How To Avoid Getting Caught In Road Rage While Driving

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Many of us have to commute from our residences to offices daily. This is a routine we all have to follow as we have to work and receive our monthly pay which helps run our lives smoothly. Many of the cities all over the world have grown into vast concrete jungles. The mad pace at which life goes from morning till night is frightening and overwhelming to an individual.  Many have deadlines to meet at each place at all times which has made life into a rat race literally. Hence one cannot avoid getting caught on the  roads in traffic jams or snarls. Which may result in loss of pay. Each of us who is a traveler is tensed up at the time of travel and would want to reach office in a dash. Sometimes we end up getting caught in a road rage incident while driving. Here let us see how we can avoid getting this ugly side of us to come out and do the damage.

 

Being Calm: Before starting your journey tell yourself that I am going to be calm while driving and not get provoked by anybody or any incident which may happen on the road with me and others. I will not retaliate to any verbal abuse nor physical abuse by anyone. It is very easy to say this and difficult to follow one may say but getting ourselves disciplined and making it into a habit over a period of time will definitely help. At least one can try to do this and an attempt or a start can be made and built upon.

 

Monitoring  Speed – Accidents or mistakes tend to happen if we over speed and cause damage not only to our lives but to others lives too. Tell yourself you want to be a safe driver for all 365 days of the year. Motivate yourself by telling I will reach office and home safely after finishing work. I will not harm anyone else because of my rash driving. I will see that no one is injured by my vehicle and especially when I am the driver. This self discipline will help work wonders as it brings a sense of responsibility towards to you, your family and others. Check speed levels while driving regularly and get vehicle checked and do the servicing required.

 

Rushing Not To Be Late – This is one of the important things which is the cause of people who are driving getting caught in a road rage while driving. One can tell himself or herself that I will leave a bit early daily say at least by half an hour early than the usual time which is needed to reach the workplace. I will go early reach office and spend some time with my colleagues discussing work related issues before the office time starts. Or if you are the sort who would work only when the clock hits the starting hour you can just relax and read the new paper or set your desk. Tell yourself in case I get delayed due to some unforeseen incident which is rare and I end up losing pay as I am not reaching on time its Ok. I will take this cut as a lesson for my life and will not repeat it. But under no circumstance  will I rush to the office not to get late.

 

Others Fault –  Tell yourself before leaving the world is made up of different characters and I can face anyone if I am going to have a bad day. But I will see to it that it wont be a face off by getting caught in a road rage. Even if the other person is at fault and is being unreasonable and angry at me I wont talk back but be polite. If I end up getting hit I will take the help of law which is there to protect me. But I wont take law in my own hands under any cost. Tell yourself that if I do so I end up conceding that I too am a similar character which I am not.

 

Arms – In some countries people are allowed to carry arms like revolvers and the like so if you have one for your safety. Tell yourself under no circumstances will I be a trigger happy person if I am caught in a road rage incident. As it takes only a minute to take someones life in the heat of the moment. But one ends up regretting having done so later the whole of his life in jail. And no amount of regret is going to help revive the person who is gone. He too has a family or someone who is depending on him hence I will never do such a thing in my life. It is better to get hit by someone and file a case on him and claim damages than ending up killing him.

 

Anger Management – If you know that you are a hot headed person and have problems with anger management. Then tell yourself that first I need to get myself treated and heal from this. I will drive on my own only later when I am sure I will not be a threat to others. Till that time you have to request either one of your family member to do the driving, or you can go with a friend as a carpool, or you can take public transport, or you can take a private taxi. But tell yourselves no to driving till your anger management issues are resolved completely. Tell yourself that I will never allow my anger to spill on the streets and upset my and others  day.

 

Weather – If the weather is not normally what it is and it is going to rain or snow badly or there is going to be a storm. It is better one makes alternate arrangement on that day. Tell yourself you are spending this amount as a sort of insurance to see that you do not have any major accident or breakdown of vehicle. As all these cost a lot of pain, time, money and loss of pay. Whenever the weather is too bad try to pool a car or see that all concerned pool the amount and travel in a taxi safely. Professional taxi drivers are better drivers at such a time usually. It has been observed by me.

 

Meditation  – Regular meditation and deep breathing exercises with other exercises keeps your body alert and calm. If you practice this daily then chances of you getting caught in such situations will vastly reduce. It will also keep you in a happy and jovial mood and not in a grumpy one. People who are tensed up and anxious and in a grumpy mood are more likely to be caught  in a road rage incident. This has been observed in studies which have been conducted at many places.

 

Travel With Others – When you are traveling with others you usually tend to interact with others and also drive simultaneously. The attention of the mind is not focused on the road and chances of accidents and getting caught in road rage incidents are very high. Hence it is better the person driving focuses on the road rather than getting involved in talk. If you feel so much that you too feel like participating in the talk then stop the vehicle and talk as freely as possible for some time then continue driving. If this is not possible then better have a chauffeur to drive the car or the vehicle. Then you are relieved of the work of driving. Moreover you are doing things in a safe way which is good for one and all.

 

Alcohol etc. – Many people are involved in drunken driving and they end up ramming the vehicle on innocent bystanders or on other vehicles leading to loss of life and property. The person driving who is under the influence of alcohol does not really know what has happened at that time. Due to influence of alcohol he or she is not really in his or her real senses. It will take hours for them to realize what they have done, which they never intended in the first place. So if one is going to a party or to a club or bar and is going to have intoxicants like alcohol it is better he has a driver who can drive him back safely. It can be a driver or a friend who is a teetotaler. This is a safe and efficient  way to have a good time and return to ones home safely and also not caught in any road rage incidents. If one is caught for drunken driving the law in many countries is stringent and strict action is initiated by the law enforcement agencies.

 

 

Bad Roads – Many a times the roads where we travel is full of speed breakers, ditches, potholes, damaged roads. Sometimes their is oil spill on the road from other vehicles or they may be nails on the road. All these are a recipe for disaster which is in the waiting. The best thing when one is passing through such roads is to keep safety in mind first. Do not over speed  because you want to cover the bad patch faster or you want to compete with others in reaching you place first.  It is always better to be a mature and sober driver, rather than a rash and negligent killer.

 

You can decide what you want to do to avoid getting caught in road rage incidents while driving.  Remember the people who are dependent on you and who will be eagerly expecting your return every evening. Do you want to end up smashing their dreams? It is for you to think about this and the consequences which follow in the case of road rage and accidents. At the end of the day peace of mind is more important than the feeling of guilt of having done something wrong you never intended to do. It is also important to be a safe driver. Promise yourself daily that I wont cause an accident or bad behavior on the roads while driving or end up hurting or killing people. Renew this pledge daily this will act as a good reminder as to how you are supposed to behave while driving on the roads. We can at least control ourselves if not others. Even others are as tensed up or have similar duties to perform. Share a thought for them and their families too. The next time you are on the road be composed, calm and cool and drive, do this for a year and see the difference in you. Remember speed thrills but kills.