AAA has tips to help deal with aggressive driving
DEARBORN, Mich., May 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Aggressive driving kills, says AAA Michigan. More than half of fatal car crashes involve some form of aggressive driving--speeding, running another driver off the road, tailgating or yelling obscenities.
A 2008 survey by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that 80 percent of respondents consider aggressive drivers to be a serious traffic safety problem. However, many of those same people said they drive aggressively. Relatively minor driving infractions--changing lanes without signaling, following too closely, driving too slowly, honking at other drivers--can easily escalate into potentially deadly altercations. Not every incident turns violent, but 60 percent of motorists admit losing their temper while driving--also known as road rage.
AAA recommendations to avoid aggressive driving:
Don't offend
-- Signal when changing lanes and merging. Avoid cutting off other drivers.
-- Do not drive slowly in the left lane. If faster traffic wants to pass,
move to the right lane.
-- Allow a two to four second space between your car and the vehicle ahead
of you to prevent tailgating.
-- Keep your hands on the wheel. Obscene gestures often incite other
drivers.
Don't engage
-- Do not take other driver's actions personally. There may be a reason why
another driver is speeding or driving erratically.
-- Give aggressive drivers lots of space.
-- Avoid eye contact with aggressive drivers.
-- Get help. If possible, drive to a safe public place where you can park
and call police. Going to your home leads a potentially violent person
to where you and your loved ones live.
-- Do not get out of your car.
Adjust your behavior
-- Forget winning; driving is not a contest.
-- Give yourself plenty of time to get where you're going. Eliminate your
need to rush.
-- Practice relaxation. Soothing music and deep breathing help you arrive
at your destination in a calmer frame of mind.
-- If you find yourself driving angrily on a regular basis, ask for help.
An anger management course may dramatically change your attitude.
For more information, visit www.aaafoundation.org.