Everyone has been there. Driving to work on a pleasant Friday morning, and all of a sudden, you have some ‘insert any rude adjective here’ cut in front of you without using their blinker. It’s not just rude; it’s infuriating. How could somebody be so inconsiderate towards another human being?
What is Road Rage?
Road rage is what happens when people can’t control their emotions amid traffic. The definition is simple, but the causes are much more complex. As a result, road rage affects both men and women in all age groups. There has even been an increase in young kids committing acts of road rage due to increasing levels of aggressive behavior caused by video games, movies, and TV shows.
Road rage is one way that people express their anger in an unproductive and often criminal manner. The motives for road rage vary: in some cases, the aggressor wants to feel powerful and exert dominance over another person; other times, they may be dealing with a lot of stress from different parts of their lives and take it out on other drivers; and some cases may even involve road ragers who intentionally try to cause harm.
Regardless of the reason, one thing is certain: road rage does not solve any problems. It may make you feel like you’ve taken back your power for a moment, but in the end, it’s only ever made things worse. If you’re guilty of having road rage, or if you’ve been a victim of it, then read on as we explore the leading causes and how to avoid it. It is wise to always have contact details for car accident lawyers with you, you never know when you might need it.
Road Rage: Causes And Prevention
Road rage often results from bad traffic and an inability to control one’s anger in those circumstances. As such, the best ways to reduce road rage are to decrease one’s exposure to traffic and try to alleviate any anxiety or stress that builds up during the trip.
A large part of avoiding road rage is not giving in to temptation as often as possible because it can be an addictive feeling for some people. To achieve this, it may be a good idea to get rid of any negative emotions before you get behind the wheel.
Some practical tips are listed below:
Take a deep breath
As simple as it may sound, breathing deeply can help calm one’s nerves before taking on traffic. This is because when in stressful situations, most people tend to take shorter and shallower breaths in their chest, which only increases anxiety. By taking some time to breathe deeply, one can promote more relaxation and decrease stress levels.
Do something you enjoy
One way of reducing any built-up tension is distracting yourself before driving. Whether listening to your favourite album or song on the radio, calling up a friend on the phone, or reading a book, doing something that you enjoy can help calm your nerves.
Take a break
If possible, driving over long distances may not be the best way to go. Sometimes taking short breaks along the way can make all the difference in how patient one is during the whole trip. Even if it’s just stopping for some food on a long drive, a quick break can help refresh the mind and release any built-up tension.
Conclusion
Taking the proper steps to reduce any stress associated with driving is one of the best things you can do for yourself, and it can even help increase safety when on the road. Driving is a very tense experience in some cases, but taking time to relax before getting behind the wheel will make all of the difference in your trip.
