The term road rage is used to refer to violent behavior by a driver of an automobile. Such behavior can sometimes be the cause of accidents. It can be thought of as an extreme case of aggressive driving.
Incidents involving road rage have ended with serious injuries, or even fatally. In the US, more than 300 such cases have been recorded annually.
Some known road rage triggers are:
- Cutting others off in a lane
- Failing to signal
- Tailgating
- Speeding and aggressive acceleration
- Weaving in and out of traffic
- Cutting in at the head of a queue of traffic
- Preventing others from entering the flow of traffic
- Sounding the vehicle’s horn or flashing lights excessively
- Rude gestures (such as the finger)
- Any sudden maneuver that causes you to brake or steer
- Shouting verbal abuse, including threats
- Deliberately hitting another person, vehicle or object with one’s own vehicle (I’ve seen this happen)
- Driving excessively slow on a high-speed road (student drivers, inconsiderate drivers)
- Vehicles driving where they’re not supposed to
And don’t think that road rage is only confined to the road. Some incidents have resulted when motorists compete for the same parking space.
Don’t let these madmen ruin your day. Here are some positive coping tactics from driving.co.uk
1. Never retaliate against acts of bad driving, they could be unintentional mistakes. Rest assured that if you feel that another driver is a dangerous idiot, then everybody else does too!
2. Where another driver is continuously hassling you, avoid overreacting by accelerating, braking or swerving suddenly and try to avoid eye contact. Drive to a busy place or the nearest police station to get help.
3. When stopped in traffic, keep an escape route, that is enough distance to be able to move out from behind the vehicle in front. Can you see the rear tires of the car in front and some of the tarmac.
4. Where someone attempts to enter your car, sound your horn repeatedly to attract attention.
5. Driving where traffic is moving slowly, as in towns, lock your doors and keep the windows and sunroof only partially open.
6. Don’t even think about carrying any type of weapon. It might provoke a potential assailant who could well grab it and use it against you.
7. Where bad driving causes you to take avoiding action to prevent a crash or near miss, letting your anger lead to confrontation will achieve little. We cannot do much about the way other drivers use the road, but we can do something about our own driving to make it enjoyable, safer and less stressful.
My personal favorite in avoiding road rage is to leave at least an hour earlier, whenever possible, when driving to your destination. That way you can always keep cool and be considerate, even if others can’t. An early morning incident can set the tone for the rest of your day and ruin it. Reacting negatively can also affect your health. Don’t let these drivers get to you.
Arrive alive.
Filed under: Health, On the road, Productivity
