Road Rage

Road Rage

Have you ever given someone the finger while driving; or worse, have you ever gotten the finger in return for something that you did on the road? Road rage is becoming a real problem in the United States.

Over 250,000 people have been killed in automobile accidents since 1990 in the United States. Almost two thirds of those car accidents involving fatalities were partially caused by an aggressive driver. This means that two out of three people killed on the road, nearly 170,000 since 1990, were caused because someone got mad and attempted to physically injure the other person and succeeded.

“The rate of aggressive driving incidents—defined as events in which an angry or impatient driver tries to kill or injure another driver after a traffic dispute—has risen by 51 percent since 1990.” (drivers.com) This is an alarming rate. Too many people have fallen victim to road rage and found themselves jammed right in the middle of a conflict. People in these situations usually feel that there is no way out for them.

How can one avoid being the victim of road rage? There are no surefire means of avoiding an aggressive driver but there are some basic principals that can definitely help. First of all try your best not to offend the other drivers that are on the road with you. Avoid cutting other drivers off. Make sure you have plenty of room behind and in front of you when you need to merge into a different lane. Always use turn signals the proper distance before your turn. If some one happens to cut you off in traffic, be courteous to them and give them some space to merge over in front of you. Always avoid driving slowly in the left lane because this can cause serious traffic issues and can cause other drivers to become upset with you very quickly.

Do not engage angry drivers. Protect yourself by refusing to become angry with other drivers. If another driver tries to engage in a conflict with you try to create as much distance as you can between them and you. Never pull off to the side of the road when in this situation to try