Safe driving strategies
A driver cuts wildly in and out of traffic, rides your back bumper, flashes lights and honks at you, cuts you off, yells and makes an obscene gesture. What should you do when you are the victim of someone else's aggressive driving and road rage?
According to a public information by Dr. Jerry Deffenbacher, here are some tips on dealing with road rage:
-
Take road rage seriously: You could be dealing with a volatile, unstable person with a gun, or a person who, at the slightest provocation, may ram your car or attack you. It pays to be cautious: Treat every situation as potentially dangerous and explosive.
-
Do not inflame the situation: The situation must be handled in a calm, safe manner that gets you away from the conflict. DO NOT make eye contact, make faces or gestures, yell, flash your lights, or honk your horn.
-
Do not be manipulated: It is natural for you not to want to be pushed around. However, reacting that way will only inflame the other person. Cool heads prevail in these situations. If other drivers want to get the best of you in dangerous and childish ways, let them have the road; you and your family will be the winner.
-
Disengage: Life is too valuable to let someone with road rage affect you. Do whatever you reasonably can to avoid the person, making it harder for them to assault you. Back away, focus on safe driving and disengage. Do not pull over or get out of your car.
-
Seek Help: If the situation merits, pull over and use your cell phone to call for help. Do not hesitate to report the driver, providing as much information as possible. This may avoid a violent situation, and may eliminate other incidents of road rage.