Almost three years ago, a young couple suffered a fatal road accident in which Sarah Allison lost her life and left Matthew Allison with life-lasting injuries. Recently, an Oregon court determined that the main cause of the accident was road rage of several truck drivers who, for more than 90 miles, made obscene gestures, blocked each other’s path, and exceeded the speed limits. Therefore, although learning to control our road rage is not easy, we must be aware of the risk it represents, both for our drivers and for others.
The first step to control road rage is to recognize that we can have an aggressive behavior while driving, even though it might not be the case most of the time. This way, we can be more aware of our behavior and begin to change it. If during our routes we suffer from high levels of stress, we can take measures to reduce it. Listening to music or a radio station that you like always helps. In addition, it is important to make sure you are as comfortable as possible inside the cabin, as well as to have a good posture.
Another important aspect that can help us control our aggressiveness behind the wheel is to try not to give importance to the way others drive. Many times, our aggressive reactions are caused by other drivers on the road, and in most cases, people tend to drive aggressively. It is important to remember that we should not take the behavior of other motorists personally and try to understand that maybe they are just not having a good day. This can be enough to calm our impulses of anger.
Just as other drivers can influence us, the same goes for our own driving. That is why we should try to be friendly drivers with other motorists, and thus help them drive in a less aggressive way. If we encounter an aggressive driver, it is important to avoid making eye contact with them, and above all avoid responding to their signs or gestures. When we behave in a gentle way with other drivers, no matter how annoying or aggressive they are, they will most likely stop looking for conflict and continue their way.
Finally, we must remember that many states have phone numbers that we can call and report anyone who is driving aggressively or dangerously. Keeping this phone number handy can help us prevent a tragedy. Just remember to provide the authorities with the necessary information so they can identify and locate any aggressive driver; a detailed description of the vehicle, the license plate number, the location and direction in which they drive should be enough.