Ways to avoid giving in to road rage

Road rage is unpredictable by its very nature. There is no way of knowing if you will suffer from it, or, if another driver in your vicinity is prone to it. You may well have driven calmly and safely for years but this does not mean that you will not be another sufferer of road rage at some point.

Because of what seems to be the randomness of road rage, all you can do is try your very best to avoid it, either as the perpetrator or as the victim.

Preventing road rage within yourself is not impossible, but, no matter how many times you tell yourself that you will not let yourself fall victim to such it still can happen if you let your guard slip.

The old adage of counting to ten before you react to something has real value here. Should someone else cut you up, brake hard in front of you or turn without any indication, count to ten. Often such a pause allows your rational mind to catch up with the situation and you realise that sounding your horn, shouting and gesticulating at the other motorist may not be such a good idea after all.

And of course, should someone sound their horn at you, shout and swear at you and make interesting signs with their fingers, again allow your rational mind to catch up with the situation before you do anything about it.

As humans we are impulsive in lots of ways and it is this impulsiveness that causes the most harm. Reaction without thinking can lead us to many a brink.

It is also a good idea to drive defensively. Make sure you follow the rules of the road as much as you can and be a considerate and patient driver. Keep plenty of space between yourself and the driver in front of you so that you have thinking time no matter what they choose to do and once they have done it, count to ten before you react to their choice should it be a bad one.

On a physical note, make sure you are comfortable when driving. Ensure you are hydrated as dehydration leads to tiredness and irritation. If you need glasses when driving, make sure you wear them. This way you will avoid being the cause of road rage due to driving errors caused by your physical limitations due to lack of preparation.

As a driver it is your responsibility to make sure your vehicle is safe on the road. This means amongst other things that indicators, lights and other items work as they should. Failure to maintain such essential items on your vehicle means that you could be a hazard to other drivers and run a risk of potential road rage due to their lack of function.

So, make sure your car is working, make sure you are alert and learn to count to ten; do this and you will help yourself avoid being a victim of road rage.