Summary

The article discusses personal strategies for managing road rage, emphasizing the importance of choosing calm responses over aggressive actions.

Abstract

The author reflects on the influence of passengers, particularly family members, on the driver's temperament, suggesting that road rage can be exacerbated by the presence of certain individuals in the car. The article explores the author's experiences with a sibling who tends to provoke anger while driving, leading to the implementation of a new rule to prevent such conflicts. To mitigate road rage, the author recommends controlled expressions of frustration, such as lightly punching the steering wheel, instead of honking excessively or engaging in dangerous driving maneuvers. The article concludes by acknowledging the reality of road rage and the importance of being selective about one's passengers to avoid escalating the situation.

Opinions

Road rage can potentially be influenced by the negativity spread by passengers.
The author believes that road rage is a real issue, not a myth or an exaggeration.
It is suggested that road rage can worsen over time due to repeated negative experiences while driving.
The author advocates for a calm approach to dealing with frustrating driving situations, such as lightly hitting the steering wheel instead of resorting to aggressive behavior.
There is a recognition that certain people, like the author's sister, can significantly aggravate a driver's road rage.
The article implies that while road rage may not be entirely preventable, it can be controlled to some extent through self-awareness and conscious decision-making.

One Simple Way to Calm Your Road Rage

Before you get into a traumatic fight.

No, my car didn’t end up like this poor one above, but here’s something I’ve always wondered.

Is road rage contagious?

We’ve all had that annoying family members in the car while we’re driving and for some reason, they love to spread negativity. They’re in the passenger’s seat and once you stop at a traffic light, they’re spitting out hellish words in one breath.

I usually try to stay nice and calm when it comes to driving. The media can keep those stories of people getting shot on the road because I’m making sure that won’t happen to me.

But no matter how hard I try to stay mellow, will road rage catch up to me?

Well, there’s a short answer but I don’t want to give it away just yet. Let’s explore the long answer for a bit shall we?

“Go, Stop, Look, Pay attention, I can’t drive with her!”

I’m starting to hit a breaking point with certain people I let in the car.

New rule: No siblings in the car.

The fights we had in the car are the same old fights we always have. Don’t get me wrong, I love my sister, but let’s just say we both tend to push each other’s buttons (really hard).

But we’ve had some doozies. Like when we stopped at Meijer one time and my sister almost took an Uber home even though we were ten minutes away from our house. This only happened because she hated how I drove so slow.

I remember when she trained to get her driver’s license. I never acted like that to her.

Enough about me though. What I’m trying to say is that it’s very possible to develop road rage over time.

How do you stop road rage?

Well, if a car near you is doing something on the road that you hate, you can do one of two things.

Honk the horn to oblivion
Cut them off in a frenzy of annoyance

Cutting them off seems like the better option. What happens if you can’t cut them off?

Honestly, after that point, I’ve learned that hitting the wheel is going to be your best bet. Don’t break the wheel, but a light punch is a good way to let out your anger.

Ever since I’ve done this, my road rage is still there, but it’s not as prominent. I’m not honking my horn to death and I’m not risking a car accident to cut off the car in front of me.

Final Thoughts

If you like to drive, more power to you.

I’ll never understand how people drive so long without damn near throwing a rock at someone’s car. I used to think people made up road rage as a way to make their kids shut up in the car if they get their parents upset.

Nope, it’s a real thing.

Road rage is contagious. No matter how much you want someone in the car at the moment, you never know how they are when they get in that passenger’s seat. Those are people that can make your road rage worse so be mindful of who you let in the car with you.

Also, don’t get in a tizzy if you can’t cut off that slow-ass car who’s driving on the line. Hit the steering wheel a couple times and wait for an opening. That is, unless you’re an old person that’s okay with driving slow.

There’s no clear cut way to stop road rage. Trust me, I wish there was a way.

But if we can control it, that’s fine and dandy with me.

Man I wish I didn’t have to drive to get pizza after writing this, but I do. Drive safe.