5 Tips To Help You Avoid Road Rage
The roads can be frustrating places at times - especially when other drivers decide to cut us up or forget to give way at a roundabout!
In this situation, most of us simply wave our fist and utter a few profanities before continuing on our journey unaffected. However, for some drivers, these seemingly minor incidents result in severe frustration and potentially reckless behaviour, known as road rage.
Driving while angry is never a good idea. As well as affecting your concentration, drivers are known to participate in risky behaviour such as speeding, tailgating and running red lights when they’re feeling particularly stressed out.
So it doesn’t come as much of a shock to discover that road rage plays a role in over 50 per cent of all fatal collisions.
Here, we’ll go into steps you should take if you're experiencing road rage, to help you calm down and prevent you from putting you and other drivers in harm’s way.
Analyse Situation
First, before you fly off the handle, take stock of the situation. While someone may have taken liberties by pushing in front of you or shown a lack of courtesy by refusing to let you into their lane, does it really matter all that much?
Remember, bad manners or poor road etiquette says more about the other driver than it does about you, so is it really worth getting wound up about? Probably not.
If minor slights like this cause extreme offence, this may suggest you’re carrying around some excess emotional baggage or you may even have self-esteem issues. In that case, perhaps you’d benefit from a good self-help book or even therapy.
Take Deep Breaths
Most of us massively underestimate the power of proper breathing, but it can really help in high stress situations.
As well as providing a moment to pause and regain composure, this simple technique helps manage anger and prevents impulsive reactions, creating a calmer mindset to prevent you from reacting
Plan Route Ahead Of Journey
It doesn’t have to be other drivers that anger us on the roads - traffic and delays can also create frustration, leading to careless driving and potential accidents.
So try to plan your route before you start off. Check live maps to help you avoid any delays as this will severely reduce the prospects of you experiencing road rage.
Be A Thoughtful Driver
Many conflicts on the road are tit for tat – they cut you up so you prevent them from entering your lane, or some other petty occurrence. But before you know it, tempers can boil over and a dangerous situation has begun to brew.
This is why it pays to be a courteous driver yourself, as this limits the chance someone will react to something you’ve done on the road. A great rule to follow while you’re in your vehicle is to treat others as you’d want to be treated – if everyone did that, without a doubt, the roads would be a much calmer place!
Practise Mindfulness
While we’re by no means the experts on this subject, if you’re getting continually stressed out behind the wheel then this may speak to a deeper underlying cause that probably needs addressing.
For those struggling to deal with their emotions, mindfulness techniques such as meditation and yoga can serve as a powerful tool in managing and reducing anger in everyday life.
By cultivating a heightened awareness of the present moment, individuals can develop a greater understanding of their emotions and reactions, while mindfulness also promotes non-judgmental observation of thoughts and feelings, allowing an individual to step back and assess situations objectively.
Windscreen Cover
Another situation that could cause a high degree of anger is if your windscreen was damaged and you didn't have cover!
With car windscreen insurance cover, you’ll be protected against any unexpected damage. All you’ll need to do is pay a small excess and your glass will be repaired completely free of charge.
The cost of repairing a windscreen can differ depending on the severity of the damage incurred. But for a complete windscreen replacement, in some cases, you could be looking at a bill that runs into the hundreds or even thousands of pounds.
Many people mistakenly believe they get windscreen cover automatically with their fully comprehensive insurance policy, but providers have been quietly removing windscreen cover to cut costs. So check your policy and if you’re not covered, contact us today and we’ll get some cover put in place!