by P J Scanland

Created on: March 23, 2009   Last Updated: September 05, 2009

The best way to avoid road rage is to focus on your driving and not let the actions of other drivers influence you. If you need to be somewhere at a particular time, be sure to leave early enough so that you do not feel rushed. When you are driving in heavy traffic there are bound to be people going too slow or too fast or who are changing lanes too much. You cannot take control of them or their vehicle, but you can control how you react to them. Driving in traffic is a cooperative effort between you and everyone around you. Reacting to one irresponsible driver can cause a chain reaction of bad behavior. Accept that you can not always be at head of the pack, you are not always in the right, and you don't have any more right to be on the road than anyone else.

Road rage is an anonymous activity. You feel brave sitting in that car yelling at someone you just passed. You take actions against other drivers that you would be unlikely to do if you passed that very person while walking on a sidewalk. If you walked up behind a slowly moving elderly person you would ease around them and maybe even stop to help them in some way. That same person driving too slowly in a car in front of you inspires your contempt. So, you jerk your car around them and pull in front to show them you will not put up with being slowed down.

Giving in to your emotions makes you a less attentive driver. Inattentive drivers cause accidents. If you find your anger increasing maybe you need to pull off the road and calm down. Call a friend or family member and talk or laugh with them for a few minutes. Eat a snack or get something nonalcoholic to drink. You could be tired or hungry, either of which can make you more emotional. Maybe you had a bad day at work. Maybe financial or family pressures are weighing on you. Do what you can to change your attitude before you start driving again. Your fellow drivers are not to blame for whatever you are going through.

Some cases of road rage have escalated to the point of gunfire. If you see a gun pointed at you back off immediately and call the police. You may have a legal carry permit yourself and may have a loaded weapon in your car. Unless you are a police officer leave the gun where it is. Don't escalate the situation. Stray bullets always land somewhere.

You should report erratic or dangerous drivers to the police. When you call to report them, be prepared to give your location. Notice highway mile markers or intersections you have just passed through. It helps if they know where the driver was last seen and in what direction they were traveling. Try to give a brief description of the driver and the vehicle if you can. The erratic driver you just saw may be ill or may be trying to transport someone to a hospital. You could be getting them exactly the help they need.

Your ability to handle bad drivers around you is more a reflection of your mood than what others are doing. Be aware of that and do not let your frustration rule your driving. Get home in one piece and do your part to see that your companions on the road have that same chance. There is no safely belt to keep your temper constrained. That is up to you.

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