Harry
01-07-2007, 02:43 PM
How to handle a motorist with road rage -- and keep your own anger in check
Encountering crazed drivers has, sadly, become a regular occurrence, and that's making the roadways more perilous. Raging drivers - in four-wheelers as well as trucks - exhibit aggressive and reckless driving behavior that endangers themselves and others. In the anonymity of their vehicles, they take out their frustration, impatience and irritability on other drivers by harassing them without any concern for others on the road.
They speed, follow other vehicles too closely, fail to yield, weave in and out of traffic frequently or abruptly without signaling, pass on the right or the shoulder, run stop signs and red lights. And they frequently make rude hand and facial gestures, scream, honk and flash their lights.
In extreme cases, crazed drivers' aggression turns into road rage, a situation wherein a driver deliberately tries to harm another as a way to punish them for highway slights. Such altercations on the roadway put the safety of those two drivers and others in jeopardy. Road rage can end in collisions and senseless personal attacks.
Despite what you might think, there is no typical aggressive driver. It runs the gamut of society - from young males to soccer moms to successful businessmen. What's more, research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows the "incidents that lead to aggressive driving behavior are often trivial in nature, and not something you might think would cause the explosions that characterize road rage."
The agency reports, "Violent traffic disputes are rarely the result of a single incident. Rather, they are the cumulative result of a long series of stressors in the driver's life. The traffic incident that turns violent is often the 'last straw.' "
The NHTSA has identified three key factors that are linked to aggressive driving:
Lack of responsible driving behavior
On the road, the focus is often on individual rights and freedom - a "me first" philosophy - rather than acknowledging a responsibility to share the road. Driving should be cooperative, not a competitive sport.
Reduced levels of enforcement
The perceived risk of being apprehended for a traffic violation is directly related to the level of traffic enforcement. Unfortunately, many jurisdictions have cut back on traffic enforcement because of budget constraints.
More travel/congestion
Since 1987, the number of miles driven in the U.S. has increased at least 35 percent, while the number of miles of available roads has increased only 1 percent. Drivers often respond to the frustrations of driving in high-density traffic areas by driving and acting aggressively.
It's common knowledge that unsafe driving behaviors lead to accidents, which in turn leads to lost productivity and wages, repair costs and higher insurance rates. But few drivers and companies consider the costs that come from higher fuel, tire and maintenance costs.
Crazed drivers tend to push their vehicles. They accelerate hard, wasting fuel and placing additional stresses on the drivetrain. They speed and weave, which also drives up fuel consumption and increases suspension and tire wear. And they tailgate, leading to heavy brake application, and faster wear-out of brake systems and tires.
When confronted by an aggressive driver, don't challenge them, since that can make matters worse. Never underestimate another driver's potential for dangerous behavior. Even at the worst provocations, remember:
. Stay calm and relaxed.
. Avoid eye contact.
. Steer clear and make every attempt to get out of the aggressive driver's way.
. Use your horn sparingly.
. Ignore inappropriate hand or facial gestures and do not return them.
. Resist any attempts by an aggressive driver to engage you verbally.
. If you can do it safely, call local law enforcement to report aggressive driving. Provide them with a vehicle description, license number, location and direction of travel.
In other words, be sane and be safe.
Checking your own road rage
. When someone cuts you off in traffic or doesn't signal their intention, do you become angry and agitated? Officials recommend that you try and convince yourself that the driver did not do it deliberately. A driver doesn't usually make an error to purposely upset another driver.
. Do you respond to another driver's "stupid move" with anger? This can result in the other driver seizing on your action and going one better, creating even more rage and leading to a dangerous road confrontation.
. Perhaps you are one of the courteous few who merged into the proper lane upon seeing a warning sign announcing a lane closing ahead. You sit there creeping along the while other vehicles are zooming by in the soon-to-be closed lane and cutting in front of you. Do you speed up to close the gap between your vehicle and the one ahead? Do you block both lanes?
. When you are on the road, always keep the Golden Rule in mind: "Treat others the way you want to be treated." Courteous driving encourages other drivers to be courteous. Crazed driving influences others on the road to drive aggressively as well.
By David A. Kolman
Encountering crazed drivers has, sadly, become a regular occurrence, and that's making the roadways more perilous. Raging drivers - in four-wheelers as well as trucks - exhibit aggressive and reckless driving behavior that endangers themselves and others. In the anonymity of their vehicles, they take out their frustration, impatience and irritability on other drivers by harassing them without any concern for others on the road.
They speed, follow other vehicles too closely, fail to yield, weave in and out of traffic frequently or abruptly without signaling, pass on the right or the shoulder, run stop signs and red lights. And they frequently make rude hand and facial gestures, scream, honk and flash their lights.
In extreme cases, crazed drivers' aggression turns into road rage, a situation wherein a driver deliberately tries to harm another as a way to punish them for highway slights. Such altercations on the roadway put the safety of those two drivers and others in jeopardy. Road rage can end in collisions and senseless personal attacks.
Despite what you might think, there is no typical aggressive driver. It runs the gamut of society - from young males to soccer moms to successful businessmen. What's more, research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows the "incidents that lead to aggressive driving behavior are often trivial in nature, and not something you might think would cause the explosions that characterize road rage."
The agency reports, "Violent traffic disputes are rarely the result of a single incident. Rather, they are the cumulative result of a long series of stressors in the driver's life. The traffic incident that turns violent is often the 'last straw.' "
The NHTSA has identified three key factors that are linked to aggressive driving:
Lack of responsible driving behavior
On the road, the focus is often on individual rights and freedom - a "me first" philosophy - rather than acknowledging a responsibility to share the road. Driving should be cooperative, not a competitive sport.
Reduced levels of enforcement
The perceived risk of being apprehended for a traffic violation is directly related to the level of traffic enforcement. Unfortunately, many jurisdictions have cut back on traffic enforcement because of budget constraints.
More travel/congestion
Since 1987, the number of miles driven in the U.S. has increased at least 35 percent, while the number of miles of available roads has increased only 1 percent. Drivers often respond to the frustrations of driving in high-density traffic areas by driving and acting aggressively.
It's common knowledge that unsafe driving behaviors lead to accidents, which in turn leads to lost productivity and wages, repair costs and higher insurance rates. But few drivers and companies consider the costs that come from higher fuel, tire and maintenance costs.
Crazed drivers tend to push their vehicles. They accelerate hard, wasting fuel and placing additional stresses on the drivetrain. They speed and weave, which also drives up fuel consumption and increases suspension and tire wear. And they tailgate, leading to heavy brake application, and faster wear-out of brake systems and tires.
When confronted by an aggressive driver, don't challenge them, since that can make matters worse. Never underestimate another driver's potential for dangerous behavior. Even at the worst provocations, remember:
. Stay calm and relaxed.
. Avoid eye contact.
. Steer clear and make every attempt to get out of the aggressive driver's way.
. Use your horn sparingly.
. Ignore inappropriate hand or facial gestures and do not return them.
. Resist any attempts by an aggressive driver to engage you verbally.
. If you can do it safely, call local law enforcement to report aggressive driving. Provide them with a vehicle description, license number, location and direction of travel.
In other words, be sane and be safe.
Checking your own road rage
. When someone cuts you off in traffic or doesn't signal their intention, do you become angry and agitated? Officials recommend that you try and convince yourself that the driver did not do it deliberately. A driver doesn't usually make an error to purposely upset another driver.
. Do you respond to another driver's "stupid move" with anger? This can result in the other driver seizing on your action and going one better, creating even more rage and leading to a dangerous road confrontation.
. Perhaps you are one of the courteous few who merged into the proper lane upon seeing a warning sign announcing a lane closing ahead. You sit there creeping along the while other vehicles are zooming by in the soon-to-be closed lane and cutting in front of you. Do you speed up to close the gap between your vehicle and the one ahead? Do you block both lanes?
. When you are on the road, always keep the Golden Rule in mind: "Treat others the way you want to be treated." Courteous driving encourages other drivers to be courteous. Crazed driving influences others on the road to drive aggressively as well.
By David A. Kolman