"Do as I say, not as I do" appears to be the No. 1 rule of the road, according to a report released by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety Tuesday.

 According to the report, about 8 in 10 people contacted in a national telephone survey identified aggressive driving as a serious or extremely serious problems. Nevertheless, about half of drivers reported that they themselves indulged in driving behavior that is considered aggressive -- such as exceeding highway speed limits by more than 15 mph.

According to the AAA Foundation study, based on its analysis of  statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, at least 56 percent of fatal crashes involve one or more acts that characterize aggressive driving. Examples of aggressive driving, according to the foundation, include speeding, running stoplights and stop signs, failing to yield right of way, preventing other drivers from passing, illegal use of the shoulder and tailgating. I would add refusing to let drivers merge when they signal their intent to do so.

 “If you find yourself driving slowly in the passing lane, tailgating, or doing other things to teach the other driver a lesson, you are also part of the problem,” said foundation president Peter Kissinger. “An aggressive driving act by one driver can trigger a disproportionate and potentially violent reaction from another driver.”

In other words, what goes around comes around. It pays to drive as if every other person on the road has a loaded gun in the glove compartment and is having a lousy day.