How to beat road rage before road rage beats you!

If you’re going to enter any hazardous environment, it makes sense to equip yourself with the right tools but also the right plan.

Hitting the road is something most of us do from the age of 17 after now completing 100 hours of training (unless Mum & Dad “fudge” the numbers a little) and passing a driving test.

Once achieved your on the open roads without a worry in the world and the wind in your hair, except for those pesky other drivers on the road who want to come into your lane, brake as hard as they can right in front of you or just cut you off without indicating.

What’s the go with that, it’s not what you were taught to do and it’s just not right!

So what are your options here?

Some would say yelling, screaming, honking your horn, waving your hand vigorously and/or raising certain digits is the best course of action, but is it really?

Starting down this path will lead to a life of frustration on the road where everybody else is in the wrong when you are always right, but are you?

Road rage seems to be on the increase and in my honest opinion, it just helps no-one.

How would you feel if someone was gesticulating wildly at you for a minor error of judgement you made, or even worse, what if they get out of their car with a baseball bat and start practicing their home-runs on your car or even worse, you?

The Department of Transports around this beautiful country of ours should add yoga or meditation to the schooling process of how to drive, just so people can learn to take a deep breath when something doesn’t go their way.

Here are the Top 8 ways to throw a spanner in the works with a road rager:

1. Right vs Wrong

Just forget about right and wrong, the only thing that matters is personal safety, traffic is an imperfect environment and people make mistakes and act like massive tools, that is just a given, you just need to roll with the punches and keep everyone around you safe.

It’s not your job to punish the shit drivers.

Right and wrong are irrelevant concepts on the road.

The thing to avoid is a chain reaction of escalating aggression and the inevitable consequences.

2. Entitlement Culture

There is something about getting behind the wheel of your own car that makes you feel like you own the road and behave in a manner that would get you punched in the head in any other part of society.

Keep in mind you are not entitled to drive like a tosser either, sending texts or eating noodles for dinner is just not on.

3. “Victim Justification”

In a real-life example, a 48 year old man feels aggrieved by the driver in front and starts to tailgate, flashing lights and jumping on his horn.

Not enough to assuage his rage he then gets in front of the car and slams on his brakes, both cars coming to a halt just in time without impact, a feat the truck behind the 2nd car could not follow slamming into said car which contained a mother with her 3 school children heading home, except the fact they never all made it home, the 10 year old boy suffered massive head trauma and after 5 days in intensive care he passed away.

The man received 8 years prison although he has appealed this sentence. The mother has been quoted as saying “There’s no prison you can put him in that is worse than the prison he has put our family in.” Wake up dickheads, is a minor traffic infringement worth death?

4. The scumbags among us

Have you ever had that moment where you change lanes and you cut it a little close and the driver behind just absolutely loses their shit and starts hurling abuse at you?

Happens more than we care to imagine and even to the point where people get out of the cars and physically assault the offending driver, just because they cut it a little too close.

They could choose to brake and back it up a little instead of tailgating and then assaulting people, but that’s why they are scumbags.

5. Rules of disengagement

DO NOT ENGAGE is the first and last point you should remember when dealing with any road rager. Slow down, move over and let the idiot pass you, do not flash your lights, beep your horn or give them the finger as they go by, the last thing you need to do is inflame the situation further and give them a reason to stop too.

6. De-escalate

don’t do anything to enrage the situation and never drive a car angry. If you step behind the wheel when all you see is red, what do you think the outcome will be, not pretty would be my guess. Don’t take out your anger on some poor unsuspecting soul, it’s not their fault, why should they pay for your anger?

7. Remain in your car

whatever you do, if you are confronted by road rage, never, ever get out of your car. Slow down, drive conservatively, put your windows up and lock your doors. Your car is your fortress and a means of escape. Use it to get away from the situation.

8. Don’t head for home

if for whatever reason you have one of these scumbags following your every move and you cannot shake him no matter what you do, the number one rule is DO NOT head for home, stay somewhere public like a service station that has great CCTV cameras, pull up in front of the console operator, leave your car in drive with your foot on the brake and if the imbecile gets out of his car and comes your way with a weapon slowly drive away leaving behind footage for the whole world to see. Other than that head for your nearest Police Station, usually a very good deterrent.

For more information and a great job in explaining this better than I can, check out John Cadogan’s You tube channel.

His insightful, and at times “colourful” way of explaining things is not for everyone, but here at Brisbane Car Shed we love his views on all things cars!

BEWARE: John tells it exactly as it is, so if you are easily offended you may not enjoy his hard truths as John calls a spade a f%$#@ing shovel!

Remember if you’re looking for a new car or need to sell your current car, talk to me! Call Paul on 0411 362 229.