A wise man once said, “The smartest fighter avoids the fight.” This adage applies perfectly to “road rage” because the best way to deal with road rage is to avoid it completely, though it can be a little difficult for you as a victim. Below are some smart tips on how to handle road rage:
1. Don’t retaliate
If you become a victim of road rage that involves another driver being aggressive or confrontational, ignore them. Also, avoid making eye contact or reacting in any way that can cause them to increase the rage and aggravate the situation.
2. Let the driver go
If you are ahead of someone who is driving aggressively, pull over somewhere safe to let them pass. This could delay your journey for some seconds but you might avoid an accident or an unpleasant confrontation.
3. Recognise your faults
Though you are a human being and humans make mistakes, other road users may ignore this reality. Wave your hand to admit your mistake and that may pacify the other person and prevent a confrontation. Apologising by saying “sorry”, does help if you are at fault.
4. Are you at fault often?
If you are being subjected to road rage often, the way you drive might be the source of the problem. You may be overly assertive or not indicating. In this case, you might want to review and change the way you engage with other drivers or even consider taking a refresher driving course.
5. Calm down
Whether it’s a not at fault car accident or not, road rage will undoubtedly affect you negatively, lowering your concentration levels as you drive away. This puts you at a greater risk of getting involved in an accident. So, calm down and control your emotions because saying “I was angry” won’t help when you are in trouble with the police or dealing with a car insurance claim. If you are upset or emotional, find a safe place and pull over to get some fresh air or walk around before carrying on with the journey.
If you are in an accident and you are not at fault, call us today to arrange for an accident replacement car.
