Feeling Safer on the Roads: Protecting Yourself from Aggressive Drivers
Kindly written and supplied by Lisa, a freelance writer and enjoys writing about subjects such as road safety, women in sport and travel, and when isn’t writing can be found relaxing with a good book.
It’s an obvious fact that driving is one of the most stressful activities. Even the best drivers have found themselves cursing under their breath or yelling at one another when running late for work, stuck in a bad traffic, or just having a bad day. While feeling irritated and stressed is quite normal, a problem may arise when these feelings escalate into aggressive driving or road rage.
According to a recent study, aggressive driving contributes to over 66% of road fatalities every year. More so, 50% of drivers usually respond to aggressive driving in kind. So how can you feel safe on the road and protect yourself from aggressive drivers? Here are some of the ways.
1. Remain calm
Even if the other driver is behaving aggressively or angrily, it’s very important to remain courteous and calm. If another driver behaves aggressively by tailgating or cutting you off, your reaction to his behavior will definitely determine what takes place next. You need to try as much as possible to avoid any conflict. If he tries to engage you in an argument just ignore and drive off.
2. Reduce your stress and don’t take it personally
When driving along the highway you need to listen to soothing music. Make sure you are sitting in a good position and you are comfortable. Most importantly, you need to understand that the traffic is beyond your control hence you can only react to it. In the end, you may realize that anger, personal frustration, and impatience are some of the worst things while driving.
3. Avoid making eye contact or using inflammatory gestures
Even if you don’t intend to challenge them, an eye contact can be perceived differently. Since many aggressive drivers are often driven by frustrations and personal insecurities, they can easily be angered by something as simple as an eye contact. Although it can be tempting to honk or make inflammatory gestures, doing so can inflame the other driver. Instead of releasing your anger and frustration this way, wait until you are through before sharing your situation with a friend or a family member.
4. Be a courteous driver
As a driver, there are some examples that you set that can really encourage other drivers. It’s, therefore, very important to control yourself and behave responsibly. Even most car insurance groups encourage drivers to be courteous.
5. Talk to others
The best way to relieve yourself is to share recent road rage with your friends and family members or even community members. By doing this, you will better understand the situation and know how to protect yourself in future.
6. Report aggressive drivers
There are some countries and states that have contacts that you can use to report drivers. You just need to keep the number of the vehicle. Next, make a call and give out a full description of the vehicle. This could help you prevent any future strategy.
Although you may not have the capacity to avoid all aggressive driving situations, if you keep your head up and master these tips, you will have the best chance of greatly reducing any possible encounters. By doing this, you will also set the best example for young drivers who are always looking up to you. Remember, car insurance groups rarely compensate any accident caused by careless driving.