Okay so by the title and picture we can all assume I am talking about road rage. Certainly this has become a bigger problem over recent years and this is especially true in larger metro areas of the US. I have found it difficult to come up with stats between men and women. I would assume men would have a higher incidence of road rage just because men tend to be more aggressive.
According to a study by AAA, there are more than 1200 incidents a year that end with serious injuries or fatalities and this continues to rise. Of course road rage is defined different in each state and carries various penalties. It can be seen as reckless driving, endangering public safety or aggressive driving. This can also be prosecuted under law as attempted murder or manslaughter.
So what am I getting at? Well the point is driving in the car is not the great equalizer between us. People often find that they turn into a different persona when they enter their car. You are not the road police or the "Terminator". Getting angry and letting the other driver on the road know this will not solve anything. They will not care and/or understand that they have done something offensive to you. It's also impossible to know exactly how this driver is going to respond to you. Do they have a gun and would use it?
If the other driver is not doing something truly illegal that will harm many others on the road, let it go and maybe turn down a different exit or street to get away from them. Letting the issue go is much more important to your health and your safety. If the driver is continuing to drive in a way that will harm another driver or perhaps themselves, call the police.
I know I myself have gotten very irritated over bad drivers. I often have kids the in the car with me or I am sure it would have been much more tempting to give certain gestures or yell out my window. What do you do when someone has done you wrong on the road? How do you deal with it?
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