HONK-HONK!!!

Written by Dominique Houle on 19/05/11

Photo by ACA-M on Flickr

You think you bombed a school test; your boss gave you a hard time at work; you have the worst headache ever; you really just want to get home as fast as possible and relax after a long day. But surprise, surprise! Its rush hour and road traffic is horrible and it seems it will likely last for hours. You feel yourself getting frustrated; but how can you stop it?

Whether we’re a driver or passenger, every now and then we all experience frustration while we’re on the road. Nevertheless, losing your patience and becoming aggressive never leads anywhere, except maybe to conflict and/or an accident. Which is why as hard as it may be, no matter the circumstance, it is so important to stay careful and respectful when we are on the road. Here are some tips that can help you prevent problems:

• Plan your route in advance. Some of the most dangerous and inconsiderate driving occurs when motorists are lost;
• Make a conscious decision not to let your personal problems distract you when you are driving;
• Open your window to get some fresh air and breathe deeply and slowly if you are starting to feel stressed, or turn the radio to some relaxing music;
• Avoid long drives if you can. If you take a long trip, stop every few hours for a rest;
• Drive in a courteous and considerate manner. Give way at busy intersections and where traffic lanes merge. Think about it this way, treat the other drivers like you would like them to treat you;
• Don’t compete or retaliate. If someone’s driving annoys you, don’t try to teach them a lesson. Leave traffic enforcement to the police;
• Don’t take other drivers’ mistakes personally. Avoid honking your horn unless absolutely necessary and, if you must, tap on it lightly;
• If you are being physically threatened, stay in your car and lock the doors. If you have a cell phone call the police- once you are stopped of course. Use your horn and lights to attract attention (Ministry of Transportation of Ontario).

Unfortunately, teleportation machines have not been invented yet and automobiles can’t fly – so sometimes we are stuck dealing with frustrating situations on the road. So until our cars have jets, try to not take your frustration out on other drivers so that we can maintain road safety for everyone.

Link

Ministry of Transportation of Ontario: Aggressive driving and road rage

7 Reader Comments:

1. 

   FrancineMay 20th

   Pas mal drôle l’image

2. 

   Ned SchneeblyMay 26th

   Thanks for the information.

   Ned Schneebly:
   “Those who can’t do, teach. And those who can’t teach, teach gym”.

3. 

   ValerieMay 27th

   Bravo Dominique :).

4. 

   sylvMay 27th

   How ironic, I was a victim of road rage myself this week. If only licence plates had an e-mail address it would be nice to send this article to the driver. LOL humour is the best medicine.

5. 

   Huyb8May 27th

   Sylv mihgt be on to something good!. Great idea to have an e-mail address attached to the license plate information. The Police can access the information and than might elect to send him/her an “informative” newsletter regarding this subject.

6. 

   AnonymousMay 29th

   I think we all agree that the world would have less road rage if people drove at the posted rates and for those who wish to drive other than those rates and take a risk at a speeding ticket should stay on the passing lane and off course if you have someone in the passing lane, then move over to the slow lane and let them pass…..Do this and we will eliminate road rage for good….

7. 

   Dominique HouleJune 15th

   Those are all good comments and observations everyone! And the more we talk about it, the more we raise awareness and contribute to making our roads safer.

   Merci à tous pour les bons commentaires et observations! Et le fait d’en parler davantage contribue à sensibiliser les gens ainsi que rendre nos routes plus sécuritaires.