by Sara W.

Created on: June 25, 2010

"Hang up the phone and drive, you're drivin' me crazy!" was a lyric from a small-town band once, doing gigs that poked fun at everyday scenarios. But isn't it the truth? There's quite possibly nothing more annoying as a driver than to deal with another driver's shenanigans, ones that specifically could have been avoided had the driver not been talking on the cell phone.

So, without totally losing your cool and becoming a road-raging maniac (which makes you just as guilty as the phone-yapper), how can you protect your and your passengers' safety, while protecting your sanity all at once? Well, you might not like the answers, because more often than not, the answer lies within your own attitude. With the basic realization that you can never control someone else's bad behavior, there are a few simple things you can do to help keep the roads safe.

Do Some Research

First of all, try to remember how frustrating it was the last time you were driving in tandem with some jerk on a cell phone. Now that you're at home and not behind the wheel is the perfect time to do some preventive work. Check out this informative website that provides information for all fifty states about cell phone legislation. Find out how your state handles cell phone use while driving, and keep that in mind for your next road trip.

If you live in one of the states that bans hand held devices altogether, then you are one step ahead of the offender next time you encounter him on the road. But don't grab your cell phone to call the cops! Pull over first, then make the call to authorities. It's best to use some common sense in this regard; tattling simply for the sake of tattling isn't the right idea. But if someone is legitimately endangering other drivers with her negligence, then a call to the police is definitely in order.

Back Off

If you feel your blood pressure rising because of a driver on a cell phone causing traffic to bottleneck, take a deep breath. Realize that there's absolutely nothing you can do to change the situation. Slow down; don't ever tail the guilty driver, as this only increases the risk of danger. If you're running late for work, just let this be a small lesson to you that you need to allow a longer drive time for your morning commute. When you're running ahead of schedule, all the drivers in the world could be driving too slowly and you would still be whistling a happy tune.

Be Smart

A driver on a cell phone is a nuisance and a potential danger for one simple reason: he is not paying any attention to the road. So the last thing you want to do is honk and startle the driver. Even if your honk is just a brief, friendly toot, you could cause the negligent driver to overreact, thus causing an accident. If you don't deem it necessary to call the police, and you can't get around or away from the annoying driver, your only choice is to sit tight and ride it out.

You may be feeling frustrated now, like there's no simple solution to the problem of irresponsible drivers. Guess what? There's not! The only person you can control is yourself. Once you realize that fact and begin to implement the tips above, you just might not lose your cool with the next uncool driver you encounter.

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