Forum

By Rep. John Lovick

Road rage is more than an attitude problem. In Snohomish County, it’s a killer.

On June 2, an aggressive driver on Interstate 405 died after zipping in and out of several lanes of traffic before braking in front of another car and crashing. Only a week before, at the May 28 sentencing hearing of the driver who killed 16-year-old Georgia Pemberton, we were reminded of the deadly consequences of aggressive driving.

Road rage is becoming a regular part of life on Northwest highways. Every day, aggressive drivers terrorize fellow motorists. Most of these episodes end with an angry look or a middle finger displayed, but as we’ve been reminded in recent weeks, the results can be much worse.

The good news is that there are several tips that each of us can follow to reduce aggressive driving in our communities:

* Don’t engage an aggressive driver. Back off, avoid eye contact and allow the driver to pass. Then, try to keep a safe distance away.

* Call 911. Be prepared to provide a description of the vehicle and the location where you last saw it, the license plate number (if possible), and a description of what happened.

* Relax. Control your anger. Move off the highway if you are too rattled to drive.

To avoid confrontations, be sure to always signal when you are changing lanes. And remember to be courteous even if the other driver is not. You can never underestimate the other driver’s capacity for conflict. And we all know that being cut off in traffic is not worth ruining your day over.

In Olympia, we’re also looking at other means of reducing road rage including toughening penalties on aggressive drivers. Many Snohomish County residents were surprised at the relatively light 3 1/2-year sentence for the aggressive driver who killed Georgia Pemberton. The actual sentencing range for a person convicted of vehicular homicide stemming from reckless driving is 21 to 27 months (The driver who killed Pemberton received a longer sentence due to his prior criminal history).

Though convicted of vehicular homicide, what occurred was essentially an act of manslaughter using a car as his weapon. If this crime were considered manslaughter, it could result in a penalty of up to 8 1/2 years in prison.

I’ll be working during the coming year to address this shortcoming in the law and looking at other methods to make our highways safer.

Here are a couple of websites that can help you ­ The Washington State Patrol’s web page on aggressive driving: http://wsp.wa.gov/traveler/roadrage.htm

National Highway Traffic Administration’s web page ­ Battling Aggressive Driving at the Grassroots: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/outreach/safesobr/16qp/battling.html

We can avoid needless deaths and injuries on our highways if we are careful on the road. But we also need to hold offenders accountable for their actions. Remember to drive safely on our highways and let police know if an aggressive driver is menacing you or other motorists.

Rep. John Lovick, the Speaker Pro Tempore of the state House of Representatives, is a member of the Criminal Justice &Corrections, Judiciary, and Transportation committees. Lovick represents the 44th District in Snohomish County including the communities of Mill Creek, Snohomish, Lake Stevens and parts of Everett and Marysville. In addition to serving in the Legislature, Rep. Lovick is a sergeant with the Washington State Patrol.