Airdrie Driving School

Road Rage
Don't offend. Don't engage
Don't offend.
When surveys ask drivers what angers them most, the results are remarkably consistent. A few specific behaviors seem unusually likely to enrage other drivers. You can protect yourself by avoiding them.

Cutting off.

When you merge or make a lane change, make sure you have plenty of room. Use your turn signal to show your intentions before making a move. If you make a mistake and accidentally cut someone off, try to apologize to the other driver with an appropriate gesture. If someone cuts you off, slow down and give them room to merge into your lane.

Driving slowly in the left lane.

If you are in the left lane and someone wants to pass, move over and let them by. You may be “in the right” because you are traveling at the speed limit — but you may also be putting yourself in danger by making drivers behind you angry. In many provinces the law requires you to travel in the right lane and use the far left lane only for passing. Besides, it's simple courtesy to move over and let other drivers by.

Tailgating.

Drivers get angry when they are followed too closely. Allow at least a two-second space between your car and the car ahead. (When you see the car pass a fixed point, you should be able to count at least “one-thousand, two-thousand” before you pass that point.)
If you think another car is driving too slowly and you are unable to pass, pull back and allow more space, not less. That way if the car does something unexpected you will have time to get out of the way.
You should be able to see the headlights of the car behind you in your rear-view mirror. If you feel you are being followed too closely, signal and pull over to allow the other driver to go

Parking.

Drivers tend to get angry when other drivers park over the line and take up two parking spaces Avoid doing this and you will avoid the problem.

Don't Engage
One angry driver can't start a fight unless another driver is willing to join in. You can protect yourself against aggressive drivers by refusing to become angry at them. Orator Robert Ingersoll said, “Anger blows out the lamp of the mind.” A person who is angry can do things they may later regret and that includes you. If you're tempted to retaliate against another driver, think: “Would I want to fly in an airplane whose pilot was acting like this?”
Think about what kind of a crash your angry actions could cause. Then cool down and continue your trip.

Steer clear.

Give angry drivers lots of room. A driver you may have offended can “snap” and become truly dangerous. If the other driver tries to pick a fight, put as much distance as possible between your vehicle and the other car, and then get away as quickly as possible. Do not under any circumstances pull off to the side of the road and try to settle things “man to man.”

Avoid eye contact.

If another driver is acting angry with you, don't make eye contact. Looking or staring at another driver can turn an impersonal encounter between two vehicles into a personal duel.
While the above may be the right response in many circumstances, once you have become the target of someone's anger, it is usually best to acknowledge their anger and apologize. Mouth an apology, or give an apologetic wave.

Gestures.

Almost nothing makes another driver angrier than an obscene gesture.

Keep your hands on the wheel. Avoid making any gestures that might anger another driver, even “harmless” expressions of irritation like shaking your head.

In a nutshell

Be a cautious and courteous driver. Signal every time you merge or change lanes, and whenever you turn. Use your horn rarely, if ever. If you and another driver see a parking space at the same time, let that person have it. And if another driver seems eager to get in front of you, say “Be my guest.” When you respond this way, after a while “be my guest” becomes your automatic response and you wont be as offended by other drivers’ rudeness.

Give your 'neighbors of the road' space. Don't crowd or tail gate them. Don't drive too slow in the fast lane, move over. Be courteous. If someone needs to make a lane change, let them in. Maybe they will do the same for you some time. If you do make a mistake, or cut someone off, give them an apology wave. Simply put, be as courteous in your car as you would be in person.
If you do become a target of of someone else's rage, try to be non confrontational.
Since you don't know the other person, you don't know it they have a weapon of some kind, so getting out of your car and confronting them is always a bad idea.

Always drive with your doors LOCKED. Make locking your doors, the moment you get in and close them, an auto action,
Mouth an apology.
Try to keep driving until the other person takes a different route.
If you are being followed, Don't go home. Drive to a well lit, well occupied area, (preferably in front of a police station or patrol car. ) Hospital Emergency entrances are also good in that they are usually manned 24 hours a day, and often have police officers there as well.
If you must stop, stay in your car.
Even if you know that you were in the right and that the other person is being totally irrational, apologize and be sympathetic.

Remember Proverbs 15:1. A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.¤