This weekend wraps up the Iowa State Fair which means tailgating season is right around the corner! A snack staple for tailgate parties is chips and dips. While delicious in your belly, they aren’t so great when they end up on your car. One way to avoid chips and dips on your car is to leave the tailgating to football parking lots and keep it off the highway. Tailgating falls into the category of aggressive driving which according to AAA, also includes speeding in heavy traffic, cutting in front of another driver and then slowing down, running red lights, weaving in and out of traffic, changing lanes without signaling, and blocking cars attempting to pass or change lanes.
One of the best ways to avoid aggressive driving is to manage your own response to those around you and remain calm and courteous behind the wheel. AAA offers the following tips to help control your behavior:
- Maintain an adequate following distance.
- Use your turn signal.
- Allow others to merge.
- Use your high beams responsibly.
- Tap your horn if you must, but no long blasts or accompanying hand gestures.
In 2024 in Iowa, 182 people have been killed in traffic crashes. That’s an increase of 7 since last Friday. In Iowa in 2023, there were 377 traffic-related deaths. To see statistics published daily by the Office of Driver Services, go to the daily fatality report at https://www.iowadot.gov/mvd/stats/daily.pdf