How can we reduce driving-related frustration on the road?

Question

We are all spending more and more time on the road, and traffic is an issue we face everyday. More traffic means shorter tempers and more knee-jerk reactions to problems. What can we do to cut down on road rage issues and keep cooler heads prevailing when behind the wheel?

Yahoo! Canada Answers Staff note: Tom Vanderbilt is author of the book Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us). Find out more here: http://www.randomhouse.ca/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307397720

Answer 1

Try to stay in your own lane as close to the speed limit as possible.  Avoid eye contact with a potentially raging driver,  This includes staring at them in the rear view mirror.  Do not be afraid to call or have someone with you call 911.  People experiencing road rage can be classified as temporarily insane and if severe enough the police have to step into the situation.  Do not try to run from them.  Stay where there are plenty of people even if it means turning into a mall or parking lot.  Do not return the hand gestures as this will enrage them even more.  Try and stay cool and slowly edge away from the offender.  If possible get a licence plate number.

Answer 2

Road rage is caused by over loaded roads.This in turn is a government issue that they foresaw but chose not to do anything about.

We are lacking alternative transportation.Something we can learn from Europe is their fantastic public transportation. If we had alternatives the byways would be less congested.Therefore less frustrating.

As for reacting to road rage.One reaction creates another in return so pay no attention to it.Just stay away, if possible get off the road, and let them go.I learned that these people eventually make a mistake, and pay for it so why get involved with their issues.  

Answer 3

It's every driver's problems and nightmare.  As a driver, we come across this situation all the time, if we fail to signal if we make a sudden turn; if we drive too slowly, blocking the traffic; if we horn other drivers etc, you name it, there are all kinds of problems out there.  We just have to be courteous and patient; try to be a good and decent driver and if we come across situations when other drivers give you a evil look or raise the middle finger at you or swear at you etc, just don't look at the other driver and pretending you don't see anything.  Just look forward and keep your eyes on the wheel and on the road and if you have to, just smile, salute and say sorry to other drivers.  By doing so, the other driver will cool down and drive away very quickly.  Never try to confront and provoke other drivers.

Answer 4

Say you cut someone off on the road and now they are angry at you and are driving up beside you about to yell at you. Just roll your window down and say I'm sorry. You know what you did was wrong, if you acknowledge it and take responsibility for your actions, majority of the time people will back down and forgive you. I'm not saying there won't be cases where people just don't wish to listen to reason but if you are courteous and respectful people will be too.  

Answer 5

I live in Montreal, where traffic is horrendous and road rage is out of control.  I personally believe that people should follow the speed limit, and when I say speed limit I am not referring to those who speed, I am speaking about those who insist on driving way below the limit.  People are on the road to get to their destinations, therefore they are either in a rush, anxious, or worrisome. Having slow drivers in front of them, blocking the passing lane, can get frustrating, even infuriating.  Most importantly, courteousness should be #1.  There are not enough courteous drivers here, everyone pushes each other out of the way and won't let anyone else go first.  I could keep on going on forever on this subject, so I will stop here.

Answer 6

I think that automobile distributors should come up with a steering-wheel mounted wooden piece for people to bite on in heavy traffic.  If you are a really angry person, you could probably steer your car using only your mouth.  It would be perfect, because as people age and get false teeth, they would no longer be able to bite on the wooden "Angerex" (TM), but they would no longer need to, as they drive slower and no longer have road rage.  "Angerex" (TM) blocks could be interchangeable for different members of the family.  It could even be enhanced to release small amounts of Valium with excessive chewing, or, for a teenage driver, sound bytes (ha, ha! A pun!) of  a soothing female voice saying, "Breathe deeply".  This will have the added benefit of making teenagers not want to drive the family car.

Answer 7

Regulate company start/finish times into segments so that everyone is not all on the road at the same time.  Arrange early morning delivery/late afternoon pickup option from courier companies. While this might be convenient for businesses, it throws all of the trucks for these companies into rush hour traffic.

Inexpensive compulsory annual inspections to force drivers to at least maintain their cars to a certain functioning level to avoid breakdowns. Defensive driving and better driving training courses and last but certainly not least better road signs and traffic conditions!  We're idiots,  always believing the other guy will take the alternate route, leaving the original open for us!

Answer 8

First off, I believe a road rager has an anger management problem & if not a lapse in poor judgement to allow them to do some high risk driving.

To cut down on road rage:

- Recognize the situation does not cause anger, you do.

- Look for better ways to see the situation.

- See the brighter side of things

- Try to find humor in the situation.

- Try to remove angry thoughts from your mind

- Recognize in most cases, the other drivers are not personally trying to upset you.

- Keep reminding yourself that becoming upset, angry or escalating things rarely improves the situation.

- If you have a stressful job and fly off the handle easy while driving, look for ways to release that stress like go to the gym or whatever suits your fancy

- If another driver is giving you a hard time, turn off and let them continue on.

- If they follow you, do not stop in a dark area. Drive to a well lit area or where you know you can get help like a fire hall, or mall where there are a lot of people out.

- Carry a cell phone to call in a motorist harrassing you and keep the police on the line until a cruiser is there and stopping the aggressor.

- DO NOT STOP TO CONFRONT THIS PERSON

Answer 9

Extreme frustration is a perfectly natural reaction to a demanding, tiring, unpaid-for waste of time. In the long run, perhaps the only solution to road rage may be for individuals to live in closer proximity to work and other activities, maybe in an area where public transit is also easily available. If you happen to be unable to minimize your exposure to traffic, acceptance is probably your best alternative.

Answer 10

Well, road rage has less to do with roads and more to do with the fact that people are angrier and ruder than ever before, raised by wolves and all.   I marvel at how grown people act like small tantrumming children, and without a trace of shame for looking the fools they do.  I deal with it by driving well and ignoring everyone no matter how ill-behaved they decide to be.  Works well, and since no one can engage you if you don't know they exist, I cannot be drawn into situations.  It should go without saying that, since I decide to behave like an adult, I do not participate in acts of retaliation either, since of course the other driver doesn't exist.  So far in 27 years of driving, this has proven foolproof... proving the old adage: It takes two to tango.

Answer 11

Everyone, regardless of temperment or intelligence, can pretty much get a drivers licence.  We treat it as if it's our right to own and operate a vehicle, it's not, and once we treat the ownership of a vehicle as something that must be earned, we will continue to experience road rage, road racing, traffic meltdowns and loss of human life. I'm all for public transit, which in my opinion, should be free and reach the most remote locations.  Only licencing individuals who go through a far more lengthy program will be allowed a temporary licence. Road testing every five years, after 10 years of driving you are given a full licence.  It should be made far more expensive to receive licencing, if you can't afford it, you can't afford a vehicle, insurance, or  upkeep for that matter.   Last but not least vehicles should not be able to operate speeds in excess of the posted speed limit, and one day, with the wonders of modern science and technology, our roads and vehicles will insure our safety regardless of the drivers intentions.  

Answer 12

Address the main cause of road rage: driver incompetence. This is not a problem in Europe because of a few fundamentals:

1. People are courteous, respecting others' vehicles, personal space

2. People use the passing lane ONLY for passing, not for sitting in (one of the main causes of road rage)

3. Speed limits are reasonable

4. Signalling, letting people in, orderly driving are the norm, not the exception.

I was in Pennsylvania this weekend and saw a great sign that would go a long way:  "State Law requires left lane for passing only" (not precise wording, but you get the point).

Answer 13

By taking deep breaths, pausing and by repeating internally or aloud, the mantra "its not personal…, its not personal" as often as needed.

Simply by remembering in the moment that others behavior on the road is in no way related to who we are or our being is important - in my opinion.  

Additionally, I would offer up that any person who gets "triggered" by events on the road might want to write that phrase down and paste it to their vehicle dash board and repeat it as often as needed when he/ she feels themselves being swept along by others behaviors or when he/ she believes a transgression has been committed against them, which we know is not true.  

The lesson:  Learn to master the skill of vectoring ones efforts; notice other and learn to ignore others driving transgressions, such as:

- inadvertently being cut-off

- slow driving

- following closely

- weaving

- beating you to the light

- etcetera etcetera…

I hope this helps.

Answer 14

1. Prepare in advance

One of the best ways to lessen the strain of road rage is to prepare everything the night before. Clothes, documents, attache cases, and even packed lunches should be set the day before to avoid the morning rush. With everything champing at the bit, you would save plenty of time to do your morning routines, devour a good breakfast and enjoy special moments with the family. Best of all, you can dash out the highway free of traffic congestion.

2. Sleep well and wake up early

A good night's sleep rejuvenates the body. Make it a habit to have enough sleep and to rise early. If you are already stressed out the day before, an incomplete repose takes over cumulative stress effects into your life at work and at home. Your frustration levels at work eventually rises, your brainpower falters, and your mood at home sours. You have no energy left for enjoying life.

3. Juggle your work hours

Why pack the freeways with all the other "9-to-5"-ers when you can try a ten-to-six or an eight-to-four shift? Depending on your company's work policy, try to check out other shifts that fit your lifestyle. Choose one that would help you get rid of energy-depleting stress and allow you to lighten your highway woes.

4. Share your ride

It may be a hassle to coordinate your arrival and departure with another person or two, but carpooling is worth it. Studies show that ridesharing lowers commuter stress significantly. With carpooling, there is less air and noise pollution, less traffic congestion, and you can relax more while someone else does the driving.

5. Work out after work

Since the evening rush is worse than the morning rush because of the compounded fatigue from the workday, it is best to wait out the traffic. Work out at a gym near your office or take meditation classes to relieve your stress. If you plan to go to dinner, see a movie or go shopping, try to do these things near work, delaying your departure enough to miss the maddening rush.

6. Give yourself a break

It may be a good idea to give yourself some days off from work. Many companies today offer compressed working hours or longer working days to give way to work-free days for you to unwind.

7. Occasionally change your routine

An occasional change of commuting habits may be advisable too. Try walking or bicycling sometimes for a change. There is nothing like a good walk to ease tension especially when it means you do not have to get in your car and fight rush hour traffic.

By lessening the stress of getting to work, you are conserving enormous amounts of energy that may be lost over stressful commuting. It does not only leave you a lot more energy to do your job and become more productive but it also makes you feel good and gives you a good reason to always start your day right.

Answer 15

I think we are being too easy on people who are rude.  A lots of people with short temper end up causing accident and still being mad and start yelling for no good reason.  I witness a road rage and when the guy saw the lady doesn't care about his yelling he start hitting his car from the side.  He laughed at the end and said now I got your attention!!  I mean if we had some kind of ponishment and road rage was part of harrasment or something like that then maybe, I said maybe it would start slowing down.  

Answer 16

As a professional driver, I've found the most cases of my road anger (I've never gotten to full blown rage) are directed towards drivers that are unaware of their surroundings, they are driving on auto-pilot, and then they drive in an inconsiderate manner to other drivers and vehicles on the road.

Now I drive a Big truck that weighs 80,000 Lbs when fully loaded, imagine what my truck would to to your average Honda Civic.

It's information like this that most drivers are unaware of.

I think a lot of drivers would think twice about cutting in front of a big truck knowing that it takes one about 6 times as long to stop, and crushes cars like cheap aluminum cans.

Answer 17

1. Play calm and pleasant music - Hawaiian slack key guitar drops my BP by at least 20 points, puts me in an alert but mellow groove.

2. Prepare and leave lots of time for the trip - everything ready well before you leave, alternate routes identified, check traffic reports for existing glitches.

3. Appreciate that the slowpoke ahead of you may actually keep you from getting a speeding ticket; be grateful to him/her.

4. Think of funny names to call the raging doofuses you encounter, rather than relying on the old familiar standbys.

5. Don't flip someone a single bird, give idiots a bouquet by holding up all your fingers close together.

6. Make a conscious decision that you will NOT succumb to the lunacy you see and you will NOT let it get to you.  You can't control what other people will do, you can only control your own response to it.

Answer 18

Very simple: drive less.  I'm not kidding.  I found myself suffering from road rage and so I just decided that it wasn't worth the aggravation of sitting in traffic and getting frustrated so after driving for more than twenty years, I sold my car and went to bike only.  That was eight years ago and I don't miss my car at all.

Now not everyone can simply do away with their car like I did (though many many can) but I think that with a little creativity we can ALL find ways to drive less and use our bodies more.  There are also many excellent side effects to driving less and using human power more - just do it!

Answer 19

Wow, there's a lot of stupid answers here already!

I am convinced that better driver education is the only answer. People, use your friggin' signals! Everyone I know could daily relate a story about some moron who changes lanes or turns out of the blue because they haven't used their signals. There is cause #1 of road rage. Cause #2 is people who don't understand why we have multiple lanes on highways. "Keep right except to pass" is a concept most people don't get. Again, everyone always complains about some car that's stuck in the left lane, preventing people from passing.

I've seen many "driving school" cars on the road that can't follow these simple rules, so no wonder the new drivers don't get it. This just keeps making the problem worse.

People need to understand what they're doing on the road and why they need to do it. Lazyness and apathy are what's causing the road rage out there.

There also needs to be a handsign to say "sorry". We all know the sign people give when they're mad, but sometimes people make a mistake and if they could signal that they were wrong, others might not be so quick to get so angry.

Answer 20

The best way to prevent road rage is to remember that you are not the only person on the road. Speed limits are posted to keep people safe from speeders, but many people do below the limit even in perfect road conditions, which cause frustration for other drivers (and it causes traffic). Remember what you were taught in driver's education about using turn signals when turning or even changing lanes? It seems to me that once many people got their license, they forgot the rules of the road and their common respect for others.

Answer 21

Drivers need to remember that other drivers aren't out to get them. I have to keep my eyes forward and stop trying to interpret what the other drivers are thinking or feeling towards me. I don't have to be first in line because there is always someone ahead of me. I find if I let cars pass me I feel safer and I know I may be less stress for someone else. I do however drive slightly faster than the limit and feel safer. I tried the limit and had crazy people pass me on right hand shoulders in the winter in icy conditions. I give myself plenty of time to get where I am going and try to remember any construction going on and factor in weather. In the end getting there is the most important thing not how fast you do it.

Answer 22

Teach people to drive. Teach people to merge. Teach people to set mirrors correctly. Teach people to be aware. In other words make it far more difficult to obtain a drivers license. Driving is a privilege or is it a right. Retest drivers every 10 years....make the drivers license far more expensive. Set the traffic speed limits for the flow of traffic....change problem intersections before deaths......should you accomplish this lots of other things will change. Set the standard higher for motor vehicle training institutions....so on. Eliminate bad behavior in society.

Answer 23

People need to think and stop putting themselves into possible road rage postions. Do the darn speed limit or a little more. Keep up with traffic, drive in the inside lane on the 401 when doing the speed limit. Why drive in the fast lane, the wrong person may pull up behind you and now you just put yourself in a road rage position. Signal all the time. If you can't do that, then park the car or be prepared as someone will get mad at you.

Answer 24

One of the main problems is lack of law enforcement. This means the bullies out there (of whom there are many when they know they will not be punished), drive aggressively to intimidate, annoy and jeopardise the lives of others. SInce there is nothing to stop this in many cases, the victimised driver is frustrated and angry, so road rage and retaliation are the result.

West coast Canadian drivers are the worst, as they seem to enjoy endangering the lives of others and getting in their way.

On the other hand, the UK, where they are more civilised and also know the rules of the road, has cameras and law enforcement everywhere, resulting in massive fines for abherrant behaviour and a general compliance with the law. Hence not so much frustration and anger.

Put cameras and policing everywhere, punish the lawbreakers, turn off the stupid mobile phones (which are illegal in cars in sensible places), and teach the drivers the rules of the road before giving them licences.

I think I'll catch a bus tomorrow.  

  

Answer 25

LOL...I have been reading all of these "Holier than Thou" solutions to road rage, and I am willing to bet that over 1/2 of these people with their magic solutions are probably the worst offenders. (Otherwise, they wouldn't understand it, now would they?) This goes to show that their solutions are a bunch of doggie doo doo! LOL

Anger is just another emotion, get used to it, deal with it, and get on with your lives, as it has been around forever, and isnt going anywhere soon.

Answer 26

All what needed is moor police on the roads, in one day the average time spent on the roads is min of one hour, in that time you don’t see any police cars on the road.

Have stiffer road laws, every one slow done to look at an ascendant WHY?? You drive safe and keep a braking distant between you and the car in front but you have a Moran jumping and keep changing lines, people should have moor manners on the road.

Answer 27

I think road ragers simply put have not been put in their place.

There is PLan A and Plan B.

Plan A---The upbringing of humans--create awareness in media  commercials to all parents and youth--which creates respect to others, "my rights end when yours begin..." thus you don't cut off people out of arrogance or daring or at least give your acknowlegment of any errors you have commited

Plan B----Enforcement--extreme----0 Tolerance--give plenty of warning to public of this upcoming sweep--then one day turn it on---give life bans on licenses and jail time to offenders depending on severity of rage. Parole/suspend or life ban on creators of havoc--bad drivers. All this using basic horse sense governing.

There you have it..I'm not offering a solution to all this as humans are complex, it's just the fact folks. If we could all agree to govern the roads with these 2 plans , me thinks road rage would be extinct very soon

Answer 28

How do you reduce driving-related frustration on the road... gee....

Plan for interruptions. Plan for mistakes. Start taking a relaxed attitude once you've planned for everything to go wrong, knowing you've thought of everything and you're prepared. And not just with your driving. Often the road rage is a result of a lifestyle that is far too fast paced, far too rushed. Once the ability to be patient and accepting of change in the direction you don't want has penetrated the rest of your life, road rage will be easier to prevent.

Answer 29

Because we live in a fast paced world and because our time is not our own anymore, road rage is becoming more prevalent than it was 20 years ago.  This should not surprise anyone.  What to do about it?

As a motorist for over 40 years I learned to slow down, to maintain a comfortable speed on the road, especially on freeways.  I also learned to let the "other guy go" who decides to swerve in and out of traffic, who cuts his fellow motorists off just to gain 5 minutes on the "other guy."  I also learned to "smell the roses" so-to-speak and enjoy my driving on the open roads.  Life is just too short to get your britches in a knot.

Road rage is a childish game.  It causes frustration, anxieties, not to mention what it does to ones mental health.  It isn't worth playing this game.

Answer 30

The answer for me was to concentrate on my own driving, decisions, state of mind, and habits, and not to let any of these be directed, through my reactions, by drivers who act destructively. Never answer fire with fire on the road. It took living and driving in Boston for a while, a city famous for aggressive drivers, to see that other drivers acquire power over our impulses and states of mind only if we give it to them. After realizing that, it took a lot of conscious effort and concentration to really drive accordingly.

This may not work for the worst, most threatening forms of road rage, which I have the good luck not to have experienced yet.

Answer 31

Raj you are unfortunately wrong !!

Yoga... well I have my doubts in anything to do with yoga!!

It is east the Indian nature( inherrent) to derespect all LAWS - especially when it comes to driving. In fact the east Indians Taxis are the real menace no give way to pedestrians. So how can we expect anything to do with Indian Yoga to help the road rage!! Absurd !!

If we can get the white guys back on the Taxis then we can see more descipline and reduced road rage. SO the politicians have the solutions to the problem as they ar the ones who put ALL un-employable East Indians on the road as Taxi Drivers!!

Bring back the courtesy and the white taxi driver back to the road who respect all road users! Very soon Bus Drivers will be a menace if they replace them with INDIANS...already this is starting to happen!!