Driving can be a frustrating experience. Not only do you have to sit in traffic for hours on end, but you also have to deal with the mistakes of other drivers.
Most of the time, it doesn’t bother you. But sometimes, you can feel your anger swelling up and overflowing. And that’s when you start getting into trouble.
If you want to stay safe on the road, you should avoid angry motorists. Data indicate that around 66 percent of all accidents are the result of road rage.
That’s a staggering statistic when you think about it. You would have thought that the primary cause would have been drunk driving, but that’s not the case at all according to the statistics.
Do you sometimes lose your cool on the road? Here’s what to do:
Share The Road
When we get on the road, we like to think that we somehow have ownership over it. That is, it is ours for as long as we want to use it – and nobody else’s.
That, however, is not the reality. Like it or not, everyone has access to public roads. And they also have a right to use them.
Therefore, changing your mindset can help stamp out road rage before it gets a hold of you. Try viewing the public highway as a kind of shared resource that you benefit from, not an extension of your private property.
It seems like a minor change in viewpoint, but it can have tremendous ramifications for how you feel.
Don’t Rush
The next step is not to rush. Don’t be one of these people who gives themselves just a few minutes to get from place to place – that’s never going to help how you feel.
You’ll experience resentment for any driver who might not be in as much of a hurry as you. And that can spark rage – not what you want.
Where possible, leave yourself plenty of time. If you arrive at work a little early, it doesn’t matter. It just means you have more time to get on with your tasks and perhaps finish early.
Be Forgiving
People aren’t perfect, flawless machines. Instead, we are all prone to mistakes. Remembering that simple fact can make it easier to cope with the errors of other drivers.
You just imagine yourself making the same mistakes, and all of a sudden, you can empathize with them, even if you don’t like what they’re doing.
Keep Plenty Of Space Between You And The Car In Front
You never quite know what the driver in front of you on the road will do next. You hope that they’ll stay in the lane and maintain a steady speed, but there is no guarantee that they will.
Your best bet here is to follow standard advice and maintain a two-second distance between your car’s hood and their rear bumper. This way, you have plenty of time to react if they decide to do something unexpected.
Do you sometimes feel a little angry on the road?
