VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Having a bad day is common, but how you choose to deal with it, especially behind the wheel, can draw the line between a life-and-death situation.
“Road rage is often confused with aggressive driving”, says Kate Wilson, AAA Tidewater traffic safety manager.
Here are some tips for drivers recommended by AAA if you find yourself near a driver who is angry:
- Do not respond to that driver and avoid eye contact.
- Be tolerant and forgiving; they may just be having a really bad day.
- Be sure to allow enough room around your vehicle so you can escape if you need to.
- Do not get out of your vehicle.
- If necessary, call 911 for assistance or dial #77 to call Virginia State Police.
- Remember, you can only control your own behavior.
- Make sure you behave wisely and always make good judgment decisions.
“Aggressive driving can be characterized as excessive speeding, following too closely, failing to obey traffic laws and making improper turns and maneuvers," said Wilson. "Road rage is characterized by motorists turning to violence – throwing objects at a vehicle or using their vehicle as a weapon.”
According to AAA, these are some tips that you can do or to prevent a nearby drivers from becoming aggressive:
- Communicate early and clearly. Use your turn signals and turn them off when you are done.
- Make sure the space you’re moving into is clear, and that nobody is about to enter that space.
- Do not encroach on another diver’s space.
- Dim your headlights down from high beam when oncoming traffic is approaching.
- Stay to the right – do not block the left lane, so faster traffic can move by.
- If you need to use your horn, a couple of quick taps is often better than one long blast.
- Consider investing in a dash camera so that there are no discrepancies in case of an incident.
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