What To Do When You’re A Victim Of Road Rage

No one is a perfect motorist. If there were textbook drivers out on the road, car insurance would not be as important an entity as it is. No one can say they haven’t rolled through a stop sign, bumped a curb or forgot to signal a lane change at some point in their driving career. These are all big no-no’s of course, and to be avoided at all costs, but we’re human and things happen. What’s most scary is engaging another driver in our driving misstep, and having them fly off the handle.

At CoverHound, we want our customers to feel safe on the road. We offer the best car insurance quotes in the market, and share ways to be a better, safer motorist.

Learn how to take care of yourself in a road rage incident below.

The Angry Motorist

As a motorist, you’ve more than likely experienced being cut off by another car at least a handful of times, if not more. It’s infuriating, isn’t it? The sudden scare of having to slam on your brakes to avoid an accident leaves you feeling sick and unnerved, but only for a couple of minutes. You make your way home and have a pleasant rest of the evening.

The following week, you’re stopped at a four-way stop, you look every which way, and proceed to go. Out of nowhere is another car behind you, its driver thumping the horn and screaming. You give an apologetic wave and continue driving, but this guy isn’t relenting. He’s tailgating and yelling profanities. Studies have shown that 1,500 people a year are hurt or killed in a road rage accident every year. Now you’re frightened, what do you do to diffuse the situation?

Step 1: Do not React

You may feel that you need to defend yourself against the hothead behind you, but RoadRagers suggests otherwise. Instead, do not react to this other driver. Do not make eye contact or show visible signs of fright. Continue driving, and watch for signs of increased hostility.

Step 2: Do Not Engage

You may find yourself becoming increasingly angry because this other driver is not letting down. You may want to slow your speed, give them a “brake check” (when a driver slams on the brakes to scare and stop the driver behind them) or exchange derogatory hand signals. Do not engage in any of these activities or others. Engaging with the other driver will only escalate a situation you want to diffuse.

Step 3: Pay Attention to Your Surroundings

If the other driver persists in tailgating, honking their horn and following you, you need to be very aware of where you are. Do not pull over to the shoulder to let the driver pass, and definitely don’t drive home. The other driver may pull in behind you or try to hit your vehicle. Instead, find a police or fire station and pull in there. If you cannot find a police or fire station, pull into a very public area, this should scare the other driver off.

It’s scary when a total stranger comes after you on the road. Now that you’re informed on what and what not to do, you no longer have to be scared. To learn more about driving patterns and car insurance, visit our insurance learning center today.