Tips to avoid Road Rage

Financial stresses, early commutes, and bad road surfaces all add to the congestion and create an atmosphere that could potentially lead to more accidents, we look at ways to avoid road rage writes Geraldine Herbert

Driving gets most of us in a tizzy. The endless stopping and starting, the traffic jams, and the right-hand-turn-only lane when you’re desperate to go left. The peak-hour traffic experience is the stuff of nightmares. With so much stress building inside us all at peak times, it is little wonder that tempers can fray.

Sudden braking, tailgating, excessive horn beeping, or driving against the clock, all these are common incidents that cause increased stress levels and in the extreme will cause drivers to commit violence against fellow road users.

Tips to Avoid Road Rage

1. Forget work or home worries when you are behind the wheel. Concentrate on your driving.
2. Plan your journey, leaving plenty of time for unexpected delays. Know where there are road works and listen to reports that may cause traffic delays.
3. Don’t retaliate. Never take the other driver personally
4. When you merge into another lane, leave plenty of room and use indicators before making a move.
5. Tailgating is one of the principal causes of anger, leave an adequate gap between you and the vehicle in front.
6. Be polite and courteous, even when others are not and never make eye contact with an angry driver.
7. If an aggressive driver is trying to pass you, let them pass you.
8. If you make a mistake, apologise using an appropriate gesture.
9. Count slowly from one to 10 if you are tempted to jump out of your car in a fit of rage.
10. Remember, you can’t control other drivers but you can control the way you react so be patient, stay calm and drive safely.

Geraldine Herbert