Road Rage: What Should You Do? Prosecutor Shares Tips

TOMS RIVER, NJ — What should you do if you're confronted by an aggressive driver or a road rage situation?

Video shared by a Brick Township woman of a man screaming at her after a traffic incident Wednesday — and a follow-up report about another woman's encounter with the same man — prompted plenty of debate among commenters about what should have been done and how others said they would have handled the situation.

On Friday morning, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office weighed in, with spokesman Al Della Fave posting the article with the admonition to "please avoid the insanity of #RoadRage." He then shared an article with tips on how to avoid becoming an angry driver. "#JustBreathe," he wrote.

AAA, on its website, defines road rage as "when an aggressive driver uses a vehicle or some other weapon to threaten or cause harm to another roadway user in response to a traffic incident. Road rage is an escalation of emotions generally ignited by aggressive driving behaviors." The number of deaths related to road rage is difficult to track, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that aggressive driving accounts for about one-third of all crashes and about two-thirds of the resulting fatalities, according to a report on Edmunds.com, an automotive website.

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The tips article Della Fave shared, from Edmunds.com, spells out 10 things you can do to be a calmer driver. They are shared below.

What should you do if you're confronted with an angry driver? Here's suggestions from AAA.com:

• Do not respond to the other driver. Avoid any escalation of conflict.
• Avoid eye contact with the aggressive driver or occupants.
• Be tolerant and forgiving. The aggressive driver may be having a really bad day and be looking for a way to vent anger.
• Be sure to allow enough room around your vehicle so that you can pull out or around if someone approaches your vehicle.
• Do not get out of your vehicle – it offers protection.
• If necessary, contact 911 for assistance. If necessary, drive to a busy public place where there are witnesses, such as a hospital or fire station. Once there, use your horn to attract others’ attention if needed.

The insurance company Progressive adds these tips:

• Protect yourself. Make sure your doors are locked. If you're stopped in traffic, leave enough room to pull out from behind the car you're following.
• If another driver challenges you, take a deep breath and move out of the way!
• Never underestimate the other driver's capacity for causing mayhem.
• Report aggressive drivers. As mentioned above, dial 911 or #77 in New Jersey to report aggressive drivers. Besure you give a vehicle description, license number, and the location and travel direction. You could prevent a tragedy.

Here's the Edmunds tips what you can do to avoid being an aggressive driver:

• Get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation makes us prone to feelings of annoyance, resentment and even anger.
• Add 10 minutes to your travel time. If you're someone who allows just enough time to drive to an appointment, you're probably more prone to a lead foot and a lost temper, the Edmunds.com report says.
• Don't use your car as a way to blow off steam. Whether you're angry at your boss, your spouse or someone else, your vehicle is first and foremost a mode of transportation, not a weapon.
• Try listening to relaxing music or an audiobook. The Edmunds report advises against music with "aggressive bass lines" but the point is to listen to something that will improve your mood, not increase your agitation.
• Loosen up and breathe. If you notice yourself clenching the steering wheel in a death grip, try flexing your fingers and loosening your hold — you'll find that you can control the car just as well. Periodically roll down the window and breathe deeply and slowly.
• Don't take it personally. Whether someone cut you off or is doing something else that upsets you, remember that people make mistakes or can be oblivious. Getting angry can increase the risk of retaliation. Think to yourself, "Is making my point worth endangering my life?" the Edmunds tips said.
• Practice kindness. Treat fellow drivers how you would like to be treated.

Lastly, Edmunds included a self-test to check yourself for aggressive behaviors. Take an honest look at your own driving. Record yourself. Do any of these statements apply to you? If yes, you may be an aggressive driver:

• I regularly exceed the speed limit in order to get to work on time.
• I tailgate other drivers, especially those who sit in the left lane.
• I flash my lights and honk my horn to let drivers know when they annoy me.
• I verbally abuse other drivers whether they can hear me or not.
• I frequently weave in and out of traffic to get ahead.
• I feel the need to set bad drivers straight.

Take the RoadRageous Test from the American Institute for Public Safety to see if your driving habits fall under the "aggressive zone," "hostile zone" or — worse yet — "war zone."

Driver's fist clenched in rage, by beelgin, via Flickr under Creative Commons license