Put the brakes on aggressive driving

Speeding could have tragic consequences for you and other road users. Feature Story Those few seconds possibly saved by speeding could have tragic consequences for you and other road users. Between 2019 and 2023, 61 per cent of fatal and major injury collisions involved high-risk driving behaviour. What is aggressive driving? According to the Province of Ontario, aggressive driving includes:

• Speeding
• Tailgating or following too closely
• Cutting off other drivers, or cutting in front and then slowing down
• Refusing to yield the right of way
• Honking repeatedly, or for no reason
• Running red lights
• Excessive lane changes or weaving through traffic
• Passing too close to cyclists
• Stopping on a pedestrian crosswalk at an intersection

Stay calm behind the wheel

• Plan ahead. Check the City’s interactive traffic map and allow yourself enough travel time to prevent a time crunch.
• Identify alternate routes.
• Just be late. Being late for work or an appointment is better than endangering your life or the life of someone else.
• Keep the kids content. With young children, take regular stops and bring plenty of items to keep them occupied.
• Don’t let traffic congestion or construction get to you. See tip #1 for help with that.

Protect yourself from aggressive drivers 

• Don’t take it personally. Be polite, even if the other driver is not.
• Keep your eyes on the road. Don’t provoke an aggressive driver further by making negative eye contact or gesturing.
• Always be a courteous driver. Set an example for other drivers by always being courteous and driving defensively.
• Take all safety measures. The number one passenger safety precaution is to make sure everyone is properly buckled up.

Countermeasures to address aggressive driving The City has a number of countermeasures it can apply to discourage speeding and other aggressive driving behaviours. On major roads, this includes narrower lanes and roundabouts. In residential areas, this includes measures like speed humps, narrowed streets, curb extensions or various temporary traffic calming measures. You can find details of some of the countermeasures for the coming year on our 2025 Implementation Plan. Automated speed enforcement works Ottawa’s automated speed enforcement cameras are improving road safety:

• Posted speed limit compliance
  • Prior to camera implementation the percentage compliance was 16 per cent
  • Within three months of camera implementation the percentage compliance increased to 57 per cent
  • After one year, the percentage compliance increased to 69 per cent compliance
  • After three years, the average percentage compliance is 81 per cent
• High-end speeding

• Prior to camera implementation the percentage of high-end speeders was 14 per cent
• Within three months of camera implementation the percentage of high-end speeders decreased to four per cent
• After one year, the percentage of high-end speeders decreased to two per cent
• After three years, the average percentage of high-end speeders is 0.7 per cent

The City of Ottawa continues to add automated speed enforcement cameras to locations identified through screening and evaluation criteria that includes speeding and collision history and pedestrian use. What to do when aggressive driving happens The Ottawa Police Service encourages you to report incidents of aggressive driving. It’s how you can help make Ottawa roads safer. If it’s an emergency and needs an immediate police response, call 9-1-1. For non-emergency situations, you can call the police or report the incident online. You will need to provide:

• Incident: date, time, location, direction of travel.
• Driver Information: driver description (male/female, age, hair, etc).
• Vehicle Information: licence Plate (number, province), vehicle (year, make, model, colour, car/truck/bicycle/ any other features (trailer hitch, modified parts, etc).
• Details of the incident
• Your information: name, address, phone (home, business, mobile), date of birth.

Finally, you can prevent future aggressive driving by setting a good example for the younger ones, even if they don’t yet drive. Our children learn by observing so set a good example by being safe, calm and courteous behind the wheel. The City of Ottawa continues to make improvements to the safety of our roads and pathways with an emphasis on protecting vulnerable users – pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. The City’s 2020-2024 Road Safety Action Plan guides these engineering, education and enforcement initiatives. But even the safest transportation network requires that everyone follows the rules of the road for their mode of transportation.