Road rage is more than one driver becoming irritated with another driver. It is an extremely dangerous and potentially deadly reaction to another driver’s perceived “bad driving.” According to a study conducted by the AAA Foundation that examined more than 10,000 road rage cases over a period of seven years, road rage resulted in more than 200 murders and at least 12,600 injury cases. To prevent yourself from being involved in an accident caused by an aggressive driver, obey these basic driving rules:
Do not “play the game”: Just because another driver seems to be egging you on, does not mean you have to take the bait. As the old saying goes “it takes two to tango.” So if a driver begins to engage in aggressive driving behaviors, it is important not to reciprocate or engage in any behavior that looks like you are becoming angry or upset. The best defense against an aggressive driver is to simply refuse to play his or her game. Instead, give the driver space by increasing the distance between you and her. Also avoid making eye contact with the other driver. If at any time you become frightened for your safety, use your phone to contact police or drive to a public and well-lit place. Never get out of your vehicle.
Do not offend: While you cannot make every driver happy, you can avoid making them angry. In fact there are certain driving behaviors that are likely to offend and irritate 99.99 percent of drivers. This list includes:
- Tailgating: No one likes to look in their rearview mirror only to see another vehicle inches away from his or her rear bumper. Tailgating is not only a pet peeve of most drivers, it is also quite dangerous. Be smart and allow a safe following distance between you and the car in front of you.
- Driving slow in the left lane. Regardless if you are driving the speed limit, if you are in the left lane and another driver approaches quickly, as a courtesy you should move over and let the other vehicle pass.
- Cutting another driver off: If you need to merge, there is a right way and a wrong way to do it. The incorrect way is to fail to signal and not leave enough space between your vehicle’s rear end and the front end of the car that you are merging in front of. Cutting off another driver is a sure fire way to offend. By the same token, if another driver cuts you off be courteous. Rather than get upset and honk your horn, simply give the other driver some space.
- Rude gestures: While it may seem like a great idea to tell another driver that he or she is “number one” because he or she committed a driving sin, think again. Rude gestures are a quick way to anger another driver. Even seemingly harmless gestures like shaking your head or throwing your hands up in frustration can be taken as aggressive behavior by another driver.
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