by Elaine Burgin

Created on: March 20, 2009

It's happened to all of us: We're driving down the freeway at a good clip when some so-and-so passes and then cuts in front of us, missing our front bumper by a coat of paint. What do we do? Honk the horn? Give the one finger salute? Yell some four-letter words? Any of these might make you feel better in the short run, but they may turn out to be a very bad idea. Giving in to road rage can result in injuries, even death. The offending driver may have a weapon and decide to use it on you, or run you off the road into a ditch, or beat you up at the next traffic light.

There are better ways to handle and even prevent road rage, and they won't get you into trouble. First, give yourself plenty of time to get to your destination. If you are already running late, your stress level is higher and your chances of experiencing road rage are higher. Make it a point to allow plenty of travel time, especially if you are going someplace important, like a job interview or to catch a plane.

Don't try to do anything other than drive while you are driving. That means no eating, drinking, applying makeup, talking on the phone, or texting. It's OK to listen to music that you enjoy, but no fiddling with the radio dial. And don't listen to talk radio if the slant of the program is the opposite of your political viewpoint. That's a sure way to raise both your blood pressure and your stress level.

Calm yourself down by doing some deep breathing exercises. Take several deep breaths, then take another and hold it for about 5 seconds, then exhale.

Learn some unflattering words in a foreign language. If you know that "fils" is French for "son" and "cochon" is French for pig, you can get creative. Say these words to yourself if you have children in the car.

Visualize the offending driver a few miles down the road with an officer standing next to the car, handing him (or her) a big fat ticket for reckless driving. You may even be able to make this happen if you are fortunate enough to get the plate number of the offending vehicle. In some areas you can call a hotline to report reckless drivers. Just be sure to pull over to a safe location and stop driving while you make the call.

If you are pushed over the edge and feel you must do something physical, go ahead and flip the offending driver the bird. Just do it down below the window, so no one sees it but you. This is kind of like wetting your pants in a dark suitit gives you a warm feeling, but nobody notices.

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