Road rage has been around since the days of horses and carts. Today, we have cars as many as human beings and everyone has a story of a case of road rage whether it is you, a friend or family. It would seem that anything from cursing to furious fights over the most minor lapses by fellow Motorists are regular occurrences on many roads around the world.

Road Rage, as defined by the Arizona Driving University, “is aggressive or angry behaviour exhibited by a driver of a road vehicle, which includes rude gestures, verbal insults, physical threats or dangerous driving methods targeted toward another driver or a pedestrian in an effort to intimidate or release frustration.”

Road rage can lead to altercations, assaults and collisions which can result in serious physical injuries or even death. It can also be referred to as an extreme case of aggressive driving.

Sadly, almost everyone has the potential of being a road rager, so we all must take conscious steps to avoid raging on the road. Below are a few tips on how to avoid road raging.

• Leave Early.

Road ragers often rage because they are late for appointments and can’t afford to be later than they already are. So, leaving for your destination in good time would save you the worries of traffic and the rage that comes with it. If you live in a traffic prone area, try including traffic time in your estimated drive time. You could also make use of apps such as Google Maps to help you plan your travel time (Hint: Google can alert you when you need to leave home).

• Listen to Something Cool

Some radio talk shows can increase the tendency of making you angry which can in-turn account for your road raging unconsciously. Instead put on your favourite track and drive to the sweet melody of Jazz, RnB, Oldies. Pro tip: Create a drive or commute playlist on your phone or CD, so you can simply plug in and drive.

• Ignore and drive.

There’s a high tendency you will see or experience things you don’t like on the road, so program yourself ahead of time to ignore these things such as someone’s lousy hat or the poster advertising a party you don’t subscribe to and drive on.

• Don’t Drink and drive.

Alcohol tends to make one over-confident (think Dutch courage) and easily irritable in certain situations. So, it is advisable to avoid or limit your alcohol intake to avoid the rage that may occur when driving. Avoiding alcohol consumption altogether helps you remain level-headed and increases your reaction time should an emergency occur.

• Don’t React.

Thieves and robbers have been known to use road rage to rob their victims. They purposely cause minor accidents (a dent to your car or break your side mirror) to force you out of your car after which they rob you. Sometimes stepping out from your vehicle may not be worth it, especially when you didn’t cause the accident and it is not a designated parking spot. You are better of driving to a safe designated spot, alerting a Police and calling your insurance company to report the incident.

• Go for Anger Management

For some, road raging may come from a natural tendency of always being angry, in this case, we recommend attention anger management classes to lessen road raging tendencies.

What do I do when a road rager comes at me?

1. Apologize when wrong.
2. Don’t return gestures.
3. Allow the rager to drive by.
4. Don’t engage in a drag race with the rager
5. Stay well behind the rager

On the road, safety must always come first; allowing ego to come into play is not only dangerous to you but you are endangering other road users.

Even as we set the right example we aren’t 100% sure of what could happen every time we hit the road, having an insurance cover for you and your vehicle gives you the extra cover you require of the unseen and unpredictable actions and reactions that could occur. So live happy as your drive in peace and remember safety is gainful, accident is painful and insurance is….

Even as you set the right example by not succumbing to road rage, it is important to ensure you have the right level of protection for yourself and your car for times when life does not go according to plan. You can save yourself the hassle of arguing by road side, lateness to events and live a happy (rage-free) life knowing CHI PLC has offers you all-round insurance protection through its Comprehensive Insurance Policy. Get Insured today and #LiveHappy