12 Ways to Combat Road Rage

Stopping road rage is necessary in preventing accidents

We’ve all been witness to aggressive driving incidents. As our roads get more and more congested, drivers tend to get angrier and angrier, and often take this anger out by practicing unsafe driving techniques. Things like speeding, flashing lights, running lights and stop signs, yelling and tailgating are all ways drivers suffering from road rage take their frustration out on other drivers and on the road. It’s unsafe and dangerous, so if you think there’s a possibility that you may lose your temper, we’ve come up with 12 things you can do to help you calm down and not experience road rage.

Before You Start Driving

1.) Meditate

One of the best ways to deal with stress while driving is to become more relaxed and calm when you’re not on the road. Meditation can help you become calmer and more centered which could translate positively in your driving experiences.

2.) Get Plenty of Sleep

Being well rested can help with having a more patient and relaxed attitude towards life. If you get a proper night’s sleep before heading out on the road, you’re less likely to be aggravated by any traffic situations that may occur.

3.) Eat Well

What we eat has a huge impact on our mood. Filling your body with caffeine and processed foods makes us sluggish and grumpy. Getting nutritionally balanced meals will affect the way you feel and help you deal better with stressful situations.

When You’re in the Car

4.) Give Yourself Lots of Time

Often we feel anxious or stressed in the car because we’re in a hurry to get somewhere. If we always plan to give ourselves more time than we need that that stress is eliminated, leaving less of a chance for us to get angry at slow moving traffic.

5.) Practice Deep Breathing

If you feel yourself starting to get worked up in a particularly frustrating driving experience, try taking a few deep breaths to relax yourself. Deep breathing is known to have a calming effect on moods and it can be applied to stressful driving situations.

6.) Take Alternate Routes

If you know that every day you take a certain route that always has some sort of problem on it which leads you to become angry, it might be time to investigate some new roads. It might take you a little bit longer, but the more relaxing atmosphere might be completely worth it.

7.) Pull Over

If you feel yourself starting to get really angry with other drivers on the road, it might be best to pull over for a few minutes in order to calm yourself down. Road rage can lead to unsafe driving practices and accidents, so taking the time to remove yourself from a potentially dangerous situation is in yours and everyone else’s best interests.

8.) Listen to Calming Music

Music has been proven to have an effect on our moods – both positively and negatively. Listening to aggressive music might have the effect of making you intolerant to other drivers, so instead try the reverse and listen to some calming music which could help you be a bit more patient.

9.) Slow Down

If you’re speeding along the road, you’re probably more likely to encounter situations where you have to break suddenly, or drivers that aren’t going fast enough for you. If you slowed down though, you’d find that you wouldn’t need to weave through traffic as much and thus you probably wouldn’t become as angry.

10.) Use Your Imagination
If you’re still feeling angry and frustrated when driving and think you might start showing some of those emotions in your driving, take the time to imagine someone that’s very important to you is in the car with you. If you wouldn’t take those risks with them in the car, why would you do it when you’re alone?

11.) Be Empathetic

If another motorist has done something particularly upsetting to you, instead of reacting with anger try and put yourself in their shoes. They might not have been driving unsafely on purpose, it could have been a mistake on their part, or they may be experiencing some sort of emergency that you’re unaware of. If you start thinking that people aren’t doing things on purpose, you’re more likely to be more lenient with them, and thus less angry.

After You Stop Driving

12.) Contact the Authorities

If you’ve witnessed some other motorists driving in an unsafe manner, instead of escalating the situation by getting involved while you’re still in your car driving, memorize their license plates and when you’ve pulled over, contact the authorities to let them know about the unsafe driver.

We all need to contribute to making our roads safer, and as road rage is a growing concern and problem, we each need to do what we can to combat it. 

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