May 21, 2026 | Makenzie Kellar

Driving, unsurprisingly, is something most people do regularly. After all, it’s how people commute to work, get to school, and navigate the routines of daily life. Moreover, a 2024 report from the Federal Highway Administration found that Colorado had 4,533,480 licensed drivers that year—about 933 out of every 1,000 people of driving age, showing that just about everyone that can drive in Colorado does.   

Although driving is such a commonplace activity, it should come as no surprise that it is also a high-risk behavior. The Colorado Department of Transportation reported 716 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2025, a 4% increase from 2024. For that same year, the total number of crashes, both major and minor, was a whopping 95,600.  

So, what’s causing these startling numbers? One place to turn is an escalating trend of reckless and distracted driving. 

A national survey conducted in January 2026 by Nationwide found that 87% of people reported other drivers to be more reckless and 90% said other drivers to be more aggressive when compared to the same period, 12 months ago. And on the distracted driving front, in 2025, 3,778 crashes in Colorado were investigated due to inattention. For district drivers who spend more time on the road than the average person as part of their job, this is particularly concerning. 

That’s why, in this article, we’ll examine this phenomenon more closely—the causes, risk factors, and what you can do—to make sure that you’re driving home safely at the end of the day. 

Distracted Driving Versus Aggressive Driving 

While both distracted and aggressive driving are unsafe behaviors that can result in crashes, the roots of these behaviors come from different origins. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration defines distracted driving as “anything that takes your attention away from the task of safe driving.” This includes, but is not limited to, using your phone, eating or drinking, and talking to others in the car. Distractions, even short or unimportant ones, mean that you may not notice changes in road conditions, red lights and stop signs, pedestrians, and other cars moving around you. Additionally, even if you do eventually notice an oncoming hazard, the time wasted on the distraction may have cost you precious moments that you could have used to handle it. 

Aggressive driving, on the other hand, includes behaviors such as “driving much faster than prevailing speeds, following too closely, making unsafe lane changes, and running red lights.” This behavior can sometimes be caused by drivers being extremely angry or frustrated. If this is the case, aggressive driving can escalate to road rage, which is “intentional assault by a driver or passenger with a motor vehicle or a weapon that occurs on the roadway or is precipitated by an incident on the roadway.” 

Risk Factors 

The causes of distracted and aggressive driving are somewhat self-explanatory: distractions lead to distracted driving and aggression, frustration, or urgency to aggressive driving. However, it’s also important to note that each can be highly situational.  

Perhaps you usually don’t look at your phone while driving, but what if you had a spouse or child at the emergency room and were waiting to hear back on their condition? You might usually avoid speeding, but can you say for sure that you wouldn’t be willing to go a few miles over the speed limit if you were late for an important job interview? There are people out there with bad driving habits, but it doesn’t take a habit to cause an accident, just one mistake.   

While it’s impossible to account for the changing circumstances of everyday life, research has found that certain demographics are more likely to drive distractedly or aggressively than others. 

A 2024 report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that, of all drivers involved in fatal traffic crashes that year who were reported as distracted, “six percent of drivers 15 to 20 years old, 21 to 24 years old, 25 to 34 years old, and 35 to 44 years old involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted.” All other age groups were at about 5% each. When looking at fatal crashes where the cause of distraction was specifically a cell phone, drivers aged 21 to 24 years old were involved 21% of the time with the next highest being drivers 25 to 34 at 16% and then gradually declining with age. In short, young drivers are more prone to distracted driving, and young adults especially when cell phones are involved. 

The statistics on aggressive driving are a bit more difficult to come by as aggressive driving is composed of a variety of risky behaviors, some of which being easier to track than others. Speeding, for example, was related to 11,288 traffic deaths in 2024. However, as Pew Research Center notes in their 2024 article on road rage, other actions related to aggressive driving such as tailgating and brake checking are not as thoroughly documented.  

As for the demographics of aggressive drivers, an article published by the American Psychological Association explained that young men are most likely to be perpetrators of the infamous “road rage.” However, there were a number of behavioral characteristics that separated “high-anger” and “low-anger” drivers. High-anger drivers were found to engage in aggressive thinking, insult others, take more risks on the road, drive at higher speeds, remain angry throughout the day rather than just for a short moment, and externalize their anger. Certain road conditions (like congestion and slowdowns) were also found to increase feelings of anger in some drivers. 

What Can You Do? 

Now, knowing what distracted and aggressive driving looks like and some potential causes, what exactly can you do about it? 

For Drivers 

First, it’s important to come to terms with the fact that, at the end of the day, you can only control your own behavior. While it would be wonderful if everyone in the world stopped using their phones while driving or suddenly became immune to road rage, that’s simply not realistic. At the end of the day, safety starts with you.  

If you’re prone to distracted driving, try to identify what it is that’s distracting you and then brainstorm how to limit the issue from there. For example, if you’re often distracted by texts on your phone, set your phone to silent or “do not disturb” before getting on the road. If you need to check your messages, do so before driving or after you’ve pulled over and stopped at a safe location. Maybe store your phone somewhere out of the way, such as a glovebox. 

If you have trouble with aggressive driving, the same principle applies: find out what exactly is triggering the unwanted response and develop strategies to prevent it from ever being a problem. The American Driving Academy recommends planning trips ahead of time to avoid traffic, not engaging with other aggressive drivers, and trying to maintain perspective during stressful driving situations. If these strategies fail, it may be worth seeking additional aid for anger management.   

For Fleet and Safety Managers  

Unlike the average driver, you have slightly more influence over how others under your supervision behave on the road and, as such, more responsibility.  

Keep track of any accidents or near miss incidents your drivers have involving district vehicles. By having detailed records and reviewing them periodically, you can more easily pick up on accident trends among your drivers. From there, you can tailor driver trainings and safety meetings to address those particular problems.  

You should also keep an eye on your drivers’ records outside of work. SambaSafety, a motor vehicle reporting software available to all eligible CSD Pool members, offers continuous monitoring and alerts you when one of your drivers receives a violation. 

Finally, be prepared to take action if one of your drivers proves to be unsafe. This may require suspending or removing them from your fleet. Remember, the hassle of trying to find someone else to drive district vehicles is far less of a burden than the weight of knowing an accident occurred that you could have prevented.  

In Short 

Distracted and aggressive driving present major threats to yourself and others on the road. By recognizing what negative driving behaviors you and your fellow employees struggle with, you can take steps to ensure that you’re doing your best to make the road a safe place for everyone.