Road rage is a severe issue in the United States. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, aggressive driving accounts for 54% of fatal accidents. Most people depend on their automobiles for transportation, therefore they must spend a substantial amount of time on the road to go where they need to go. Road rage may start with only one person acting aggressively in traffic. How can road rage effect your driving ability and judgment?

How Does Road Rage Affect Your Driving Skills and Judgment?

How can road rage effect your driving ability and judgment? To answer this question, you must first grasp what road rage is. Road rage is a state of tension, fury, and annoyance that you may feel when driving. This combination may lead to violent conduct, such as aggressive driving, cursing, and making hostile gestures at another motorist.

How Road Rage Can Affect Your Driving Skills and Judgment

Road rage may impair your driving abilities and judgment, perhaps resulting in a violent conflict or accident. When individuals are furious, they tend to shut out everything else and concentrate on the person who has made them angry. Driving with tunnel vision may be risky. While you're focused on the driver that irritated you, you can miss another car or impediment in your path. Anger while driving might cause you to accelerate and ignore some of the fundamentals of safe driving.

Road rage also impairs your judgment when driving. The surge of adrenaline and tension you experience may lead you to make bad judgments in the heat of the moment, such as speeding, following too closely, or indulging in other erratic behavior. These sorts of items may harm both your own and the lives of others around you on the road.

How to Avoid Aggressive Driving and Drivers

When you drive, you should remember that you should keep in control of your emotions. If someone else on the road behaves in a way that you dislike, remember that you do not have to react in the same way. Don’t tailgate other motorists, block lanes, or react if someone else is driving aggressively.

If you encounter an aggressive driver who targets you, make sure that your doors are locked and your windows remain closed. Try to keep plenty of room between your vehicle and the car in front of you. This can help you to maneuver around the car in front of you to reach safety. If you can, turn off the road and drive to a police station.

If you cannot escape, dial 911 to report what’s happening. You should never engage with someone who is behaving aggressively to try to avoid escalating the situation. If you can, pull over and record what is happening with your camera or smartphone. However, do not attempt to record anything while you’re currently driving. In addition, document the license plate number and other details that might be helpful.

Drive Defensively

Practicing good defensive driving tactics might help you reduce your chances of being involved in a road rage incident. Make sure you do the following things every time you drive:

• Keep plenty of distance between your vehicle and the one in front of you.
• Always use your turn signal when turning, preparing to pass, or re-entering the lane of traffic.
• Drive at the speed limit.
• Do not stay in the passing lane or block it.
• Always keep your attention on the road so that you can anticipate problems before they occur.
• Do not drive while distracted.
• Never drive while you are impaired by drugs or alcohol.

Speak to the Attorneys at the Law Offices of Bryan Musgrave

Road rage is dangerous and results in numerous accidents and injuries each year. If you have been injured in a collision caused by an aggressive driver, you should speak to the attorneys at the Law Offices of Bryan Musgrave. We can review what happened and help you understand your legal options