Did you know that 66% of all traffic fatalities are caused in part by aggressive driving? Road rage is more than just a frustrating quirk that everyone experiences from time to time – it can be deadly. At Freedom National, we’ve seen more than our fair share of accidents caused by drivers who got frustrated when on the road. Here’s what you need to know about road rage, and 10 useful tips for preventing it.
To prevent road rage, it’s important to know first why it is caused, and why it’s so important to prevent it.
Road rage is caused by a great many situations and behaviors on the road. It starts with a driver who is either already stressed out (perhaps they are running late) or a driver who is prone to quick outbursts of temper. It is escalated when a common frustration of the road is experienced, such as being cut off, being given the finger or being honked at by other drivers, getting stuck behind someone going too slow, being tailgated, not being allowed to change lanes, or having to fight with another driver over a parking spot.
Once the situation that escalates the rage occurs, many drivers have trouble controlling their impulse to retaliate. They speed up, attempt to cut off someone who just cut them off, stop using their signals, slam on their brakes, or do anything they think would inconvenience the driver that has annoyed them.
The effects of road rage can cause ripples throughout the entire area. For example, it is commonly observed that about half of all people who come into contact with an aggressive driver on the road will begin driving aggressively themselves. That in turn leads to half of the people around them becoming aggressive, and the cycle continues. And as noted above, road rage accounts for a majority of deaths in vehicle accidents.
So, how can you avoid this dangerous reaction yourself, when it’s so easy to snap on the road? Here are 10 tips:
The first thing you can do to avoid road rage is to avoid getting on the road in a hurry. Plan out your commute and give yourself plenty of extra time to get there. This means accounting for rush hour traffic, and adding in buffer time in case you get stuck in a traffic jam. By giving yourself a lot of time, or even planning your commute to avoid rush hour, you can ensure that you are approaching your commute calmly in the first place.
When you are driving, use your signals and do everything you can to announce your intentions to those around you. Start slowing down a little earlier, and don’t slam on your brakes if you are coming up on a turn or exit you need to take. This is a considerate way to keep everyone else relaxed, because they won’t have to be on edge wondering what your car is going to do.
If you love music, make your commute a private concert in your car. If you like audio books or podcasts, download a favorite that you only listen to during your drive. This will make the commute something you look forward to, which is a great way to keep yourself relaxed during the drive. If you are relaxed, you are less likely to react badly when others aren’t as considerate on the road.
Using your horn to alert a driver who doesn’t seem to see you is a safe way to drive. Using your horn to tell someone to hurry up is likely to incite anger. Everyone around you is driving in the same conditions. They can also see that traffic is slowing down for no apparent reason, and are likely just as mad as you are about it. Avoid using your horn as much as you can to keep everyone a little more relaxed.
Something that many drivers don’t realize that they are doing is gripping the steering wheel very tightly when they are mad. It’s similar to clenching your jaw when you are upset. If you find yourself getting very annoyed on the road, check your hands, and relax your grip if it is tight. Unclench your jaw as well, and give your shoulders a little shake. The act of loosening the body will help to loosen your mood as well.
Driving in the morning when you are groggy and cranky from lack of sleep is not a good idea if you also suffer from road rage. It’s too easy for our tired bodies to react to perceived threats with heightened states of anxiety, which exacerbates road rage. Try to give yourself plenty of time to wake up before you have to be on the road.
Here’s a great way to help cool your temper if you feel it getting out of hand. Many of us think of our cars as a private space, where we are mostly isolated from the world. So, we act in the way that we would when in private. But most of us act a little more politely when in a crowd. If someone sent a rude gesture your way in a fancy restaurant, you may be upset by it, but chances are the fact that you’re in public would make you less likely to cause a scene. Think of your car in traffic as a public place, and put on your “fancy” manners.
If you tend to get aggressive on the road, consider switching your music choice to something more relaxing. Classical music, jazz, and other music that has calmer bass and drums can be soothing if you are struggling to control your emotions. Many studies have also shown that fast-paced music tends to make people drive faster and more aggressively.
If you happen to pull up alongside someone who has been driving like a jerk, cutting people off or honking at them, don’t make eye contact with them. In many cases, this is seen as challenging and rude, which can just incite more road rage in either party. Just give aggressive drivers room and try to avoid them.
Finally, if there is an aggressive driver that is tailgating you or honking at you, consider if you can adjust the behavior to diffuse the situation. Maybe you can get over into another lane, or speed up a little if you are driving under the speed limit. At the end of the day, it’s more important that everyone on the road get to their destinations safely, than who was truly “in the right” in these situations. When you can diffuse their behavior, it’s easier for you to keep yourself calm as well.
Now that you have these 10 tips to help reduce road rage, the last thing you need is a great auto insurance policy to help protect your car. If you do end up in an altercation with an aggressive driver, you’ll be able to breathe easier knowing that repairs will be covered. Learn more about our affordable coverage by getting a free quote right here.