- Road rage must be taken seriously since there are major consequences for improper behavior
- The state of Maine is taking steps to criminalize aspects of “minor” road rage
- Following a few simple steps could assist with diffusing or avoiding a situation
Road rage should never be dismissed or taken lightly. The term “road rage” may be used as a common colloquial way to describe someone’s angry reactions while driving, but there is an ominous, dangerous association with the term.
Depending on the circumstances of a driver’s rage, the legal definition could be described as:
- Harassment
- Menacing
- Simple assault
- Aggravated assault, or worse
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has effectively defined road rage as a driver’s commission of moving traffic offenses that endanger persons or property. The NHTSA also defines road rage as an assault with a motor vehicle or dangerous weapon on other drivers and passengers.
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Maine Takes Action
In the usually serene state of Maine, there have been a few very well-publicized cases of road rage. A few cases involved unfortunate incidents that led to serious criminal charges.
In order to deter persons from engaging in road rage, the Maine legislature criminalized a number of “minor” actions that angry drivers may perform.
Rude gestures, shouting threats, cutting off another vehicle in anger, and other actions fall under the category of a Class E crime.
Guilty persons may find themselves in anger management classes. They may also be looking at 90 days in jail.
When is road rage most common?
While road rage can happen under any circumstances, there are certain times in which incidents are most frequent. No one should be too surprised to learn morning and evening commutes have high incidents of road rage.
Nor should anyone be surprised that road rage breaks out after sporting events, times in which tempers and emotions run high.
Lunch time might surprise some people, but it shouldn’t. A rough morning at work can leave someone in a bad mood. Interestingly, so can holidays as these dates are known for higher-than-normal road rage scenarios.
12 Tips to Curb Road Rage
Curtailing the onset of road rage is not easy, but following these simple tips could assist prevention nicely:
#1 — Avoid stressing out
Driving, even sitting at the wheel, takes a toll on stress levels. As tension builds, the ability to control anger diminishes.
The environment of being in a car has a not-so-helpful psychological effect. People feel protected in a vehicle so they may act rudely and rashly.
Allowing yourself to be overtaken by stress leads can prove disastrous. Calming yourself down and not becoming controlled by stress could reduce incidents of road rage.
#2 — Take the “I” test
A little self-reflection is necessary. Take some time out and evaluate your attitude on the road.
Do you see yourself losing control often? If so, then you need to accept the fact you are prone to road rage. Acknowledging the problem boosts the chances of addressing it.
#3 — Avoid sudden movements
In addition to reducing the chances of an accident, avoiding ill-advised braking, swerving, or passing could diminish the likelihood of potential road rage incidents.
Cutting someone off as an act of defiance is not going to make any situation better. Doing so will only escalate a problem.
#4 — Don’t mimic bad or raging drivers
“He started it” is hardly a sound legal defense. Repeating those words won’t exactly help heal car accident-induced broken bones either.
When another driver is causing problems or trying to evoke a response, maintain control.
Do not try and copy the bad behavior of another driver. Doing so could lead to a terrible situation.
#5 — Let tailgaters pass
Tailgating is an obnoxious and dangerous thing to do. Tailgating is performed as a means of trying to force another driver to get out of the way.
What should you do when someone is tailgating? Allowing them to pass might work.
Slowing down the car to get back at a tailgating driver, on the other hand, might lead to tragic consequences.
#6 — Use your horn only if necessary
Horns are designed to alert and alarm other drivers at times when their attention must be captured.
Using a horn as a means of chiding or admonishing is wrongheaded. Another driver may get quite upset, and an incident — an avoidable incident — soon follows.
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#7 — Don’t make eye contact
Eye contact is a form of a challenge. People try to make eye contact to intimidate others.
Getting irked and glaring at someone who is not going to be easily intimidated is another way a road rage incident spirals out of control.
#8 — Don’t use obscene gestures
Far worse than making eye contact would be directly insulting a driver with an obscene gesture or mouthing an obscenity. Nothing could set another driver off more than doing this.
Always remember — one action of road rage may provoke another. Never escalate a problem.
#9 — Stay behind the aggressor as much as possible
Disengaging might be the best strategy. Be the better person.
Back off and keep clear of a problematic driver. Maintain a safe distance behind him or her.
Disengaging cuts down on the potential for a confrontation.
#10 — Put on some calming music
Maybe it is time for a little “music for relaxation” to come out of the car’s stereo.
Don’t laugh at this notion. Music does have an impact on mood and attitude.
Calming music might help with calming down a restless, racing mind.
Calming your mind with music would aid in decreasing anxiety which, in turn, might lead to raging or venting less. Problems could end up avoided.
#11 — Treat other drivers how you would like to be treated
Being belligerent evokes a similar response. Control your anger, anxiety, and stress and don’t take things out on others.
Be considerate to other drivers to avoid confrontations.
#12 — Drive to the closest police station or heavily populated area if being followed
Do not dismiss the dangers of being followed. Don’t get angry, stop the car, and try to deal with the situation yourself.
A driver who is following you might have terrible intentions. Head to the safest place possible when this occurs.
The Impact of Road Rage in Maine
The state of Maine sponsored research into aggressive driving and decided to take the matter seriously. Losing control over your state of mind leads to losing control of a vehicle.
Losing control does not mean total control of the car is lost, but concentration and careful driving might be thrown out the proverbial window.
Most commonly, the driver is going to start speeding — a dangerous thing when concentration and attitude are compromised.
Not too surprisingly, such actions may lead to accidents and injuries to the driver, other drivers, and pedestrians. At the very least, insurance rates or outright loss of insurance coverage might result.
Even more severe situations could play out due to road rage. One driver in Maine found himself on the receiving end of a two-week “driving to endanger” conviction after purposely hitting another driver’s car.
Stay clear of these types of drivers. Those who scoff at the notion of road rage really should check out an eye-opening dashcam video of one incident in Maine.
Shopping for Car Insurance
Anyone who has been involved in a road rage incident may be interested in improving their insurance coverage.
Finding the best car insurance shouldn’t be too difficult. Look for policies online and make all necessary comparisons.
Comparison shopping should assist with getting the best policy at the best price.
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