How To Avoid Conflict On The Road
And Reach Your Destination In One Piece

Once you step into your car and head toward your destinations

1. Fasten your seatbelts.
2. Be prepared for the aggressive driver who lacks all regard for other drivers.

Beware of the tailgaters, land-changers, red light runners, speeders, and those who might have a gun stashed in their glove compartment.

The U. S. Department of Transportation estimates that two thirds of fatalities are at least partially caused by aggressive driving.

Tailgating, obscene gestures, outright violence – Americans grow more likely to take out their frustrations on other drivers.

There is a growing trend of simple aggressive behavior – road rage – in which a driver reacts angrily to other drivers. Cutting them off, tailgating, making obscene gestures, and waving a fist – experts believe these forms of nonviolent fury are increasing. According to Sandra Ball-Rokeach, who co-directs the Media and Injury Prevention Programs at the University of Southern California, “Aggressive driving is now the most common way of driving. It’s not just a few crazies – it’s a subculture of driving.”

Two thirds of drivers say they react to frustrating situation aggressively. Almost half admitted to deliberately braking suddenly, pulling close to the other car, or taking some other potentially dangerous step. Another third said they retaliated with a hostile gesture. However there are alternatives. Keep your windshield wiper fluid tank full. If someone tailgates, turn on the wipers and send fluid over your roof onto the car behind you. This works better than hitting the brakes and you can act totally innocent.

To some it’s tempting to look at road rage as a psychologically mysterious Jekyll and Hyde phenomenon; for others, it’s simply attributable to “jerk drivers”. In reality, there’s a growing combination of emotional and demographic factors that changes the average citizen from mere motorist to Mad Max.

It isn’t our imagination that traffic is getting worse.

·          Since 1987, the number of miles of roads has increased just 1 percent while the miles driven have shot up by 35 percent.

·          According to a recent Federal Highway Administration study of 50 metropolitan areas, almost 70 percent of urban freeways today – as opposed to 55 percent in 1983 – are clogged during rush hour.

·          A study by the Texas Transportation Institute last year found the commuters in one third of the largest cities spent well over 40 hours a year in traffic jams.

·          Fewer people are relying on mass transit and more on cars.

·          Demographic changes have helped put more drivers on the road. There are simply more cars and more behaviors to deal with.

The peak moment for aggressive driving comes not during impenetrable gridlock but just before, when traffic density is high but cars are still moving briskly. That’s when cutting someone off or forcing someone out of a lane can make the difference (or so it seems) between being on time and being late.

Unfortunately, roads are getting more congested just as Americans feel even more pressed for time. People get on a timeline for their car trips. When they perceive that someone is impeding their progress or invading their agenda, they respond with what they consider to be instructive behavior, which might be as simple as flashing their lights to something more combative.

How can aggressive driving be minimized? Some believe that better driver’s education might help, but the real key to reducing road rage probably lies deep within each of us. Instead of emphasizing defensive driving – which implies that the other driver is the enemy – we should focus on supportive driving. Of course, that’s hard to do if someone has just cut you off at 60 mph.

Survival Tips

Before you take the driver’s seat:

·          Allow plenty of time to travel so you don’t have to speed, beat traffic lights, or roll through stop signs

·          Don’t drive while angry, upset, or tired

·          Remember that obscene gestures have gotten people shot, stabbed, or beaten

When you’re behind the wheel:

·          Don’t block the passing lane; stay out of the far left lane

·          Don’t change lanes without signaling

·          Use your horn only when necessary

·          Avoid direct eye contact

·          Do not challenge an aggressive driver by speeding up

Prevent Escalation

If you are looking for protection from the road rage of others, your best protection is to:

·          Stay in the car.

·          Do not respond with an angry gesture or action

·          Leave the area where the aggressor is

Now as you get in your vehicle and prepare to take that trip, remember to practice supportive driving instead of offensive driving. Always keep the survival tips in mind. Drive carefully on the roads and be safe. 

(Sources: AAA, U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Orlando Sentinel, U.S. News & World Report)

Article written by Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Ron Cunningham, Cypresswood Substation, and used with his permission.