Stay Safe With Defensive Driving Habits

Have you ever had the experience of driving along, minding your own business, and then encountering a driver with SUCH bad manners (or bad driving habits) that it made you see red? It’s happened to all of us, but unfortunately that anger is super dangerous. Normally you’d say “hey, blog, you know that I am fueled by rage in my everyday life!” I will tell you that this is probably unhealthy, but it’s especially bad when you’re behind the wheel. Road rage is a serious problem that causes thousands of accidents per year. This is why we have put together this list of tips for avoiding road rage and making sure that you’re on the right track, no matter how many terrible drivers you encounter on the road.

First, always plan for a delay on your trip. Even if you’re traveling a route that you’re super familiar with, the traffic on that route changes every second. You might have a totally clear drive one morning and then a clogged traffic jam the next morning. So, to avoid the anxiety and distress that often come from tardiness, plan for delays and leave early!

When you are on the road, stay alert for people who have a tendency to tailgate. If you have someone who starts trying to drive directly up your tailpipe, move over and let them pass you at the first opportunity you have to do so safely. Wave them on if they need encouragement and don’t try to bait them by brake-checking or slowing down.

Lay off the horn while you’re at it. Using your horn not only annoys other drivers when it’s done unnecessarily, it can make you upset as well! Seriously! So, try to only use that horn in case of emergency – if you need to tell someone to get off their phone when the light turns green or if someone’s driving dangerously, for example.

If you get a little more upset than you might be comfortable with on your commute, try turning on some soothing music or soft talk radio to distract you a little and give your brain some calming vibes. It works!

Finally, try to avoid other drivers who are road raging. Let them pass, don’t bait them, move around them – whatever works to get you out of their way. Let them be angry somewhere else… they shouldn’t ruin your drive with their bad attitudes!