Dealing with an erratic driver while trying to navigate a busy highway can leave you feeling stressed and overwhelmed.
This kind of driving, commonly known as road rage, can lead to a crash and serious injuries if it becomes too dangerous. Knowing how this emotional reaction influences accidents can help you avoid anyone showing signs of this issue as you drive.
Speeding
According to NBC News, speeding is one of the most common reactions to road rage. When people become annoyed or frustrated by another driver, they may try to catch up to the other car and intimidate them.
Not only can speeding put the angry driver at risk, but it can also leave you open to getting sideswiped. The faster people go, the less time they have to react and brake for sudden changes in traffic or obstacles around them.
Tailgating
Closely following another car’s bumper is often known as tailgating. Drivers with road rage do not leave the proper following distance between their cars and the cars around them, which can lead to accidents.
Instead of choosing to calm down or distract themselves, these frustrated people try to run other cars off the road or make them pull over. In some cases, once a car pulls over and stops, the angry driver may get out and attempt to harm the person inside with a baseball bat or other weapon.
Honking
Using your horn once to get someone’s attention is different than a driver with road rage continually honking so that the other people around them feel aggravated and distracted.
Between loud honks and rude gestures, the people around them may begin to feel emotional distress. Noticing these signs of intense road rage can help you navigate the roads safely.