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LOW RISK DRIVING |
Road Safety PLUS - by Dieter R. Fischer ISBN No. 0 09577 426 0 6 |
| 5. Adverse Conditions |
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LOW RISK DRIVING |
Road Safety PLUS - by Dieter R. Fischer ISBN No. 0 09577 426 0 6 |
| 5. Adverse Conditions |
34. ROAD RAGE - Don't become a victim
People driving motor cars may be in all kinds of mood. When a person, who is generally short-tempered, or is angry at the time, meets with a mishap in traffic, emotion can get out of control, resulting in roadrage.
Consider the following incidents, taken from the daily newspaper.
Road rage is often the result of irritation and anger that was waiting to explode. An innocent motorist forgetting to indicate or braking unexpectedly, may trigger a violent reaction, far beyond any reasoning. Just by looking at someone, one can get into trouble, if this person doesn’t like being looked at. The weeks leading up to Christmas are a peak time for driver tension and incidents on the road.The death of a pet dog is reported in the US. As an act of revenge for a minor traffic incident, an angry motorist snatched the animal from the owner and threw it across the road into oncoming traffic. The dog dies in front of it’s distressed master.
A 57-year old man in Melbourne was bitten in the arm and punched in the face by a young, male driver after they’d both stopped at a traffic light.
In Sydney the father of a teenage girl was attacked as he was giving her driving practice.
Hints to minimize your risk
and not become a road rage victim:Nobody gets angry at a courteous driver.Always drive with your doors locked. Also shut windows, if approached in an uninviting manner.
Drive in an orderly manner, always think how your behaviour will affect motorists around you. Check mirrors frequently, indicate early, brake intelligently and don’t change direction, unless safe.Don’t aggravate any situation. Get out of the way, if someone insists on overtaking dangerously. Don’t try and teach anyone a lesson by driving slowly or play
ing policeman. After all, the person behind may be in a genuine emergency.Drive away from trouble. If hassled, leave the area. Turn in the other direction or reverse
away from a situation, which looks serious. Blast your horn wildly. This irritates troublemakers and draws attention that something is wrong and you need help.Try to identify the offender
s. Write down car number plates, descriptions of vehicles and people involved. Report the incident to the police as soon as possible.
Sadly, whatever is present in our society is reflected on the road. Angry, frustrated people, who can't control their temper is part of this. Be sure to obey above points and you should never become a victim or roadrage.
Disclaimer: Above information is for Australian learner drivers. Regulations could vary in your part of the world. We take no responsibility for any accidents, failed driving tests, even if the advise in this book has been followed. We recommend to use above information in conjunction with a professional driving instructor.
