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Avoiding Road rage - Don't Be "Dead Right"

Last week I wrote about the consequences of driving drunk. Today we will discuss another current legal problem on the road - road rage. Why is road rage a legal problem? Two reasons - first, road rage can be a crime; second, road rage is often directed at drivers who violate traffic laws - the "rules of the road."

I can still remember a time when it was ok - even mandatory - to get mad in certain traffic situations. The classic example, of course, is being cut off in your lane by some inconsiderate jerk who pulls into your lane just before you pass on the freeway. Once upon a time there was absolutely no danger for you to yell, or gesture at an inconsiderate driver.

We all know that is not the case today. We frequently read about drivers getting out of control, bashing one another, even occasionally shooting someone due to a lack of consideration or courtesy.

Today, it doesn't pay to insist upon being right all of the time. I have read about several people who actually ended up being "dead right."

The best way to avoid road rage being directed at you is to follow the "rules of the road."

Years ago I had a friend who called himself the "I-5 avenger". He basically felt that when someone cut him off in traffic, it was his job to catch up with the offending person, pass him, and then make sure that he cut in front of that person in just the same way that he was cut off. I hope my friend is still alive and well.

1. Ignore the Jerks. Rule number 1 to avoid road rage is to ignore discourteous behavior on the road. You don't have to get even; you don't even have to respond.
    
2. Be Courteous. Rule number 2 is just as important, but also commonly overlooked - our own driving behavior. It's much more fun to gripe about the behavior of other drivers, but it isn't always caused by the other driver. Sometimes, road rage is directed at the offending driver by the guy who is offended. The other side of the coin, then, is to know the rules of the road, pay attention, and obey common traffic rules.
    
3. Stay in your own lane. This may seem obvious, but is often ignored. The lanes on freeways and streets are usually pretty well marked. Your job is to pay attention and stay in your own lane. If someone else is in your car, remember that you can easily drift out of your lane while you chat and cause someone to direct their anger or rage at you personally. On multi-lane state or federal highways, you are not supposed to drive in the far left-hand lane unless you are passing another vehicle. If you stay over in the left-hand lane at a speed slower than the flow of traffic, you are going to back up cars, get a lot of anger directed at you, and maybe even cause an accident. There is no need to hog the left lane just because you are going at the speed limit and other cars are not. Do you really need to prove this point?
    
4. Signal Before Changing Lanes. Pay especially close attention when you are getting ready to change lanes. For example, when you are going to pass another car or enter traffic from a side street or driveway, you have to first check for traffic. Be sure to use your turn signal to show what lane you are going into. Don't signal a turn at the very instant you start the change. Signal well in advance to alert other drivers.
    
5. Don't Tailgate the Car Ahead of You. Make sure you leave enough room to stop safely if the car ahead of you has to screech to a halt. The faster your car is going, the longer the distance should be between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you. As a general rule, you should leave a distance equal to two seconds between the cars. When the car ahead of you passes some kind of a marker like a telephone pole, count off "one-a-thousand, two-a-thousand" and see if it takes two seconds for your car to reach the marker.
    
6. Speed Up When You Enter Freeway Ramps. When you are entering a freeway, increase your speed so that by the time you enter traffic you are traveling at the same flow as everyone else. Nothing causes more anger than someone who very cautiously drives down the on-ramp of a freeway and enters the traffic at a very slow speed. When you are exiting the freeway, make sure that you are in the proper lane soon enough so that you don't have to cut in front of everybody to get to your exit. If you don't see your exit in time, don't try to swerve over - wait until the next exit.
    
7. Use Your Turn Signal. Always use your turn signal for making turns and changing lanes. You should turn on your signal about 100 feet before your turn. If you are turning right, make sure you slow down enough to make your turn so that other drivers don't have to jam on their breaks at the last minute. If you are turning left, make sure that you are far enough left and use the left-turn lane if there is one.

Some people may think that this little list of rules is so elementary that only an idiot wouldn't follow them. Unfortunately, that is simply not the case. The most frequently violated rule is paying attention. When you are talking with someone, bobbing your head to music, looking at the sunset, or just daydreaming, even the most skilled and intelligent driver can violate any one of these rules.

The moral of the story? If you want to avoid road rage - pay attention and be courteous when you drive!