Road rage is a major factor in American accidents, and as many as 80 percent of Americans admit that they have experienced an episode of road rage at least once over the past year.
According to statistics released by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 4 in 5 Americans admitted to engaging in dangerous behaviors, like hitting another vehicle on purpose, or stepping out of their vehicle in anger, during a bout of road rage. As many as 8 million motorists admitted to these and other types of dangerous behaviors on the road.
It’s normal to experience a moment of frustration and anxiety when you are driving, especially during peak hours. However, a responsible motorist must keep control of his emotions and not allow them to cloud his judgment and his behavior. Road rage can contribute to the kind of dangerous and impulsive behaviors that can increase the risk of an accident.
Follow these important tips to prevent road rage while you are driving.
If you feel like another motorist is becoming hostile with you, simply take the upper road. Breathe deeply, and count to 10. Do not retaliate. Do not make eye contact with the other person. Studies find that this typically provokes a confrontation.
Remember, road rage will not benefit you or the other motorist in the least. Try and remain polite and courteous, even when the other motorist is being rude.
Do not engage in any kind of altercation with the other motorist, and do not get out of the vehicle to pick up a fight. Instead, try to get yourself out of the situation as quickly and as painlessly as possible. If the other motorist continues to follow you, drive to the nearest police station.
Try to avoid driving during peak hour times, or times of the day when you feel stressed. If you cannot avoid this, start from home with plenty of time to spare so that you are not left feeling frustrated when drivers cut in front of you or overtake you.
Treat other motorists in the way that you would like to be treated. Always maintain speed limits, and avoid violating traffic rules.