ROAD RAGE : 5 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO AVOID CONFLICT ON THE ROAD


Imagine this: You're at work, having a pretty normal day, when your manager walks in. 
He says the project has to be submitted a week early, so you're going to have to put in more hours. 
Starting tomorrow. Ugh! You see your evening outings go down the drain. That bit of time you had for yourself is gone, POOF!

You somehow make it through the day and you're driving home in your cozy, familiar car.
Some random dude with loud music playing overtakes you from the left and cuts into your lane sharply, forcing you to brake - HARD. That's very rude and super dangerous too! This gets on your nerves, adding to your already bad mood, so you overtake him from the left and scream at him through your window, leading to a back and forth exchange of a few choice cuss words. 
Does this, or any such scenario of getting angry at other drivers or pedestrians for somehow causing disturbance, sound familiar? 



Even a peaceful, easygoing person can turn into an unknown, angry version of himself behind the wheel (with the traffic and road conditions these days, that's not very surprising). Goofy's Motor Mania is a funny yet honest depiction of this! 

Road rage, as it's commonly called, covers a broad spectrum of violent behavior with other drivers, aggressive driving, fights breaking out on the road, and more. 

There are numerous cases in India of people getting injured severely, getting shot and even dying, because of disagreements between drivers.
Can you imagine getting stabbed or shot because you slightly scratched someone's car? Not worth it, right? 

We tend to see life from our little bubble, unaware of other people and their problems. The anger that boils up inside us when a fellow driver makes a mistake comes from the fact that we tend to concentrate on ourselves while dismissing the communal aspect of driving, that is, the fact that others are people like us and they make mistakes too. 

“If we can put ourselves in the shoes of other drivers, we are more capable of understanding their behavior and staying calm. If we can’t appreciate their situation, then we are more likely to get offended, angry and even rageful if their driving bothers us.” — Dr. Robert Nemerovski, psychologist specializing in anger and anxiety.

If a person's anger can cause as much damage on the roads as driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, shouldn't there be laws against road rage too?

Anyway, like it's been famously said, we can't change the world, but what we can change is ourself and our behavior. So next time you feel that anger rising up at a fellow driver, take 3 deep breaths, and remember this: 

 Everyone makes mistakes

When you're setting off on a journey in your vehicle, remember that other people are just like us, and they are capable of making mistakes too! If you expect someone to forgive your mistakes on the road, you have to be prepared to do the same. So next time someone slides into your lane without signalling, be the better person and let it go.  



Getting angry isn't the solution 



Nobody has ever gained anything good by getting angry. You can scream at your fellow driver all you want, but it won't change what he did. Sure, you might think that you shouting at him will make a difference and make him a better driver, but honestly, if only it was that easy to change people. So keep your calm, and move on.



Leave early 



Always give yourself plenty of time to reach your destination, as the journey usually won't be as smooth as you think it'll be (trust me, I take my vehicle out thinking I can cross Sarakki signal within 5 mins, but SURPRISE! the entire road is jam-packed.) When you know you're not going to get late in spite of a little traffic, you tend to be more relaxed, hence, less angry :) 



Which is more productive: staying and arguing, or going your way?


You shout at the driver who cut you off mid-lane, he shouts back at you justifying his actions, you get even angrier at this and say something back...and thus ensues a full on fight which will probably go on forever... You're wasting precious time here, arguing with a stranger, and getting yourself in a bad mood. Isn't it better to keep your peace and go your way? True strength lies in being calm in such situations.  



Check yourself

Take a minute and be mindful of your emotions before sitting behind the wheel. If you've had a rough day, there are chances of you getting provoked really quickly and lashing out at someone. Try not to let personal situations affect your driving, because things can go wrong suddenly and you won't even realize it. 


Chaos and traffic on the roads is unfortunately unavoidable, but by taking control of ourselves, we can control our reaction to it and maybe a cause a little less chaos.  




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