Road Rage
Increasingly crowded highways and traffic backups cause many drivers to lose control and become extremely aggressive. Aggressive driving is a real problem that can lead to serious accidents on the road.
Road rage can also cause problems for your claim process if you should happen to be involved in an auto accident. Road rage is a listed as an exemption in many auto insurance policies since any damage stemming from aggressive isn’t truly an accident but rather caused by risky behavior .
If you encounter aggressive drivers, do not challenge them, and stay as far away as possible. You may want to take down the license plate number and report their behavior to police so they won’t hurt themselves or someone else. If you happen to suffer from anger management problems while driving yourself, here are some tips to help you cool off.
- Try not to run late.
When you're in a hurry, your patience is short and you are much more likely to become aggravated. Try to give yourself a few extra minutes to get where you need to go. - Other drivers are not evil.
Sometimes, people make mistakes, or they might be driving more slowly for a reason. Do not assume that they are driving slowly just to annoy you. - Try not to look.
The most tempting thing when you're passing someone who is annoying you is to shoot them a dirty look. Do not do it! Doing so could trigger the other driver into more aggressive action. - No gestures, either.
Other than a wave to someone who lets you into your lane, do not use your hands (or any specific combinations of fingers) to communicate with other drivers. - Tailgating is bad.
Just because someone is driving slow does not mean you should hang out on their back bumper. If they had to stop short and you rear-ended them, the accident would be your fault. - Someone tailgating you is worse.
If someone is tailgating you, do not aggravate yourself and the other driver by playing cat and mouse with your speed. Move out of the way and let them pass you. - Do not honk your horn insistently.
It might make you feel better, but it is really kind of silly. And when everyone does it in a traffic jam, it's really annoying and increases everyone’s stress level. - Do not be a hero.
If the other driver is being rude and starts to follow you, do not engage with him or her. Do not try to stop and confront the other driver, just keep you doors locked, give yourself room at intersections to drive away, and head to the nearest police station.
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