The Florida Safety Council is proactively addressing the persistent issue of aggressive driving, including road rage and street racing in Orange County and Central Florida.
Aggressive driving and its sub-categories of road rage and street racing have been a persistent issue in the state of Florida over the past decade. This effort is supported by a $30,000 federal grant from the Florida Department of Transportation, awarded under the FY2025 Subgrant for Highway Traffic Safety Funds.
The Safety Council will use the FDOT grant to relaunch its Aggressive Driving/Street Racing Education Course, offering the program at no cost to economically disadvantaged individuals and others at risk for dangerous driving behaviors.
Early in 2024, two young men were arrested by Orange County Sheriff’s Deputies for travelling at speeds approaching 200 mph on the Florida Turnpike. Residents in the area had begun reporting “street takeovers” and racing activities on various residential streets around 1am on January 23rd, before the drivers of a Camaro and an unidentified black vehicle took their competition to the turnpike. The young men were apprehended before anyone was injured or killed, but such incidents don’t always end that way.
Street racing has become such a problem in the state that new legislation was introduced in 2022 clarifying definitions related to street racing and specifying the punishments people could face, even if they’re only watching the race. Following the arrest of the two turnpike racers in January, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office announced a crackdown on racing activities, noting that last year alone (2023), they made 157 arrests, issued 1,290 citations and seized 54 vehicles. And that was Orange County alone.
But Florida is hardly alone with its angry motorists. Aggressive driving and road rage are on the rise nationally as 8 out of 10 people admit to acting on feelings of aggression on the roadways. Here in Florida municipalities and state patrol troopers fight an ongoing uphill battle against angry, aggressive drivers, street racers and speeders.
The post-pandemic spike in Florida road rage incidents is being addressed legislatively and punitively but it also needs to be addressed with the proper behavioral tools so that offenders do not repeat offend. The greatest tragedy of aggressive driving, street racing, and road rage comes when innocent bystanders end up in the middle of an encounter and are injured or killed in the process.
In a recent meeting between the Florida Safety Council (FSC) and State Attorney Andrew A. Bain, Ninth Judicial Circuit, one of Florida’s 20 State Attorneys, the subject of aggressive driving and street racing arose. State Attorney Bain noted that it is a major concern, especially in the Orlando area, that requires a variety of solutions. One of those key solutions is a Safety Council specialty: Education.
“Street racing is not just illegal and dangerous, it puts innocent lives at risk, causes property damage and can prevent emergency vehicles from reaching those in need,” said State Attorney Andrew Bain. “The risk of getting yourself killed or ending up in jail simply isn’t worth it. That is why our office has added this 12-hour, two-day course to our Second Chance Program. Eligible first-time or repeat offenders facing eligible criminal traffic offenses like misdemeanor Racing, Felony Racing or Reckless Driving will be required to complete this course as part of probation, a plea agreement or sentencing after trial. The class is designed to prevent offenders from continuing these dangerous behaviors, which can have deadly consequences, by giving them the tools to make safer, more responsible decisions on the road.”
The Safety Council began updating its Aggressive Driving/Street Racing curriculum, which had been discontinued post-COVID, following a dwindling number of court-ordered participants. However, requests are once again on the rise and include multiple inquiries from Judges in the 9th and 18th Circuit Court Districts in addition to the State Attorney’s office.
“The safety council’s curriculum not only addresses the spontaneous rage issues, but it also educates ‘selectively aggressive’ drivers on the risks involved in escalating one offense with another,” Chris Earl, Florida Safety Council Executive Director stated. “Whether the reaction is a random hand gesture, brake tapping, shouting, swerving, or gunning your motor to let the other guy know you’re upset. None of it achieves anything productive, and all of it has the potential to escalate, making a bad situation far worse.”
Now with a $29,000 grant awarded through the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), the Safety Council can offer the class at no charge to offenders who lack economic resources and to other at-risk individuals. This is significant because one of the conditions associated with frequent road rage/ aggressive driving is “Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED),” which occurs most commonly (according to the Mayo Clinic) among unemployed and economically disadvantaged individuals with a family history of anger or violence.
“The very people who most need the behavioral tools our course provides may not be able to afford it,” Earl added. “Aggressive driving education can help alter that dynamic and set these individuals on the road to recovery, therefore changing a generational affliction and saving lives in the process.”
The Safety Council’s solution to the problem of aggressive driving is to provide behavior modification strategies: teaching motorists to recognize and address their aggression triggers before they escalate; providing tools for conflict resolution that don’t involve physical or emotional responses; and making students aware of conditions such as Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED), which could be the source of their aggression.
The Florida Safety Council’s plan is to introduce the course into Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District 5 in the coming months, specifically into the greater Orlando area and Brevard County. With multiple offices – Orlando, Kissimmee, Melbourne, Casselberry, and Lakeland – the Florida Safety Council has the ability to spread the training over a number of venues in addition to offering a live virtual option.
