proposed "aggressive driving" bill is passed. Heck, over half the motorists driving along Peavine and Lantana roads will be behind bars.

The story goes like this: Rep. Nathan Vaughn, D-Kingsport, wants to solve the road rage problems. He knows from personal experience how scary it can be - he was once chased for four blocks after a driver was upset after being cut off when Vaughn made a quick lane change, according to The Leaf-Chronicle (Clarksville).

If passed the bill will allow prosecution of such offenses as tailgating or making obscene gestures, according to the recent editorial in The Leaf -Chronicle.

It would be an offense for a motorist to do anything "with the intent to harass, intimidate, injure, or obstruct another person," the proposed bill states.

Aggressive driving would be a Class B misdemeanor, which carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $500 fine. If the driver intended to injure another person, the offense would be a Class A misdemeanor, which carries a maximum penalty of 11 months, 29 days in jail and a $2,500 fine, if passed.

Now, wait a minute. Don't go saying your goodbyes to your loved ones just yet. The bill has been referred to a committee to be studied over the summer to see if it can be rewritten to cover matters not already on the books. The problem with the bill, according to several House subcommittee members, is that it is similar to other existing state laws.

That's fine for all the fancy lawmakers, but what about the ordinary, average Joes like you and me?

Come on, now. Admit it. You tailgate someone when you're in a hurry. When you're driving down Peavine Rd. in a 45 mph zone and the grandma in front of you is doing 38 mph, it gets you mad, uptight, or whatever you want to label it. You're aggravated. Or when someone pulls out in front of you on Lantana Rd. only to drive one block and stop to make a left turn at 7:40 a.m. The traffic is horrific. Or when Mommy has to get the little one to a soccer game, she's breathing down the back of some Ford Pinto doing 25 mph in a 40 mph zone and pounding the dashboard the whole time. Should she be seen by Mr. Lawman, it's off to the slammer.

I can hear the conversation now:

"What're ya in fer?" one inmate asks in a raspy, broken voice.

"I tailgated."

"You tailgaters make me sick," the inmate replies.

The main problem I see with the bill is the police are already overloaded with traffic problems, wrecks, distress calls, reports, drug busts, murders, shootings and countless other offenses. How will they possibly be able to crack the whip down on aggressive drivers? We'll definitely have to beef up the police forces all over the state. And then there's the question of how can anyone be proven to have demonstrated ugly sign language to someone else in the heat of the moment. And in the big cities? Forget it. You may as well drive yourself to the jail in all that traffic. And the overcrowding in the jails, well that's another issue for another time.

Actually, a lot of the aggressive driving offenders could use three squares and a shower every day. Don't get me wrong. Road rage can be serious and anyone who gets so psychotic they have to harass or physically harm another person shouldn't be on the road.

So, it's a good thing this bill is being studied. I mean, gosh, haven't these lawmakers got more important issues to settle like honoring Pearl's Nail Spa for performing dedicated work for 20 years?

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Gary Nelson is lifestyles editor of the Crossville Chronicle. His column appears periodically.