How to Avoid Road Rage
Keep your driving environment calm., Allow yourself plenty of time., Relax your grip., Use cruise control., Take a deep breath., Keep your car and its windshield clean., Take a break if you need to., Find alternate routes if necessary., Get plenty...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Keep your driving environment calm.
Making your car a happy, peaceful place will help keep your road anger at bay.
Listen to music that makes you happy or that calms you down.
Creating a positive driving environment will help keep you calm during your commute and aid you in ignoring the road rage of others.Listening to audio books is one good way to remain calm during a long commute. -
Step 2: Allow yourself plenty of time.
Being late will make you anxious and impatient, so you'll be more likely to get angry at other drivers or make irresponsible driving decisions that will make them angry at you.
Leaving yourself plenty of drive time will help you stay relaxed., If you begin to clench the steering wheel while driving, wiggle your fingers and then try to hold the wheel with a more relaxed grip.
You will retain control of the car, while feeling less tense., If your vehicle has cruise control and road conditions will allow it, using this feature will give your right leg a break and may make you feel less stressed.You should only use cruise control in situations where you can drive safely at the same speed for extended periods of time – use manual control in stop-and-go traffic situations. , If you feel yourself getting tense and anxious, take several slow, deep breaths.
This should calm you down.
Roll your window down every now and then, to let in some fresh air., Whether you are consciously aware of it or not, clutter can cause stressful feelings.
Trying to see through a dirty windshield, or struggling to clean a dirty windshield with the wiper fluid every few minutes, will also cause you feel anxious and tense – feelings which can quickly lead to road rage., It's a good idea to pull over if you are feeling symptoms of road rage.
Find a safe place to pull over and park, then get out and walk around for a few minutes until you feel more calm.Never try to pull over on the side of a busy street or highway – continue to the next exit, then find a safe place to stop the car.
Try not to drive more than 3 hours at a time.
If you are on a long road trip, take a break at least every 3 hours and pull over to stretch your legs. , If construction zones or rush hour highway traffic tend to make you edgy and more likely to express your road rage, find another way to get where you need to go.
Use an online mapping system to look at alternate routes using calmer back roads that will make you less likely to get angry while driving., Doctors generally recommend that adults get about 8 hours of sleep per night.
If you are sleeping less than this, the accumulated sleep loss will seriously affect your mood.
Being tired can lead to anger, resentment, and annoyance, all of which contribute to road rage., You're not trying to “win” anything when you are behind the wheel – you're trying to get where you're going, safely.
Don't allow yourself to get drawn into contests with other drivers who want to race, or who dodge in and out of lanes trying to pass you.Some people enjoy passing you and then slowing down, for mysterious passive-aggressive reasons of their own.
If possible, slow down enough to get behind a different car.
Keep your distance from any driver who seems to be "playing games” with you. , Don't talk on the phone, text message, eat, or apply lipstick while driving.
This could cause you to be caught off guard by other drivers' actions, fueling your road rage and causing a dangerous incident., If you find yourself continually battling feelings of road rage, you may need to consider taking a different job or moving closer to your job, to shorten your commute.
A high salary will not offset the unhappiness caused by spending too much time on the road, when you could be spending with family and friends, or engaging in activities you enjoy., To find out whether your driving style is considered aggressive, take an online self-test.
Being aware of your own tendencies toward road rage may make you more aware of the need to control it., Some doctors believe that a condition known as Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED) is responsible for road rage in certain people.
Speak to your doctor if you continually experience feelings of anger or aggression, or have difficulty controlling your temper or your behavior.IED may contribute to other factors such as depression, substance abuse, anxiety, and a difficulty maintaining healthy relationships.
Your doctor may suggest therapy or medication to help control IED symptoms. -
Step 3: Relax your grip.
-
Step 4: Use cruise control.
-
Step 5: Take a deep breath.
-
Step 6: Keep your car and its windshield clean.
-
Step 7: Take a break if you need to.
-
Step 8: Find alternate routes if necessary.
-
Step 9: Get plenty of sleep.
-
Step 10: Avoid making driving a race or a contest.
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Step 11: Avoid distractions.
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Step 12: Shorten your commute.
-
Step 13: Take a road rage self-test.
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Step 14: Talk to your doctor.
Detailed Guide
Making your car a happy, peaceful place will help keep your road anger at bay.
Listen to music that makes you happy or that calms you down.
Creating a positive driving environment will help keep you calm during your commute and aid you in ignoring the road rage of others.Listening to audio books is one good way to remain calm during a long commute.
Being late will make you anxious and impatient, so you'll be more likely to get angry at other drivers or make irresponsible driving decisions that will make them angry at you.
Leaving yourself plenty of drive time will help you stay relaxed., If you begin to clench the steering wheel while driving, wiggle your fingers and then try to hold the wheel with a more relaxed grip.
You will retain control of the car, while feeling less tense., If your vehicle has cruise control and road conditions will allow it, using this feature will give your right leg a break and may make you feel less stressed.You should only use cruise control in situations where you can drive safely at the same speed for extended periods of time – use manual control in stop-and-go traffic situations. , If you feel yourself getting tense and anxious, take several slow, deep breaths.
This should calm you down.
Roll your window down every now and then, to let in some fresh air., Whether you are consciously aware of it or not, clutter can cause stressful feelings.
Trying to see through a dirty windshield, or struggling to clean a dirty windshield with the wiper fluid every few minutes, will also cause you feel anxious and tense – feelings which can quickly lead to road rage., It's a good idea to pull over if you are feeling symptoms of road rage.
Find a safe place to pull over and park, then get out and walk around for a few minutes until you feel more calm.Never try to pull over on the side of a busy street or highway – continue to the next exit, then find a safe place to stop the car.
Try not to drive more than 3 hours at a time.
If you are on a long road trip, take a break at least every 3 hours and pull over to stretch your legs. , If construction zones or rush hour highway traffic tend to make you edgy and more likely to express your road rage, find another way to get where you need to go.
Use an online mapping system to look at alternate routes using calmer back roads that will make you less likely to get angry while driving., Doctors generally recommend that adults get about 8 hours of sleep per night.
If you are sleeping less than this, the accumulated sleep loss will seriously affect your mood.
Being tired can lead to anger, resentment, and annoyance, all of which contribute to road rage., You're not trying to “win” anything when you are behind the wheel – you're trying to get where you're going, safely.
Don't allow yourself to get drawn into contests with other drivers who want to race, or who dodge in and out of lanes trying to pass you.Some people enjoy passing you and then slowing down, for mysterious passive-aggressive reasons of their own.
If possible, slow down enough to get behind a different car.
Keep your distance from any driver who seems to be "playing games” with you. , Don't talk on the phone, text message, eat, or apply lipstick while driving.
This could cause you to be caught off guard by other drivers' actions, fueling your road rage and causing a dangerous incident., If you find yourself continually battling feelings of road rage, you may need to consider taking a different job or moving closer to your job, to shorten your commute.
A high salary will not offset the unhappiness caused by spending too much time on the road, when you could be spending with family and friends, or engaging in activities you enjoy., To find out whether your driving style is considered aggressive, take an online self-test.
Being aware of your own tendencies toward road rage may make you more aware of the need to control it., Some doctors believe that a condition known as Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED) is responsible for road rage in certain people.
Speak to your doctor if you continually experience feelings of anger or aggression, or have difficulty controlling your temper or your behavior.IED may contribute to other factors such as depression, substance abuse, anxiety, and a difficulty maintaining healthy relationships.
Your doctor may suggest therapy or medication to help control IED symptoms.
About the Author
Brian Martin
Committed to making home improvement accessible and understandable for everyone.
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