Is it possible to be an assertive driver and not be agressive? I know that if I am in the passing lane and there is a huge gap in the driving lane I will take advantage of that opportunity. I feel that in the former example I am being assertive but not aggressive. I have been driving 100 miles per day for many years now and I have always driven carefully but assertively. I keep up with traffic and usually take any advantage that comes my way.
What’s you definition of Assertive and Agressive?
Agressive driving is a tickatable offensive around here. It basically consist of trying to go faster then the flow of traffic will allow by frequent lane changes and tailgating.
I really don’t understand your example or what you are taking advantage of. Is the passing lane the oncomming lane or is it the left most lane going in your direction (or right for those countries that drive on the wrong side 
)?
If you are getting off an exit but the ramp is backed up is it agressive/asertive to barge in at the last minute?, what about getting off in the other direction and make a U - turn, what about cutting throught a gas station parking lot to avoid a red light?
I really don’t understand what you are trying to ask.
I’m a defensive driver. Of course, the best defense is a strong offense. So…
I think the difference is that the “aggressive” driver is basically being an asshole – you know, swerving around, honking the horn, ostensibly cutting people off or blocking the lane that you want to merge into. On the other hand, the “assertive” driver is more subtle, holding his ground on the road and occasionally contesting for a spot here and there, but without being a jerk or drawing attention to oneself.
I used to drive for a living, in Los Angeles, the world capital of cars AND asshole drivers, so I used “assertive” driving techniques quite often. The only tickets I’ve ever received were for speeding, which is kinda hard to cover up. 
I consider myself an assertive driver and not aggressive. So, there’s your answer Seriously, though, some people probably consider me an agressive driver, which hurts me and makes me want to cry. 
I’ll pass a bung-hole on the right if he won’t surrender the left lane, and I won’t use a turn signal when I get back in front of him.
I imagine you could call agressive someone who plays fairly, and then Jeremey’s Evil Twin’s definition of aggressive.
What is with road-rage laws? On the highways as in life it is "survival of the fittest. And the fittest are the fastest. Stay in the slow lane unless passing. I drive 120 miles to work everyday. On the way to work try to go 80 mile/hour, going home I do the speed limit. Most of the trip has three lane of traffic. This shouldn’t cause much traffic, but everyday there some bung-hole doing 55mph in the fast lane with 30 cars behind him. It is now illegal for me to honk my horn, flash my lights, or signal other drivers. With this new law how am I suppose to let these drivers know to move over or speed up? I believe we should petition for a one shot a month law. This law would allow any driver legally allowed to carry a gun one free shot at these drivers per month. How’s that sound?
As far as assertive driving I believe you have to be able to get the attention of drivers who should be in the fast lane. Tailgating is permissible if you can’t go around. Aggressive driving I believe would be tailgating a lonely car on the freeway.
Yep. That’s me
There are two ways of describing the difference:
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“I’m assertive, you’re aggressive (and he’s an asshole!)”
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Purely defensive drivers concentrate on avoiding danger; yielding contested right-of-way is the biggest point of difference from assertive drivers, who will not yield their right-of-way (or at least not easily). Assertive drivers will also follow more closely, change lanes with less room, etc., but they will do so with due regard for the safety of others. Aggressive drivers will not only defend their right-of-way, but they will take it from others, without regard for safety. Cutting people off, tailgating, rapid acceleration and braking, speeding, and impatient behavior in general are all part of it. Aggressive drivers also use their cars to express annoyance and displeasure with other drivers, with maneuvers such as retaliatory passing/cutting off, sudden braking, blocking lane changes, as well as flashing lights, honking horns, and obscene gestures.
Why would you want to be an assertive or agressive driver on the street. This is not an either or, this is flat out a BAD mindset to have on the road.
I am not saying everone needs to just cruise along at the speed limit and be happy, not gonna happen. When we are all out there driving 2000-4000 pound objects 100+ feet per second (thats literally TONS of kinetic energy) and we start trying to enforce our will on others with like objects, people get hurt. The idea behind defensive driving is to watch everyone else for erratic behavior, you protect you, If everyone plays “defensively” the occasional “assertive” driver wont cause major problems.
Sounds like a good fix…for Germany in the early 40’s Honestly though why the hell can’t you flash your lights. Most people behind the wheel NEVER have their mind on driving and are usually so freakin preoccupied they need a little reminder that they are f0cking it up for everybody!! But then again we live in such a passive-aggressive society that I think those a$$holes do it on purpose.
George Carlin once said “Anyone driving slower than you is an asshole. Anyone driving faster than you is a maniac.” I think the same thinking applies here. Anyone who is more assertive than you would be is, in your mind, an aggressive driver.
Assertive: You are on an on-ramp, and see a gap in the traffic. You keep up your speed and smoothly merge into the gap, allowing proper following distance
Aggressive: You are on an on-ramp, and there is no gap in traffic, so you increase your speed and wait until someone is so afraid of being sideswiped that they change lanes, and you merge quickly allowing 6" of following distance
Wimpy: You are on an on-ramp, see a gap in traffice, but it’s only 16 car lengths. You come to a full stop at the end of the on-ramp and wait until there is a 1/2 mile gap in traffic, then pull out.
Assertive: You have come to a full stop at a stop sign and there are no other cars. When you see that another car to your right is stopping, you pull out (you have the right of way).
Aggressive: You are approaching a stop sign at the same time as a driver on your right, therefore you must yield right of way. You see that he is moving slowly and intends to stop, and so you make just enough of a stop to make it legal and then suddenly pull out before he has time enough to react.
Wimpy: You come to a full stop at a stop sign at the same time as the driver on your left, so he must yield right of way. But instead of going, you continue to wait to see what the other driver will do. He eventually gets frustrated at your indecision and goes.
Oh, also, passing on the shoulder is definitely aggressive.
BTW In Virginia it is legal to flash lights or honk your horn at the car in front on a multi-lane road and they are required to respond by getting out of your way (even if they are already at or above the speed limit).
Cite?
YEP, face it, you’re an agressive driver.
There are two kinds of “speed police”, the slow kind and the fast kind. You’re being the fast kind.
I consider myself to be an assertive driver. I’ve been known to do 85 in a 50, but I never, ever tailgate nor do I make menacing lane changes with little clearance.
If someone tailgates me though, I neither yield, speed up or slow down. If I’m 35 over in the passing lane, I’m going fast enough dammit, and if the other guy is going faster than that, it’s his problem to figure out how to get around me.
Traffic flow is like water flow - it goes faster for everybody if you minimize “turbulence”. In traffic that means minimizing brake use and lane changes. If everybody drove like I did, driving really fast, but getting into their lane early, changing lanes gently, letting anyone in who uses their signal without abruptly slowing, etc., we would all shave off a half hour on our commutes. The point is for everybody to get there sooner, not trying to enforce what we think the rules are, or trying to be in front at all times.
Both timid ninnies and aggressive drivers gum up the works.
Anyone…
…Bueller?
It is called THE PASSING LANE for a reason. It is there for folks to PASS, not to TRAVEL. If someone is going faster than you they are unable to PASS you if you are occupying the PASSING LANE.
I’m sorry, but you just hit my sore spot.
I was driving with my uncle on the Autobahn and had a religious experience. I had my foot planted firmly on the floor attempting to get every kph possible out of the crappy Golf that we had rented and as we crested a hill I saw an even smaller car putting along in the passing lane about a 1/2 mile ahead of us. Just as I was about to grumble about this driver ruining my petal to the metal stretch I saw that blessed little car’s right turn signal flash and the driver actually move over to the traveling lane.
Being born and raised in Los Angeles I shed a quiet tear (no lie).
This is really more a matter of opinion, so I’ll shoot it over to IMHO.
I can’t believe that all I came in here to do was share one bit of George Carlin wisdom, and xizor’s beaten me to it.
To this extent, I’m with Joltsucker…
Say there’s two lanes in my direction, and I’m in the left passing a whole line of slower traffic. Let’s say I’m 15mph over the limit.
Somebody comes up behind me. If I have reasonable space to move over to the right, I do so.
But if you want me to hit my own brakes, and slow down 15 mph, force myself into some little hole the right lane just to ket you by, forget it. I will move to the right when I can either: maintain my left-lane speed, OR find a large enough gap to the right such that I don’t feel aggressive about fitting myself into.
I will certainly not speed up. And let’s face it, rules or not there are many, many roads with such a high traffic volume that it’s impossible to ALWAYS treat the left lane as a passing only lane.
CheapBastid, another difference between the roads here and the AutoBahn is they’re not doing those speeds in bumper to bumper traffic! If I’m on the interstate outside of the city, then sure, I’ll pull over one lane and let you pass, then I’ll fall in behind you. There’s no harm to me, I don’t have to slow down, and it’s only courteous. Besides which, it’s better that the cop spot you first.
But in the city it’s a different story. You plug yourself into a hole in an otherwise solid stream of cars, and then the game becomes to slowly work yourself upstream relative to the rest of traffic. People pass in any lane that’s free, not just on the left. If you commit to the wrong lane, you can pay for many miles.
In that environment, where I’m already well over the speed limit (if I’m lucky), if somebody with your philosophy comes up on my tail and gets obnoxious because I don’t sacrifice my commute for your benefit, that’s just tough. I will go as fast as I feel is safe (which is still pretty damned fast, I mean 35 mph over is approaching the real design limits of the road), but beyond that, tough. If I can quickly duck over, let you pass, and then follow, I will. If not, you’ll have to wait.
I consider myself an aggresive driver. Some consider me an “asshole” driver. I’m more of an very fast defensive driver. I try to think of others when I drive. I dont want to slow anybody down because I know how frustrating it is to be slowed down. On the very rare occasion that somebody is going faster than me and I happen to be in the PASSING lane, I will speed up. I wont do it in a dangerous situation (rain, snow, fog,etc) but for the most part I will. I wont be able to get over right away because I avoid the PASSING lane like the plauge unless of course I’m passing somebody. Omaha doesnt have bad traffic for the most part, but you still will find people getting into the far left lane and just driving along, 5 over the limit, with no care in the world that there is litterly 50 cars behind them cursing their parents. Selfish assholes they are.
dead0man
The notion of the left-most lane being treated as a “passing-only” lane on Los Angeles freeways lies is pretty pie-in-the-sky, IMO.
I don’t cruise in it, but when I’m passing a car (or clump of cars), I won’t be bullied to moving over just 'cause somebody doing 85 comes up on my ass. I’ll finish my pass (at my current speed) and then get out of their way.
Of course, most freeways here have at least four lanes in each direction, not counting the carpool lane that may or may not be present. I normally cruise in #3 from the left. On the 710 Freeway, though, which is part of my commute, the scads of big rigs are apparently barred from the left-most 2 lanes, and the relative lack of potholes in those two reflects that. To avoid getting my teeth shaken out, I normally cruise in the #2 lane there.
IMO, trying to apply open-country interstate ideas to five-lane in-town freeways runs into some difficulties…