There are plenty of reasons to feel frustrated while driving. Traffic jams that seem to occur the moment you pull into a new lane, hot weather that feels stifling, bad drivers that cut you off or put you in danger, those who dive into the last car parking space before you do, all of this can make us struggle and feel frustrated.
However, behind the wheel of a car, there really is no room to show aggression, to try and “win” a road battle, or to lose your temper and express that in your driving. All of this can put you and others in harms’ way. So, while you may have justified reasons for feeling annoyed, it’s never acceptable for that to cause irresponsible driving. You may know this of course, but in the heat of the moment, when the driver in front of you has been reckless, it’s hard to think clearly.
In this post, we’ll discuss some measures you can use to cope with that rage or frustration that comes to mind:
Understand The Triggers That Frustrate You Most
If someone puts you in harm’s way or is rude and inconsiderate on the road, it’s totally justified to feel annoyed, but if this expands to an outraged reaction, that can be a problem.
If you can be aware of the issues that annoy you the most, like being cut up in traffic (which will probably happen in the future), the next time you’re on the road, you can notice which situations make your knuckles go white on the steering wheel. Understanding your triggers creates a buffer between the event and your reaction and you can see it for what it is.
This is because once you’ve named something that bothers you, it becomes less likely to hijack your emotions completely, and that’s helpful when safety is all that matters on the road.
Use Small, Grounding Techniques In The Moment
When we become annoyed our body often reacts before our mind catches up. It’s easy to flip the bird, so to speak, or to try and flash someone with your headlights to show your frustration. None of that helps unless you’re trying to show you’re present for safety reasons. It’s much better to take a few deeper breaths to help reset your nervous system. You might count to four as you inhale, hold briefly, then exhale for six counts. This reminds your body that there’s no emergency requiring that fight-or-flight response.
Another option is loosening your grip on the steering wheel and rolling your shoulders back, provided you’re in a safe position to do so, because that helps you get rid of some of the stress. Physical tension feeds mental tension in a loop, so breaking that cycle with deliberate relaxation is wise..
Don’t Engage With Aggressive Drivers
Encountering an aggressive driver feels personal, as if they’ve singled you out for their road performance. The natural instinct might be to respond in kind, such as by speeding up, brake checking, or gesturing your feelings through the window. But engagement almost always escalates the situation rather than resolving it. Any good lawyer for an injury car accident will tell you that no one, no matter what, wins an aggressive argument on the road.
Giving aggressive drivers plenty of space serves both your safety and sanity, and it’s much better than trying to teach them a lesson. Let them pass when possible, note down the license plate in your mind, and report them to the authorities if you need to from a safe stop in a safe parking space.
However, as hard as it is, consider that you never really know what’s happening in someone else’s life, because the person driving erratically might be rushing to a hospital or dealing with a personal crisis. They might just be a terrible driver, unsafe driver. Either way, you don’t have to correct that now, but can follow it up later.
Give Yourself A Bit Of Extra Time Off The Road
Leaving ten minutes earlier than strictly necessary is good because even if someone is annoying, you have time to go around, be patient, to deal with it. You could take the scenic route if traffic looks bad. Part of that can help you avoid road rage or frustration that comes from the road conditions and other people not being conducive to your needs at that moment, and it can help a fair amount.
With this advice, you’re sure to better handle any residual road rage and frustration going forward, even if those situations do come now and again.
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