Tips for Avoiding Accidents Due to Road Rage
Here in California, there’s no doubt about it: the highways are the last place that you want to wind up when driving from one place to the next. Unfortunately, with the size of our state and the distance between cities, highways are often a routine part of a commute.
Between the backed up lanes and the lack of blinkers, it’s easy to get frustrated and hold onto that anger throughout your drive. Though it may not seem like a big deal, this is the means by which road rage starts.
Road rage is the term for when a driver reaches a level of frustration that they start to become aggressive. This can be in the form of driving (making aggressive changes of lanes, break checking, etc.) or can occur in the form of confrontation (flipping someone off, yelling, etc.). At the end of the day, neither of these outcomes are ideal, and both can increase the chances of an accident significantly, which only makes the situation worse.
With all of this in mind, the team at Autobahn Collision Center in Torrance felt it was important that we cover a few of the ways that you can minimize the chances of an accident rooted in road rage from occurring. Let’s get started.
Be the Bigger Person
One of the most challenging things to do in these situations is to be the bigger person, but it’s also the primary way that you can avoid road rage situations from getting out of hand. Regardless of if you were cut off, break checked, or flipped off, keeping your cool is one of the best ways to end these situations right in their tracks. As easy as it would be to retaliate or give the other driver a taste of their own medicine, you can avoid any further instances from happening by moving on and letting that driver carry on their way.
Don’t Tailgate
There are various ways that drivers try to convey a message to another driver that they’re frustrated with. A method that all too many people consider harmless is tailgating. While there may not be any rude gestures or downright aggressive moves made, tailgating is one of the easiest ways to wind up in an accident. All it takes is one quick break from the car in front to wind up with a rear-end collision. Depending on the speed you’re driving, surrounding traffic, the cars themselves, and a handful of other factors, this tiny bit of frustration can turn into a huge accident. With that being said, lay off the tailgating when you’re frustrated with a slow driver. Rather, take the time to pass them or do your best to move on from this frustration.
Keep Confrontation to a Minimum
When it comes to other drivers, you want to keep confrontational situations to a minimum. If you come across a driver that is angry and is driving aggressively, do what we mentioned earlier and become the bigger person in this situation. If they’re following closely behind you, switch lanes and let them pass so that you can avoid the situation altogether.
Under no circumstances whatsoever do we recommend stopping to confront a driver who has made aggressive moves on the road or made hand motions to you from their car. You never know what you’re walking into when doing this, so it’s better to avoid these situations at all costs.
Avoid Assumptions
Every single person has a ton of things going on at once. Though we may feel as though we’re the only ones living busy lives and juggling a million things, every other per in every other car that we pass is dealing with one thing or another. Rather than assume that every driver you pass is purposely being rude, try and give them the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they’re on the way to the hospital for a friend, maybe they’ve had a bad day at work and are incredibly distracted, or maybe they simply didn’t check as well as they should have but had zero intention of cutting you off. Rather than assume that these things are personal, do your best to have some grace with other drivers on the road.
Autobahn Collision Center Can Help With Collision Damage
In the case that you are in a road rage accident and your car winds up with some damage, the team at Autobahn Collision Center can help. Between our paintless dent removal and auto body paint services, our team can help get your car to a place where it looks great again. Contact our office today with any questions that you have or to schedule your collision repair services.
