10 Road Rage Avoidance Tips for Resident Drivers

The concept of Road Rage is nothing new. However,  with traffic reports showing busier highways than ever before and the unfortunate emergence of people texting while driving in the digital era, we thought it would be a good idea to provide all of our apartment home residents and drivers with a few tips to avoid Road Rage and get home safe.

These tips are to help you keep calm while behind the wheel and to make sure you know what to do if you are ever confronted by someone with Road Rage while commuting to or from work.

Also, to keep with the theme of safety tips, check out our other recent blog post entitled “Countdown to Summer: 5 Swimming Pool Safety Tips“

1. Get a good night’s sleep for your morning commute.

•  Despite our busy lives, getting a good night’s sleep is one way to stay safe and avoid road rage. The more awake and alert you are during your morning commute, the more you will be able to focus on arriving safely to your office. Thanks to Edmunds for that great tip.

2. Check weather and traffic reports, then plan ahead if you need extra time.

• One reason incidents of Road Rage occur is because people are in such a rush to get to where they are going and so anything that impedes their progress is an immediate target for their anger. By checking the local weather and traffic reports first thing each morning (or at night before going to sleep where the weather forecast is concerned), you can stay ahead of schedule by planning ahead if you need extra time. This way, you can hit the road without feeling that need to rush through traffic and as a result you are less likely to have any confrontations while driving.

3. Keep your cell phone out of reach while driving and use a hands-free device.

•  The best way to avoid texting while driving and any other Road Rage incidents relating to smartphone use in the car is to keep your mobile device out of reach. By storing your cell phone in your glove compartment, for example, you can avoid the temptation of using it while on the road. If you happen to get a phone call while driving, make sure you use a hands-free device while always driving responsibly.

4. Listen to music or maintain an environment that makes you relaxed.

• Listening to music that makes you relaxed while driving is a great way to keep calm on the road. Also, make sure you keep the volume on your car radio at a level that doesn’t drown out all of the sounds around you. Be sure before leaving home or work, to make sure the environment you have in your car is one that suits and soothes you.

5. Heed warning signs from dangerous drivers around you.

• If another driver behind or ahead of you is speeding or swerving in and out of lanes, he or she is clearly not someone you want to get too close to on the road. Make sure you heed the warning signs from reckless drivers around you that can potentially lead to a Road Rage altercation.

6. Do not let another driver dictate your behavior.

• If you get cut off by an irresponsible driver and then you wind up stuck in traffic behind that person, you might feel the need to honk your horn or even yell at him or her. However, you should think twice before emitting such loud and negative reactions because the other driver may fire back at you and the end result could snowball into a full-blown road rage incident. Ultimately, it is best to try as hard as possible to not let another driver dictate or change your behavior on the road.

7. Do not try to rule the road.

• Unless it is your job to do so, do not try to rule the road and point out the driving deficiencies of everyone around you. If you are in traffic and you don’t like certain drivers’ behaviors, the best strategy is to safely move away from them to avoid any accidents or confrontations.

8. Get out of the way of obnoxious tailgaters.

• If you are driving in periods of high traffic, tailgating is likely inevitable. However, if you are on a highway where you have some breathing room and you notice somebody tailgating you, you want to change lanes and get away from that driver as safely and quickly as possible. The likelihood of that tailgater being in a rush and possibly creating trouble for you is high, so removing yourself from that situation is a crucial step to avoiding their Road Rage.

9. Be aware of your surroundings and prepare for alternate routes in periods of high traffic.

• Even when traffic is bumper to bumper, you want to remain acutely aware of your surroundings. Check your mirrors, listen to the latest traffic reports on the radio, and try to prepare for alternate routes whenever possible. The more you notice about the drivers around you and the more you know about the roads in your area, the better off you will be in periods of heavy traffic.

10. Remember who is waiting for you when you get home.

•  At the end of the day, the biggest reason for you to take as many precautionary measures as possible to avoid Road Rage is to make sure you get home safe to your loved ones. Keeping your family and friends in mind while driving is a good way to maintain perspective as to what is truly important in your life, and in doing so you can remind yourself that it is worth taking the extra time and effort to drive safely and prevent Road Rage as much as you possibly can.