There’s Always a Choice When it Comes to Driving

In the United States, it is estimated that over 110,000 people die in car accidents caused by aggressive driving every four years and about 80% of drivers have expressed significant anger while driving. So many innocent lives have been lost because people don’t know how to drive in a safe manner. Aggressive driving is something I feel has been normalized, something that we as drivers must deal with, something that is inevitable. On my daily commute to work, I started out by driving the most direct and quickest route, the highway. Almost every day I experienced an aggressive driver speeding, weaving in and out of traffic, or cutting in front of me making me nearly a victim of a fatal accident. I was sick of constantly feeling like I was risking my life on the road. I decided to take the long way to work by backroads. At first, I was feeling much better about driving, but as time went on, I began experiencing the same kind of dangerous driving behavior I had experienced on the highway, like others passing on double yellow lines. Through these scary driving experiences, I learned a lot about being a better and safer driver. One of the first things I learned is that it is important to keep in mind that others aren’t going to drive the same way as you. I am an extremely careful driver. I always have my phone on do not disturb and out of sight so the temptation isn’t there. I go the speed limits, use my turn signals, etc. But not everyone will drive this way. Therefore, it is always good to keep your attention not only on the road but on your surroundings and fellow drivers. Know where all the cars are in relation to your vicinity on the road. You should take the golden rule and apply it to your driving: treat others on the road the way you would want to be treated. This means keeping a safe distance between you and the person in from of you, so you don’t feel like they’re being tailgated. Waving other drivers on at a stop sign or when making a turn. Showing kindness and being respectful to others on the road can make a huge difference. For drivers like me, I see the roads as a place full of accidents waiting to happen, but when I come across that one nice driver it makes me feel more hopeful. It reminds me that there are still good drivers out there. Unfortunately, not everyone is a respectful driver which is why we have to be cautious of other drivers who can become aggressive or dangerous, whether you’re on a highway or a backroad. Aggressive drivers are everywhere. The first thing you should do in any situation containing an aggressive driver is to remain calm. For example, when I was young, my brother, mother and I were going home. There was a lot of rush hour traffic. My mother was careful not to drive too close to the car in front of her. Suddenly, the car behind us rear-ended my mother’s car. My mother carefully braked so as not to hit the car in front of her. While doing this, the car behind hit us again. Getting upset or angry is only going to worsen the situation and give you the opportunity to not make the best decisions. Obviously, the driver was not paying attention. Even though that person was not tailgating, if you find yourself with another driver tailgating while you’re driving down the highway a safe solution to this problem would be to pull off on the side of the road to allow them to pass. Even changing lanes would be better than sticking it out with the tailgater. Many times, people tend to get upset over these kinds of interactions, causing them to do things like slamming on their breaks or road rage. This only makes the situation worse for you and makes you an aggressive driver as well. Taking a deep breath and moving out of their way is the best thing to do to ensure your safety as well as the safety of the other drivers around you. Deciding to react to it will make you just as bad as the other aggressive drivers on the road and will increase your chances of getting into a potentially fatal accident. You can’t change the way people drive, but you do have a choice as to how you react to it.