“Road rage” is a response to what you, as a driver, observe as poor, inconsiderate or dangerous driving. Almost all of us have experienced road rage at some time or another. You don’t have to be an anger management dropout in order to blow a fuse from time to time. A long day at work or a fight with a spouse can make anyone more susceptible to developing road rage when faced with an inconsiderate driver.
However, when you give in to your rage, you run the risk of becoming exactly what it is that has caused you to become so enraged, as well as putting your life and the lives of others in danger. Your anger might very well cause you to drive aggressively and dangerously as you attempt to cutoff or tailgate whomever has offended you. Even if you don’t take action, your preoccupation with your anger will make you less aware of your own driving. Road rage is a cycle in this way – 1. one person drives carelessly or inconsiderately 2. Another becomes enraged in response to this driver and thus begins to drive recklessly 3. This, in turn, could spark road rage in another driver, and so on…
People who drive for a living or who have very long commutes tend to be more likely to suffer from road rage. Oftentimes, their hours spent on the road give them a false sense of superiority. In their mind, everyone else on the road is a poor driver and the smallest offense can send them into a fit of rage. They are also often worried about getting to their destination as quickly as possible, whether it be getting to work on time or making an important delivery deadline. Slow drivers or those that otherwise impede their mission are likely to cause them to blow a fuse. However, to their credit, frequent drivers also have more opportunities to encounter poor or dangerous drivers.
People who struggle with road rage sometimes (not in all cases) tend to have short fuses when it comes to other areas of their lives. Learning more appropriate ways to deal with anger could help them to tone down their road rage.
If you know that you are prone to road rage, there are a few things you can do to help prevent a dangerous situation.
-STAY OFF THE ROAD. Try to avoid driving if you are already in a particularly bad mood because you will be more susceptible to road rage. If not driving is an impossibility, take a few minutes and do some deep breathing to calm yourself down before you hit the road.
-TURN OFF THE RADIO. Don’t listen to angry music while driving. I know many people who like to “rock out” when they’re behind the wheel, but if you’re prone to road rage, avoid listening to any type of music that might accelerate your heart rate and cause you to drive more aggressively
-GO OFF THE BEATEN PATH. Obviously, try to avoid driving in heavily trafficked areas or during peak driving hours. Even if that means going a few miles out of your way or leaving for your destination a little earlier, it could help prevent a dangerous or stressful situation.
-“BE THE BIGGER MAN (OR WOMAN)”. Stooping to their level will only put you at a higher risk of getting into an accident. In the grand scheme of things, whatever they did to anger you isn’t worth putting your life in danger.
-HAND OVER THE WHEEL. If at all possible, let someone else drive. Ironically enough, people with road rage usually refuse to let anyone else have the wheel, because they feel they are superior drivers and want to be in control of the situation. Of course, a true “rager” will not automatically remain calm just because they’re not behind the wheel. They might still scream obscenities or make rude gestures from the passenger seat or even become angry or critical of the driver of their own vehicle. In situations such as these, even thought it is a good thing that they don’t have control over the vehicle, if the rager is disruptive enough they can still cause an accident by distracting their driver or a confrontation by provoking other drivers.
-KEEP SOME PERSPECTIVE. It can’t be denied that there are many poor, aggressive, inconsiderate, careless and dangerous drivers on the road at any given place and time. However, what many road ragers view as personal offenses are often really accidents or the result of a careless or even oblivious driver. Take a few moments to think about it, and you will realize that whatever the other driver did to anger you is probably of little consequence and isn’t worth getting worked up over. There is no excuse for careless driving, but try to remember that there’s a good chance that whatever triggered your rage wasn’t intentional.
-DEFENSE, DEFENSE, DEFENSE. Defensive driving is always your best bet. Even when other drivers around you aren’t driving carelessly, you should imagine that every vehicle you share the road with has the words “student driver” plastered across the side or your half-blind grandmother behind the wheel. There are many poor and inconsiderate drivers out there, so never assume that someone will use their turn-signal or follow you at the appropriate range. It’s sad to admit, but it’s true.
DON’T BE A VICTIM. If you are a victim of road rage, many of the same rules apply. Try not to take ragers’ responses personally or let it affect your day. Drive as calmly as possible and resist the urge to scream or flip the bird. Avoid making eye contact as many ragers will read this as a sign of aggression. Basically, react as little as possible and pay attention to your driving. If they refuse to back down and you become afraid for your safety, pull of on an exit and wait for them to pass.
If you see a driver whom is clearly a hazard to others on the road, get their license plate number and report it to the police. This might be difficult to do while you’re driving, so don’t attempt to do so if it will be too much of a distraction. Have a passenger do it for you if at all possible.
