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is to simply back off! If a vehicle tail-gates dangerously close so what, back off! Do not slam on brakes or attempt anything stupid, simply take your foot off the accelerator and coast down gently. Sure, the other guy will probably get even more cranky, but again, so what! If anything does go wrong it will be at a significantly reduced speed where the chances of survival are higher. At a reduced speed, the following vehicle will more often than not overtake and the problem is not yours anymore. You can probably expect an obligatory one-finger salute at the very least but show no outward expression and enjoy knowing that one finger waving in the air only makes the other guy look really stupid to others who may be witnessing the encounter!

Someone cuts in front of you so what! Back off and enjoy the rest of your trip, put on some nice music and get over it. It is a lot more convenient than trying to enforce your right of way and damaging your car. The hollow victory of the other party being in the wrong soon wears thin during the time you are without transport waiting for your car to be repaired or replaced (assuming of course insurance pays the bills).

For every situation imaginable on the road, there is no absolute right or wrong and this is clearly enshrined in law by the way compensation payouts are calculated. Proportional responsibility often determines the final result. As an example: you are on a dual carriageway and the car in front indicates to move into your lane and then starts to move across even though the front of your vehicle is in line with it's rear door. The law would probably consider the car changing lanes was in violation but the reality is you could easily avoid an accident by backing off and allowing the vehicle room to change lanes. The other driver may have been distracted, seen something you have not or even realised a little too late their turn-off is just ahead. It does not really matter the reason, this kind of scenario is not uncommon yet it is probably one of the easiest to avoid.

The other driver may be completely in the wrong, so what! You are the one who can make a difference in this situation. Consider the outcome if this encounter resulted in an accident, caused permanent injuries and went before a court. While you may rightly expect to be compensated because the other driver violated the rules, it would not be unexpected to have the arbitrator award a lesser amount because you did nothing to avoid an accident in almost all cases.

Driving a car is usually a means to an end however the convenience and freedom to travel cannot be understated. There can also be no avoiding rude, aggressive or dangerous drivers but in the end you are responsible for your own safety, and the safety of your passengers. When you encounter someone who tailgates, who cuts in front of you or who does something stupid, you can often be the one who determines what happens next. Such an encounter may escalate if you choose to react, retaliate or do something stupid yourself, or you can just back off knowing the other driver was in the wrong but nobody was hurt. Let go of aggression and enjoy the driving experience moreover, try to help others around you enjoy their driving experience by demonstrating safe driving practices. Show some tolerance and courtesy on the roads and perhaps others may even learn from your example.

Learn more about this author, Ian Loft.
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