Road rage has become an epidemic on highways and byways across the nation. Angry, stressed-out drivers taking out their aggressions behind the wheel may be one of the most dangerous highway hazards any driver has to handle.
Do you know of anyone, including yourself, who hasn’t been ticked off by a tailgater, a lane hog, or someone who won’t move over to let you onto the highway? Admit it, haven’t you sometimes dreamed of, or even indulged in, some minor retaliation, such as a loud beep or an offensive gesture?
We often excuse such behavior by saying that it’s just a way of letting off a little steam, calming us down so that we can get back to concentrating on our normally safe driving.
Unfortunately, however, nowadays an angry response may be like waving a red cape in front of a bull. It could get you in real trouble with some other driver who’s madder than you are.
Why It Happens
Behavior experts have come up with a number of possible explanations for road rage. The most common theory is that the stresses of everyday life, both on and off the job, have become so intense that they lead to a coping mechanism of which people may not even be aware . It goes something like this:
My boss is driving me crazy. My co-workers are no help. I’m not getting the attention and support I need from my boyfriend/girlfriend, husband/wife, kids, or friends. High prices and taxes are eating up my paycheck in no time. But when I’m in my car/truck I’m in charge, and nobody’s going to push me around. So if you know what’s good for you, you’d better stay out of my way.
Don’t let your people kill themselves or somebody else on the road. Have your workers teach themselves defensive driving with BLR’s Interactive CD Course: Defensive Driving. It’s completely self-contained and usable anywhere. Try it at no cost or risk. Find out more.
What to Do About It
When this kind of attitude occurs on the road, whether it’s yours or another driver’s, it only makes sense to focus on managing your feelings rather than expressing them.
Ask yourself whether your true goal is to win some sort of competition with other drivers on the road, to get where you’re going a couple of minutes faster, or to get there in one piece by maintaining a cool head rather than by being a hothead.
Assuming you arrive at the commonsense answer to that question, then what? Then concentrate on not allowing the situation to escalate. Don’t allow either your own anger or the other driver’s to put your safety at risk.
Patiently remind yourself that the more courteous driver (you) is the better driver. So, yield the right-of-way even to someone who is obviously proceeding in an inappropriate way. Then, congratulate yourself on having been wise enough to avoid a confrontation in what very likely could have been a lose-lose situation.
Make sure your vehicle drivers are safe, defensive drivers. Try BLR’s Interactive CD Course: Defensive Driving at no cost or risk. Get the details.
Make the Sensible—and Safe—Choice
Choosing sensible behavior may be easier said than done, of course, but it will be well worth the effort. You’ll know you’ve used mature, sound judgment. You can even feel a little superior to the clod who cut you off. You’ll have decreased your stress level. And most important of all, you’ll be safer for the rest of your drive.
Of course, all the information we’ve just covered applies to your employees as well as to you. So, be sure to share it with them.
Road rage is like a contagious disease. Protect yourself and your employees from it with safe driving information that will help your people control their behavior on the road and steer clear of any obviously “infected” drivers.
Tomorrow we’ll review defensive driving strategies that will help employees handle raging drivers, distracted drivers, and other road hazards.
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ROAD RAGE, I see one of the bigger reasons for this road rage, is that everyone driving should be aware of the minimal and ovious rules of the road and the biggest violation of a common rule is the driver FAILING to stay in the right lane, UNLESS passing???!! How do people not know this??!!! If you’re not doing the speed limit or 5 MPH over the limit, your place is in the right lane. If you toll along at 50 MPH in the left lane, you’re begging to be tail-gated! SO don’t be an idiot and ask for rage, move to the right and keep right unless passing. Also, be aware of your machine and equipment, don’t drive with the high beams on, you’re really ticking off the driver in front of you, if you can’t see at night, stay off the road after sundown.
TWO Simple rules, if adhered to (or at least known to drivers) would at least halve the road rage incidents.
Thank you for keeping the low beams on and really thank you for keeping to the right……