7 Ways to Deal with Aggressive Driving
Getting involved with aggressive drivers can end up disastrous, here are seven ways to deal with aggressive driving situations.
1. Tailgating
Being tailgated is one of the most annoying things to experience on the road. When you get tailgated, the first thing that comes to mind is to tap the brakes and make the offending person pay for what they're doing; the only problem is, your car will get destroyed if they call your bluff and keep speeding. The best thing to do to cut your losses and avoid this aggressive situation is to properly change lanes and let speed-racer go through.
2. Analyze Your Driving
You're not always an angel, sometimes, you are initiating the aggressive driving. Before you start honking and blaming the other drivers, be sure you are doing everything right. One of the most common mistakes drivers do nowadays is text and drive, and without realizing it, they get into the other lane and almost cause an accident. When you hear a horn, analyze yourself before doing something you could regret.
3. Use your Horn Wisely
The horn is an annoying sound, and even though it is extremely important, using it only when you need it can make you avoid unnecessary confrontations. If someone makes a mistake and cuts you off, let it go, there is no need to honk at them since the mistake has been done and is over. Use your horn to warn someone, and don't use it to warn them about beating them up either. If someone is about to hit you and they're not paying attention, use your horn to get their attention, other than that, don't use this annoying sound, it will only start more trouble.
4. Hand Gestures
Hand gestures are important for keeping the peace, and not the gesture you may be thinking of. The best way to put a small fire out is to throw some water on it, and the best way to calm an aggressive driver is to gesture with your hand as if you're sorry. Even if you're not sorry, just wave it up to end the aggressive situation once and for all.
5. Avoid Fast Lane
The fast lane is the lane all the way to the left, and it is confusing why they call it the fast lane, because if you go faster than the speed limit, you would still get a ticket. However, people think the passing lane is the Autobahn, so if you're in it and you're driving the speed limit, you may experience tailgating, light flashing, and foul words. If you want to avoid aggressive drivers, only use this lane to pass other cars, then go back to any other lane.
6. Lane Changing
Lane changing is an art; well not an art, but most people can't do it properly for some reason. If you want to change lanes and you don't want to deal with aggressive drivers that will quickly plan your death, activate your turn signal, then if there is a car that appears close to you, wait until it passes, then change lanes. If you plan well ahead, you should never need to change lanes at that instant, so know what you want to do, then change lanes when you won't activate anyone's craziness.
7. Avoid Confrontation
Maintaining eye contact won't make everything go away, it is just a recipe for disaster. There is no winner or loser when it comes to aggressive driving; there is either one winner or two losers. Don't be one of the losers, just be the winner and drive away. If the other person is trying to give you a mean look, just gaze the other way, and if they're trying to talk to you, just make a simple, peaceful hand gesture, and go home with your car intact.
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