http://www.boston.com/news/local/ar...opers_hit_highways_in_stealth_seek_road_rage/
Troopers hit highways in stealth, seek road rage
By Michael S. Rosenwald, Globe Staff, 3/6/2004
At first glance, the cars appear to be ordinary Dodge Intrepids. But Massachusetts drivers who speed in and out of traffic, tailgate other cars, cut off drivers, or flash obscenities might discover something else: a stealth police car, the latest weapon in the battle to curtail road-rage incidents.
State Police officials yesterday unveiled the cars, which have flashing lights hidden near the rear-view mirror, front and back radar devices, and a video camera, all focused on busting aggressive drivers before they spark potentially violent episodes.
Last night, State Police also began increasing patrols, with organized teams targeting offending motorists, said Lieutenant Colonel Oscar Langford. Officers will issue citations for what he said is one of the greatest causes of road rage: Motorists who drive in the passing lane without passing anyone. Authorities said yesterday's announcement was not in direct response to two recent traffic confrontations that resulted in deaths, but they acknowledged that the incidents have highlighted the issue. On Feb. 29, Derek Cataldo, 21, of Haverhill, was killed after losing control of his Chevrolet sport utility vehicle on Interstate 495 while involved in a dangerous chase with another driver, who was arrested.
In January, Lynn Bader of Concord, N.H., was shot and killed in Stoneham after a Boston-bound chase on Interstate 93 that police described as road rage. The driver and passenger of the second car were arrested.
"The aggressive driving phenomenon is not new to us; it's been going on for some time," said Langford, commander of the Division of Field Services. "The recent tragic events have focused the spotlight on it, and it's just the tip of the iceberg. The State Police realizes a need to ramp up our efforts to deter aggressive driving."
Officials said the stealth cars have been on Massachusetts roadways since at least October. They would not say how many were on the roads or provide information about the specific number of citations issued by officers using them.
"This increased enforcement will continue for as long as aggressive driving continues to pose a quality-of-life concern for the motorists of the Commonwealth," Langford said.
But Leon James, a University of Hawaii psychologist who specializes in driving issues, said the stealth cars would likely have little deterrent effect on drivers.
"It's a desperation tactic, because although theoretically you're going to be able to catch more people, it's not going to be a preventive measure," James said. "Even if you know these cars are out there, you won't think they'll be around where you are. They would need a lot of police cars to give people the feeling the cars are everywhere."
Nationally, about one-third of traffic crashes and two-thirds of fatalities resulting from them can be attributed to aggressive driving, according to estimates by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
In Massachusetts, State Police officials pointed to a 2001 survey in which 91 percent of respondents said they had been tailgated, 88 percent had been cut off, 72 percent honked at, 64 percent received obscene gestures, and 4 percent said they had been physically assaulted.
Aggressive driving breeds more aggressive driving, the study also indicated. Forty-five percent of drivers said that being cut off or tailgated can make the affected driver operate aggressively.
At least six states, including Rhode Island, have passed specific laws against aggressive driving, according to federal officials. Two separate bills targeting aggressive driving are under consideration in the Massachusetts House.
Representative Harold P. Naughton Jr., a Democrat from Clinton, has introduced a measure defining road rage as "an individual operating a motor vehicle aggressively, maliciously, or recklessly, so that the safety of at least one other person might be endangered."
If found guilty, a driver would be fined between $200 and $1,000 and face possible imprisonment, according to the measure. The driver's license also would be revoked for between one and five years.
The second House measure, introduced by Representative Vincent P. Ciampa, a Democrat from Somerville, would deem an aggressive driving violation to have occurred if a police officer observes three or more specific violations within 5 miles. The penalty, under Ciampa's proposal would include a fine of from $250 to $500 for the first offense.
The second offense may require attendance at a safe-driving program, while a third offense would require a minimum 30-day suspension of the driver's license. Three aggressive-driving violations in a two-year period would result in a 180-day suspension.
