Good News…

We’re sharing tips to help you respond to an angry or upset motorist. Not just react to them. Aggressive driving behaviors can include intentionally running stop signs and red lights, tailgating, passing on the right, making sudden lane changes and leaning on the horn.

It’s important to understand how to handle aggressive drivers to help keep safe on the road. February is Aggressive Driving Awareness Month, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offers these five tips to deal with stressful driving situations:

1.     Make every attempt to move out of the way of aggressive drivers and into another lane.
2.     Avoid eye contact with erratic or irate drivers.
3.     Ignore offensive gestures and don’t return them.
4. Don’t pursue aggressive drivers.
5. Report aggressive drivers to the authorities by providing a vehicle description, license number, location and direction of travel.

And the next time your patience hit’s its limit, take a few slow, deep breaths through your nose, and exhale completely through your mouth.

This will calm you down, help relieve frustration and keep you safer on the road.

 

Here are some links for more info…

Florida Department of Transportation:    Click here

AAA:   Click here

7 Surprising Signs of Aggressive Driving:    Click Here

 

Avoiding Aggressive Driving…

They are all mad I tell you…Ever pull out onto the road and all you see are angry drivers. Aggressive driving can be deadly. Here is a little help on understanding and avoiding aggressive driving.

Nearly 80 percent of drivers expressed significant anger, aggression or road rage behind the wheel at least once in the past year, according to a recent study by the Foundation for Traffic Safety. “Far too many drivers are losing themselves in the heat of the moment,and they’re lashing out in ways that could turn deadly.”

Fact: According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Police officers in the United States indicated driver road rage or aggression as a contributing factor in 247 fatal crashes in 2013—a nearly tenfold increase from 2004.

Why is that driver so angry?

Psychologists say … Our cars are like metal safe havens: We feel protected in them—and they also help us feel anonymous while driving. This anonymity, psychologists say, can lead to more aggressive, less-inhibited behavior. That driver in front of you doesn’t know who you are, the thinking goes, so you’re more likely to lay on the horn if he doesn’t move after the light turns.

When we get mad, we also can feel the urge to teach others a lesson, such as tailgating a slow driver. But focusing on others means that you’re not concentrating on your own driving—and that’s unsafe.

Handling aggressive drivers…

• Avoid tailgating. When surveys ask drivers what angers them most, many say tailgating. Allow plenty of space between your car and the car ahead.
• Don’t engage. One angry driver can’t start a fight unless another driver is willing to join in. If a driver seems mad, avoid making eye contact or returning hand gestures, for example.
• Keep your distance. When drivers are agitated, it’s best to stay behind them—they can do less damage to you this way. If necessary, pull off the road or exit the highway to avoid them.
• Get help. If you feel endangered by another driver, call 911 if you have a cell phone. Or, drive to a busy place, such as a mall or gas station. Use your horn to get someone’s attention. This usually will discourage an aggressor. Don’t get out of your car, and don’t lead an aggressive driver to your home.

Did you know…

• 9 out of 10 drivers feel that aggressive drivers are a serious threat to their personal safety.
• 56% of crashes that involve aggressive drivers are due to tailgating or illegal passing.
• 3% of drivers have admitted to ramming or bumping another car on purpose.

Drive safely and be courteous of others on the road.