What Road Rage Is and How to Avoid It

**Full Disclosure: This is a sponsored post which also contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I get a teeny-tiny percentage at no cost to you. All opinions are my own.

I’d be fooling myself if I said I’d never experienced mild cases of road rage. I don’t get overly angry but I do mumble under my breath from time to time about some nincompoop driving too closely or the idiots running their red lights so I can’t turn on my green arrow. But, as I start thinking about my 14-year old learning to drive, I want to set a positive example. I want him to know what road rage is and how to avoid it. He’s not the only one, though, I want to share these things with everyone!

What is Road Rage?

Road rage is defined as violent anger caused by the stress and frustration involved in driving a motor vehicle in difficult conditions.

Statistics of Road Rage –

• Nearly 80 percent of drivers expressed significant anger, aggression, or road rage at least once in the past year, according to a 2016 study by the American Automobile Association (AAA) Foundation for Traffic Safety.
• Aggressive driving plays a role in 66% of traffic fatalities.
• 50% of people who encounter aggressive driving behavior respond similarly.
• A firearm is involved in 37% of aggressive driving incidents.
• Aggressive driving behaviors, such as speeding and tailgating, can often lead to road rage. Motorists say this is a top threat to highway safety.
• Out of 10,000 road-rage incidents committed over a seven-year span, there were 218 deaths and 12,610 injuries recorded.

Why Road Rage is Bad:

• Angry outbursts on (or off) the road aren’t that great for you because it’s possible that they could actually trigger a heart attack or stroke.
• One AAA study found that about 8 million U.S. drivers had engaged in extreme examples of road rage in the past year, including purposefully ramming another vehicle or getting out of the car to confront another driver. These actions could lead to extra dangerous exchanges involving guns or other weapons. People die from rage-induced crashes, following fights and confrontations.

How to Avoid Road Rage:

1. Allow plenty of time to get to your destination so you don’t get frustrated with delays.
2. If someone is tailgating you, move over.
3. Think about your habits. Have you done something to annoy another driver? If so, apologize with a wave.
4. Don’t fight over a parking space.
5. Allow faster drivers to pass you.
6. Don’t cut off other drivers.
7. Listen to music you enjoy.
8. Use your horn sparingly.

How do you avoid road rage situations?

Head over to Phil Smith Kia to find a car that fits your needs!