3 Tips for Preventing Road Rage Accidents

Car Accident Lawyer

Road rage can turn into a serious issue quickly if it gets out of hand. While it’s easy to understand how frustrating other drivers can make you feel, it’s also important to remember to stay calm to avoid getting into an accident. Statistics show that a large percentage of road rage incidents involve firearms, which can quickly make for a fatal situation. To avoid incidents with other drivers that may end up being fatal, it’s important to know how to manage road rage from the start.

1. Learn to Relax

If you feel yourself starting to get elevated while you are driving, there are some tricks you can use to help your body calm down. Deep breathing or even square breathing can help your body decrease levels of adrenaline. If music helps calm you down, put on something soothing. Another great thing to do is think the situation through and realize how much worse it could be to get a ticket or be involved in an accident. Many different techniques can help ease your racing mind and put you in a more relaxed state to avoid an accident or traffic ticket.

2. Put Yourself in Their Shoes

Often, you may take another driver’s actions personally and think that they meant to cut you off or anger you. However, this is usually far from the truth. Most people are just not paying enough attention or are acting carelessly. Put yourself in their place and think of a time you did something similar without meaning to. When you understand that most actions are a result of a simple mistake instead of a personal attack, it can be easier to let the anger and anxiety roll off your back.

3. Do Not Escalate the Situation

If you’ve ever talked to an officer, they’ll tell you that the worst thing you can do is come off as confrontational or escalate the situation. If the other driver tries to escalate the situation with you, simply get out of their way and let them drive on. If you engage with someone who has road rage, it has the potential to turn deadly. You have no idea if that person has weapons on them or what else may be affecting their mental health. The best thing to do is not to engage and ignore the other driver.

If you were injured in an accident that involved road rage, make sure to contact an experienced car accident lawyer, like a car accident lawyer in Salt Lake City, UT, for guidance. You may be able to seek compensation for any damages you experienced as a result.

Thanks to Rasmussen & Miner for their insight into how to help prevent road rage.