When you have had a stressful day or traffic makes your travel difficult, it can be easy to get frustrated when you are behind the wheel. However, some drivers take this frustration to a dangerous level: road rage. What should you know about sharing the road with these angry drivers?
What danger can drivers with road rage create?
While most drivers with road rage express that anger by honking, making rude gestures or yelling, not every behavior that these drivers use to express their anger is minor. Some speed, drive too close to other vehicles, cut them off, prevent them from changing lanes, or even intentionally cause their cars to collide. These behaviors could easily put you at greater risk of a crash.
A small percentage of drivers rise to the level of physical altercations. They may attempt to fight other drivers, and some of these have even involved weapon use.
How can you keep yourself safe if you notice signs of road rage in another vehicle?
If you notice the person behind the wheel of another vehicle driving aggressively, you can take steps to keep yourself safe. First and foremost, confrontation like yelling back, stopping to discuss the issue or even making eye contact can escalate the situation, so you may want to avoid these behaviors. Leave space between your vehicle and others just in case the driver with road rage crowds you. Consider making a detour to get off the current roadway and disengage from the other driver.
If you are able, record the other driver’s vehicle information or have a passenger make these notes. Not only can this information be useful if you report the incident to the authorities, but it may also allow you to hold drivers with road rage responsible if their aggressive behavior leads to a crash.