Home > Make a Difference in 15 Minutes > Steer Clear of Road Rage

STEER CLEAR OF ROAD RAGE

Road Rage

Road rage can lead to injuries or even death.

According to the American Automobile Association:

  • 37 percent of road rage warriors used firearms against other drivers
  • 35 percent of drivers experiencing a burst of road rage used their cars as weapons

The U.S. Highway Safety Office says that tens of thousands of car accidents each year can be linked directly to aggressive driving, including road rage, contributing to a leading cause of death for young children.

What makes drivers so aggressive? Accumulated stress mixed with simple matters of discourtesy. If you've had a bad morning to begin with, you may not be so accommodating to drivers who change lanes without signaling. Just got dumped by your girlfriend? Then the music blaring way too loud from the car next to you becomes ever more annoying.

Essentially, road rage is the flashpoint of all the stresses in one's life. And it can happen to any of us. The good news is that there are simple steps to help avoid road rage.

Avoid creating a road rage situation. Here's how:

  • Don't take traffic problems personally
  • Stay in your car
  • Create a comfortable environment in your car — play relaxing music to ease your mind
  • Allow adequate time for your trip
  • Don't make eye contact with an aggressive driver
  • Don't make obscene gestures to other drivers
  • Avoid tailgating
  • Use your horn sparingly
  • Don't block the passing lane or the right-hand turn lane
  • Avoid confrontations.  But, if confronted involuntarily, empathize rather than argue, even if you were right and the other driver was wrong
  • If you are being followed, drive to the nearest police station
  • Stay away from aggressive drivers that you see on the road and call authorities

For more information on road rage, review Road Rage: How to Avoid Aggressive Driving, provided free by AAA..