There’s a lot of driver types out there that make the road a more dangerous place. However, angry drivers can perhaps be some of the most risky to deal with. While you might not be able to stop them from being angry, there are ways you can defuse the situation and stay away from them…
Angry Drivers: Avoiding Unnecessary Road Rage
Avoid aggressive gestures
No one likes getting cut off by someone else. Often times, our response is to honk the horn, flash the high beams, or make a rather impolite hand gesture. However, when dealing with angry drivers, this won’t make things better. In fact, it could end up making things worse.
Instead, it’s much better and safer to keep your cool. Save the horn and lights for when you really need to use them. With road rage, it’s not a matter of “if you can’t beat them, join them”. It’s always a better idea to let them go instead of wasting the time and energy getting mad at them.
Give them space
Angry drivers tend to also be aggressive drivers. These are the drivers who will tailgate you and honk if they feel you aren’t going fast enough for their liking. Or, they’ll take their frustrations about traffic out on you if you happen to be close enough. When you find yourself in these situations, it’s best to give these drivers some space.
If one of these drivers is behind you, just try to get over and let them pass. It’s more dangerous to have them stuck behind you then just giving them the room to go on ahead. If you’re in traffic, try to keep some extra space in front of you so you can get away from these drivers when needed.
Don’t make eye contact
Our eyes have the ability to communicate feelings, just like spoken words. However, also like with talking, this can get misinterpreted by others. That’s why making eye contact with angry drivers, even if unintentional, can set them off. To them, you’re directly telling them you don’t like how they drive, and by extension them.
As a result, it’s best to avoid making eye contact with these drivers. It can be hard to resist the urge to at least shoot them a glare. However, you never know who could be in the car next to you, or what their reaction could be. The safest thing to do is just let it slide.