How to drive safely - Road Rage & Emotions
Making better drivers - Making roads safer - Roads safer and more enjoyable for all.
Have you seen this before? Look familiar? Hopefully the picture above is not you. It's time you are told about how you can deal with your issues and take responsibility for your emotions whilst dealing with road rage.
Your attitude manifests emotion - Driving is a privilege
If you intend on driving on government roads in a state owned vehicle then you best get use to and accept the road rules. Whilst we fully understand that life's circumstances can present very anxious and trialling times; this is no excuse for your attitude towards your privilege to drive. If you take full responsibility for your attitude (which noone else can) then you are on the way to curing and controlling your attitude. Accepting these rules should take place with a thankful nature. Be thankful that you can drive and that these roads are there in the first place.
The causes of Road rage
- Lack of consideration for other people's mishaps - All too often you see people swearing or violently beeping drivers and road users who make 'oopsy' mistakes. I am of the opinion that 'oopsy' mistakes are things like taking a second or two to get going at the green light; indicating and asserting themselves into your lane in front of you when they MUST merge and circumstances like that. These oopsy mistakes are where the drivers are consciously aware of what they are doing or in the instance of not noticing the green light; there is no danger behind their actions. All these situations may require a little beep of your horn (to signal 'wake up') but not a substantial 'angry beep'/jump on the horn and swearing our your window, right? Catch my drift? There is a significant difference between a light horn to notify another driver of a situation at hand (which is why the horn is there in the first place) and a substantial violent beep where you have jumped on the horn and held it on. A car beep held on should only be used in situations where a driver has very, very negligently caused a situation that could have other wise been disasterous. You will often hear and see other drivers that are beeped - beep you back. This is typical behaviour of younger drivers. You should let them be. Even if they have made a mistake - they are now aware of it. Even a driver indicating and merging into your lane on the highway is not necessarily disasterous if they realise you are in their blind spot and they realise before they merge. This should not authorise you to violently beep them. Why is that? Well think about it, nothing has happened yet. You can do a light beep; but what do you think will be the best way to avoid a disasterous situation if they do continue to merge? Obviously if it's a truck you may want to hold the horn on. But if you think about breaking or merging over this would personally be my first reaction to avoiding a dangerous collision. Beeping itself is not going to save you. When another driver is merging into your lane at a much slower speed than you and you have nearly ran up the back of them; this is a different story. But once again if you're one of those 'quick to sound the horn' people and let your emotions run wild. All you are doing is contributing to the poor driving out there. Basically you have judged in your opinion that someone else has not driven to your satisfaction because you have acknowledged that you are a bad driver. Violent sounding the horn out of anger is what we're talking about here. Just be aware of how and when you use your horn. Violent use of a car horns shouldn't but do escalate already bad driver's emotions of other bad drivers out there. By taking responsibility of how you use your car horn you are taking responsibility of your road rage and contributing to GOOD DRIVING BEHAVIOUR by setting an EXAMPLE.
- Going too slow is a cause of Road Rage; believe it or not. Lets have a look at why people are going under the speed limit and some examples associated to road rage. There is the situation where someone is looking for a street number/house number and because it's your local area your wondering why in the hell this car in front of you is going stop. start. fast slow. stop start. You think that they are being inconsiderate and they're holding you up. In a situation like this there is a number of techniques that both drivers can emplOy. The driver behind either has to develop some patience because beeping their horn is not going to help the driver in front find the house number any quicker. I have been an offender of beeping a car that nearly seems to pull up real fast and I nearly run up the back of them, because they seem like they knew I was there and then sped up and put the breaks on real hard again. After a few seconds I realised that what they were doing was looking for a street number and then I felt bad for beeping them. I assumed that they knew I was behind them but why should I assume? I have many options and can over take them (if safe to do so) or just wait. Ultimately I'm the only person who can take responsibility for being late if I'm late to my destination. Traffic and drivers looking for street numbers include: (courier drivers, tourists, travellers, taxis, tradies, anyone) and are a part of driving. If I'm late or you're late only YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE. As for the driver in front, when you are looking for a street number or an entrance to your destination; we know how frustrating it can be to find a street number on a busy, busy road like a main street and the street numbers are nowhere to be seen. You may have already gone up and down a few times and missed it. On a busy main street where there is no room to pull over the best thing you can do is GIVE AS MUCH WARNING AS POSSIBLE AND if the driver behind you is still right up your A#$$ I suggest you try the technique of slowing right up with your indicator still on hundreds of meters before the entraNce. This trick usually works; the driver behind should catch on to the fact that you are doing this deliberate (not to be a nuisance) but because you are looking for a number. They will be pleased that you have given them notice and usually return the respect by holding back if you have indicated your intentions clearly AND EARLY. As opposed to pulling up quickly, indicating then speeding up again, this can be frustrating for a driver behind you. Just be aware that both drivers can change their behaviours to prevent road rage. RESPONSIBILITY GOES FOR ALL DRIVERS IN ELIMINATING ROAD RAGE.
- Another example of going to slow is where a driver on the highway is not maintaining the speed limit and is holding up commuters and workers. They are unaware of their position and their actions. All they see is that they are obeying the road rules by staying under the speed limit. For drivers that are trying to make a living or trying to get home or to work this can be very frustrating. There is what I call a highway etiquette. This etiquette goes simply like this: If you cannot maintain the speed limit (when it says 110 - YOU GO 110!) then get out of the far right lane! Simple as that! Not knowing this highway etiquette is no excuse after you read this! If you are unaware of the speed limit because it's a long drive for you on your holiday etc and there is someone up your A%#% good chances are either you are going too slow or the driver just doesn't care and wants to speed anyway. Trust me when I tell you, that you should merge left (when safe to do so) and let them pass. Not that it's legal to break the speed limit to have to get into a position to merge left; but if I can do this to let a raging driver behind me - overtake me than it is sometimes less stressful for myself and that speeding driver. Ultimately I've failed to see them at least hanging there behind me or coming up with speed behind me to begin with. Checking the rear view mirror every couple of seconds is my and everyone's responsibility. The more awareness you have of drivers behind you, to the side of you and far, far up the road - the more control and options you have to deal with emergency situations and overall will make you a far better driver. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR BEING AWARE OF CARS: 1. Behind you. 2. TO THE SIDE OF YOU (BOTH SIDES IF APPLICABLE) 3. FAR, FAR UP THE ROAD/HIGHWAY. The more awareness of the above three you exercise - the more you qualify yourself as a high-level, safe and skilled driver.
Stay posted for more Road Rage prevention!
There are many, many other reasons and helpful driving techniques. Please visit again soon. TV Magic support safe driving and the notion to eliminate road rage altogether. TV Magic believes drivers are very intelligent and that whilst not everyone uses their intelligence to their full capacity(at all times) ie. using their phone whilst driving or not paying attention. If the public is educated; the roads can be a safe and enjoyable place for all.
Stay posted!
