4 Tips for Preventing Road Rage Accidents

Auto Accident Lawyer

Driving from your house to the store and back can be stressful enough, and with more drivers hitting the roads each day for their daily commutes, stress levels can only increase. Driving with heated emotions can make you more susceptible to engaging with other angry drivers and getting in road rage accidents. Here are four tips to help keep you from acting on those dangerous impulses.

  1. Check Yourself – Your state of mind can greatly influence your actions behind the wheel. Running late for something can put you in a rush that causes reckless driving, like weaving in and out of traffic and speeding, which can threaten the safety of yourself and others. Give yourself plenty of time to get where you are going so that you don’t stress when an accident causes a fifteen-minute delay, or you’re trying to eat or put makeup on during your drive.
  1. Don’t Engage with Other Angry Drivers – If another driver is cutting you off intentionally, tailgating on purpose or incessantly honking, doing so in return could quickly escalate the situation. Do what you can to avoid the aggressive driver, even if it means slowing down to let him or her pass. Never stop, as that could lead to direct engagement that could be dangerous.
  1. Calm Down – With the increasing number of drivers confined on the same road, it’s inevitable you’ll eventually run into a situation that gets on your nerves, even if you’re the calmest person in the world. When that happens, don’t let it alter your mental state to the point where you start driving aggressively yourself. Instead, try taking long breaths and leave the situation in the past; holding onto it until you’re fired up won’t help anyone.

Everyone makes mistakes, so don’t hold a grudge against someone who forgot to put his or her turn signal on before slowing down. Have the patience and control to understand that these things will happen, and how you react to them can be far more important than the other person’s mistake.

  1. Avoid Dangerous Driving Habits – A car horn is designed entirely for safety purposes, like warning another driver he or she is about to back into you, but it is frequently misused to communicate irritation and anger. This, along with other poor driving habits, like speeding, tailgating, weaving between cars, cutting people off, and gesturing rudely at other drivers, can lead to heated situations out of your control if you engage with the wrong person.

Reciprocating another driver’s bad skills isn’t worth risking your safety. If you ever find yourself a victim of road rage, call a car accident lawyer to discuss getting the most out of your situation.

Source: Auto Accident Lawyer Canoga Park, CA, Barry P. Goldberg