Tips on how to avoid road rage
**As written for The Safe Driver.
You’ve just finished a really long day at work and are looking forward to going home, ordering some food, and crashing in front of the TV for a couple of hours. Out of nowhere, a black Saab cuts in front of you, causing you to lose concentration for a minute and become flustered.
How do you react? It’s easy to feel anger toward the black Saab — it’s also understandable to want revenge. We’ve all been in similar situations where careless driving from others puts us in dangerous or compromising situations. However, reacting with more negativity doesn’t help anyone. It puts you and others at further risk of danger and it’s also bad for emotional health.
If you or someone you love has been known to overreact while driving, consider these tips on how to control road rage.
Don’t Drive a Broken Car
It sounds like a no-brainer, but if your car has seen better days, it might be time to turn it in. Driving a car with many problems can cause you to get frustrated, and it’s easy to place that frustration onto others. Even worse, you’re putting yourself and others at risk if you’re just waiting for the car to eventually burn out.
Buying a new car isn’t that simple, though. It costs a lot of money and takes a lot of effort. Check out these Canadian contests to win a car online. You could win a brand new set of wheels without spending anything and you’ll avoid any mechanical road rage along the way.
Don’t Drive if You’re Stressed
If you can avoid it, give yourself some time if you’re feeling anxious or emotionally stimulated. Situations such as a break-up, if you’ve just been laid off, or if you’ve received any kind of triggering news — try to wait it out a little before getting behind the wheel.
When we feel emotional, it’s easy to take those feelings to the road. Take a few deep breaths, call a close friend, and find some time to calm down.
Remember that Everyone is Human
Everybody makes mistakes, even you! It’s difficult to accept sometimes, but if you tell yourself that nobody is perfect it will be easier to let others’ driving errors roll off your back.
There’s no denying that some drivers can make mistakes but can also be rude. The trick in those situations is to take the high road, accept them for whoever they are, and move on. They might also be having a bad day, and upsetting them even further won’t help anyone.
You never know who is behind the wheel — they could actually be dangerous and carry a weapon. Avoid conflict entirely and just keep breathing and driving so you can get home quickly and soundly.
Keep these tips in mind the next time you feel like honking the horn at someone. Remember that we’re all human. Showing kindness to fellow drivers goes a lot further than you think!