Road Rage

Get past road rage and keep driving safely.
Road rage happens to the best of us. But letting it get to you could be bad — especially if you get in an accident. So, here are some tips to help you cool off.

• Try not to run late.

• When you're in a hurry, that old guy with the hat in front of you who's driving so slow it's practically backwards will make you even angrier. So try to give yourself a few extra minutes to get where you need to go.

• Pick out some good tunes.

• Listening to music you like can make it easier to enjoy driving. It doesn't have to be slow elevator music — anything is fine as long as it helps you chill out.

• Other drivers are not evil.

• Sometimes, people make mistakes, or they might be driving more slowly for a reason. (Maybe they recently got a speeding ticket!) Don't assume that they're driving slowly just to annoy you, even if they do.

• Try not to look!

• The most tempting thing when you're passing someone who's annoying you is to shoot them a dirty look. Don't do it! You might tick someone off and have them come after you, which would not be good.

• No gestures, either.

• Other than a wave to someone who lets you into your lane, don't use your hands (or any specific combinations of fingers) to communicate with other drivers. Again, you don't want to have someone follow you. You don't want to flip off someone's grandma, either.

• Tailgating is bad.

• Just because someone is driving slow doesn't mean you should hang out on their back bumper. If they had to stop short and you rear-ended them, the accident would be your fault.

• Someone tailgating you is worse.

• If someone is tailgating you, don't aggravate yourself and the other driver by playing cat and mouse with your speed. Move out of the way and let them pass you — it's better to have a jerky driver in front of you than behind you.

• Does honking your horn really help?

• No, it doesn't. It might make you feel better — sort of like you're making your car yell at their car — but it's really kind of silly. And when everyone does it in a traffic jam, it's really annoying!

• Don’t be a hero.

• If the other driver is being a jerk and starts to follow you, don't take the bait. If you slam on your brakes, block the lane, start a road race, or (yikes!) stop your car and get out to confront the other driver, you could be in serious trouble. If someone's following you and it gets a little scary, keep you doors locked, give yourself room at intersections to drive away, and head to the nearest police station. That should scare them away.