How Should You Deal With an Aggressive Driver in Ontario?
If you encounter an aggressive driver in Ontario, do not engage or retaliate. Slow down, create space between your vehicle and theirs, avoid eye contact, and call 911 if you feel in danger. Never match their aggression or follow them.
Key Facts
- Slow down gradually and allow them to pass
- Move to the right lane and let them by
- Increase your following distance from the vehicle ahead to avoid being boxed in
- Do not brake suddenly or erratically
- Call 911 if you feel your safety is at risk
In this article
Do Not Engage With an Aggressive Driver
The most important rule when encountering an aggressive driver is to refuse to engage. Do not make eye contact, respond to gestures, honk back, or match their speed. Any response that can be interpreted as confrontational gives the aggressive driver a reason to escalate. Your goal is de-escalation by disengagement.
Create Distance and Space
Slow down and increase the gap between your vehicle and the aggressive driver. If they are tailgating you, move to the right lane when it is safe to do so and let them pass. Do not brake-check an aggressive driver. A rear-end collision caused by brake-checking can still result in shared or primary fault being assigned to you.
- Slow down gradually and allow them to pass
- Move to the right lane and let them by
- Increase your following distance from the vehicle ahead to avoid being boxed in
- Do not brake suddenly or erratically
Avoid Eye Contact and Gestures
Eye contact and hand gestures are perceived as challenges by aggressive drivers. Look straight ahead. Keep your expression neutral. If an aggressive driver pulls alongside you, do not look over. Maintaining a calm, disengaged posture signals that there is no contest and gives them no emotional fuel.
When to Call 911
If an aggressive driver is following you, blocking your path, making threats, or you believe they are about to cause a collision, call 911. In Ontario you may use a hands-free device to make emergency calls while driving. Do not pull over on a quiet road to call. Drive to a busy public place like a gas station or police station if you feel you are being followed.
- Call 911 if you feel your safety is at risk
- Note the vehicle's make, model, colour, and licence plate if possible
- Drive to a busy public location rather than stopping in an isolated area
- Do not exit your vehicle until help arrives
Aggressive Driving as an Offence
Aggressive driving behaviours such as excessive speeding, tailgating, weaving through traffic, and making threatening gestures can be charged under Ontario's stunt driving provisions, careless driving section, or criminal dangerous driving laws. Police take road rage complaints seriously. Reporting an aggressive driver can prevent them from harming someone else.
Related Questions
What Is Careless Driving in Ontario?
Careless driving in Ontario is a catch-all offence under the Highway Traffic Act for driving without due care and attention. The fine ranges from $400 to $2,000 and carries six demerit points. If careless driving causes bodily harm, it can result in jail time of up to two years.
Read answerWhat Is Distracted Driving in Ontario?
Distracted driving in Ontario includes using a hand-held mobile device, texting, eating, grooming, reading, or programming a hand-held GPS while driving. Ontario has some of the strictest distracted driving laws in Canada. First-time offenders face a fine of up to $1,000, 3 demerit points, and a 3-day licence suspension.
Read answerWhat Is a Space Cushion in Driving?
A space cushion is a buffer of clear space maintained around your vehicle in all directions while driving. The standard guidance is at least two seconds of following distance ahead in normal conditions, increasing to three or four seconds in rain or reduced visibility, with approximately one car width of space on each side.
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