Many people get frustrated on the road. However, getting angry or losing your cool behind the wheel can put you in danger.
To avoid being a victim of road rage, there are a few things you can do to stay calm and drive safely. Here are some tips:
Listen to Music
It can be difficult to maintain control behind the wheel, especially when another driver acts aggressively. However, you don’t have to let their actions escalate into a dangerous road-rage incident that puts you and your passengers in danger. In fact, you can use a few simple steps to prevent road-rage incidents from occurring and keep your family safe on the roads.
Listening to music while driving is a great way to relax and help you stay calm. The soothing sounds of classical or your favorite songs can distract you from any stressful events on the road and give you a positive boost to keep you centered. The same applies to listening to podcasts or audiobooks while you’re on a long drive. It’s a great way to pass the time and learn something new that can help you in the future.
If you encounter an aggressive driver, try to avoid making sudden movements and don’t engage with them. This is particularly important if they are driving recklessly or aggressively, as their anger and frustration may turn into violence. This can put you and your passengers in danger. Avoid gesturing, honking or swearing at them and avoiding eye contact with them as well.
If you can’t get away from the person, pull over somewhere safe and take a deep breath. This will calm you down in a matter of seconds and give you the ability to return to your driving safely. You can even try counting backwards from 10 if you’re having trouble keeping your cool. In the end, controlling your temper is the only thing you have any control over when you’re on the road.
Relax Your Muscles
If you feel your stress level rising, try relaxing your muscles to help calm yourself. Simply adjusting your posture and squeezing your shoulders can help ease tension that might be building up. You can also try to keep your hands loose on the steering wheel. This will allow you to use them as needed but not overreact if someone cuts you off or makes a sudden move.
Many people have trouble separating road rage from aggressive driving, but there are several important differences. The most obvious is that road rage behavior includes the potential for violence, whereas aggression behind the wheel can be much more subtle.
Aggressive driving is when a driver exhibits a range of unsafe behaviors on the road, from tailgating to changing lanes without signaling. Road rage is when the driving behaviors cross over into specific acts of violence, such as gesturing, cursing and threatening. The latter can pose a threat not just to other drivers but to passengers and pedestrians as well. Wiltshire’s surprising road rage statistics revealed more about road rage capitals in the world.
In fact, it’s not uncommon for angry drivers to end up in a physical altercation on the road. There are even a few cases of people who have shot at other drivers on the road. Getting into it with another driver can be disastrous, so it’s best to leave the road if you see signs of road rage.
Besides, letting another person’s bad mood affect you will only lead to disaster on the road. Getting too wound up will cause you to lose focus and put you at risk of having an accident. Angry drivers are often trying to intimidate or provoke you, so avoid eye contact and don’t engage in conversation.
Take a Deep Breath
It can be tempting to lash out when you get cut off or someone swerves into your lane, but letting your anger build can put you and other drivers at risk. Whether it’s yelling, gesturing or honking, aggressive reactions to road rage incidents can lead to dangerous and even deadly situations on the road. Instead of reacting, take a deep breath and focus on remaining calm to diffuse the situation before it escalates.
The cause of road rage can vary from person to person, but oftentimes it is caused by an uncontrolled temper rather than criminal intent. Controlling your own anger can help to prevent road rage and avoid becoming the victim of one of the 5 million costly vehicle collisions that occur each year in the U.S.
Getting enough sleep and managing your stress levels are also crucial to safe driving. Driving drowsy can have the same effect as being under the influence of alcohol, and it can significantly increase your chance for an accident. If you have a busy schedule and a tight deadline, plan ahead by getting adequate rest the night before your drive to ensure that you’re well rested and ready to tackle the road.
It’s been quite a year on the planet: wildfires, locust swarms, economic challenges, earthquakes and even murder hornets have taxed people’s nerves to the point of losing their cool behind the wheel. It’s not surprising that 2020 may have been the most stressful year on record for many Americans, which could contribute to their heightened sensitivity and reactionary responses in traffic situations. Taking the time to mentally prepare before you hit the road can be the difference between a fender bender and a fatal incident.
Focus on the Road
It can be hard to keep calm when you’re driving around a person who is aggressive behind the wheel, but it’s imperative to your safety and that of everyone in your vehicle. If a driver is tailgating you or otherwise acting aggressively, try to distance yourself from them by slowing down or changing lanes.
Angry drivers can be unpredictable, and their behavior could escalate into something dangerous and deadly. In a study, 7 percent of respondents admitted to getting out of their car to physically confront another driver, and 6 percent even got into a physical fight. In addition to that, a lot of rage-related incidents begin with something small like cutting someone off or refusing to let them pass.
In many cases, the best thing you can do is to ignore the rage-inducing behaviors of other drivers and focus on the road ahead of you. Using the horn or swearing at the other driver can turn a minor situation into a full-blown altercation, which can put you in danger.
The best way to prevent this is to leave early for your destination and drive safely. Limiting alcohol is also important because it can affect your reaction time and make you prone to rageful responses. Playing soothing music can help you relax, but make sure it isn’t too loud—research has shown that listening to music above 95 decibels can cause a 20% slower reaction time. Putting pictures of loved ones on your dashboard can also help to reduce stress while you’re driving. Remember that the most important goal of your trip is to arrive at your destination safely. Your family depends on you!
Take a Short Break
More than half of all drivers have experienced a flash of road rage at one time or another. And while not all of them bang into an offending vehicle or throw a helpless puppy into the highway, rage-induced behavior is still responsible for tens of thousands of accidents each year.
It’s easy to let frustrations on the road build until they become full-blown anger and violence behind the wheel, but you can use these tips to keep yourself calm and safe in the car. The first step is getting enough sleep the night before. Studies show that driving drowsy is as dangerous as driving while drunk.
Leaving yourself plenty of time to get where you need to be can also help to ease your stress while driving. If you’re under pressure to arrive in a timely manner, it can be easy to lose your temper when something goes wrong on the road.
In addition, staying focused on the road is important. If you’re distracted, it can be very easy to accidentally pass a stopped vehicle or pull out in front of someone. The last thing you want is to have a potentially deadly accident because you were not paying attention or reacting appropriately to the situation.
If you feel yourself getting angry while driving, take a break and walk around the block to cool off. If you’re able to calm down, return to the driver’s seat and continue your journey. Do not escalate the situation by yelling or honking at other drivers, as it could put you in danger. You should also try to distance yourself from a dangerous or erratic driver by slowing down or changing lanes, but never speed up.
