Picture this.
You’re going through your daily commute to work. Everything seems normal when suddenly you hear loud horns from behind you. You look at your rear-view mirror and you see a furious driver coming at you with speed. You can tell that their face is red, filled with bulging veins.
Congratulations. You’ve just witnessed road rage from an aggressive driver.
While this behavior isn’t all that common, it does happen enough. And when it happens, the situation often leads to a traumatic accident. No amount of safe driving classes could prevent an accident should an aggressive driver lose control of their vehicle.
There’s no denying that driving in general could be stressful. You never know what’s on someone’s mind on the road. I’m sure even the best of us have found themselves getting mad over other drivers cutting around us. Feeling stressed during these situations is rather normal, but real issues happen when these feelings escalate into rage and aggressiveness on the road.
Signs of an Aggressive Driver
Aggressive drivers pose a huge danger to motorists everywhere. The possibility of losing control of a vehicle sky-rockets when a person is driving aggressively. According to Houston car accident lawyer Anthony Milano, there are many signs that one can spot when a near-by driver begins to act offensively. Oftentimes spotting these signs and acting accordingly would be the difference between getting involved in an accident and getting to your destination safely. Some of the aggressive behaviors from drivers to watch out for include:
- Speeding
- Excessive use of the horn
- Ignoring the right of way
- Swerving between lanes dangerously
- Lack of signal use
- Running red lights and stop signs
- Screaming and cursing at other drivers
- Lack of turn signal use
These types of behaviours are often the precursor to a serious accident. Since aggressive drivers usually speed well above the speed limit and swerve aggressively between lanes, getting in an accident with one usually causes extreme damage and injuries. These drivers are among the worst that you could encounter on the road.
How To Keep Yourself Safe
After learning how dangerous aggressive driving can be, it’s crucial to know how to keep yourself and your loved ones safe should you encounter one.
If an aggressive driver loses control of their vehicle, it’s fairly possible that they would collide with you causing serious injuries; no matter how defensively you may drive. This is why it’s important to try your best to avoid aggressive drivers when you see them on the road. As long as it is safe and legal to do so, let them pass you. Avoiding them all together is your best bet to keep yourself and loved ones safe on the road.
Another thing to remember is to never engage with an aggressive driver on the road. Even if they do first, do not look at them or respond to their shouting, even if it was to get them to calm down. In most cases, engaging an aggressive driver might make them angrier. The angrier they get, the higher the chances of them losing control over their car and causing serious harm to others.
In the case where you are a passenger traveling with an aggressive driver, you should do your best to calm things down. Being in the car with an aggressive driver puts you in a very tough position. Steer away from antagonizing the driver and make an effort to suggest pulling over and taking a moment to breath and calm down.
