Road Rage- Evasion and Escape

[Joe in PNG]

Looking at the 'battle rifle' thread, and it's kind of turning into a thing about avoiding and escaping road rage incidents.

So, what's the best way to avoid it in general?

Then, knowing that we live in a world of people looking for opportunities to do stupid thing, what's the best means to get out of it?

[psalms144.1]

Use the "Raylen Givens" approach - if the first person you meet in the morning is an A$$hole, you met an @$$hole. If EVERYONE you meet is an @$$hole, it's probably you who's the @$$hole... (Seriously, have to use that quote every chance I get, and NOT intending that you, Rex, or anyone else on PF is the @$$hole!)

That out of the way, "avoiding" road rage:

1. Don't get in the left lane unless you intend to pass, with alacrity.
2. Don't ride in anyone's trunk (corollary to #1).
3. Don't flash your high beams to try to convince someone to pull over so you can pass.
4. USE YOUR TURN SIGNALS and check your blind spots.

In other words, drive safely and courteously.

Another tip: don't put a bunch of confrontational $hit on your car. Bumper stickers, bullet holes, gang colors, you know the drill. Don't lock eyes with folks in the cars around you when you're stopped in traffic, but, if you do - be friendly.

Having said all that, it might just be "your day," and the @$$hole is going to pick you. In that case, do whatever you can to let the aggressive driver pass you, because it's easier to see what he/she's doing and react than try to get away. If the @$$hole tries to nudge you and makes contact, counter-steer and keep your speed steady or accelerate smoothly away - chances are they'll lose control after the contact ends.

If you can, drive to the nearest safe spot - PD, Fire Department, Hospital, etc - any place you're likely to find uniformed LE.

[RJ]

I first read Kurt Rich's Drive to Survive when I started commuting.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/...ive_to_Survive

Although older, it's still an excellent reference for this sort of thing. Several of the suggestions he made have stuck with me over the years. Don't ever blow your horn. If you feel like you are being followed, make three right turns. Your Mission is to get from A to B, safely; the road is not a racetrack and the other drivers are not your competitors. Leave yourself room in front at a stop light by seeing the tire treads of the car ahead of you, to get by if needed.

On a day to day basis, I try and follow the AAA rule: Always Avoid Assholes. Just let 'em go. My wife says I drive like a grampa, which is true enough, but honestly I just don't need to get involved. I also try and blend in, as much as a mid-size pickup truck can blend in. No stickers or vanity plate.

[Joe in PNG]

Personally, I don't take driving personally. Some people drive like idiots, and there's not much I can do about it. Why stress or even waste time thinking about it?

I also try to be the 'grey man' on the road. Not too fast, not too slow, never aggressive- just go with the general flow of traffic on the road. Especially when traveling on my motorcycle.

[DDTSGM]

Personally, I don't take driving personally. Some people drive like idiots, and there's not much I can do about it. Why stress or even waste time thinking about it?

I agree, stay calm, don't shorten your life by raising your BP. All that being said, one reason to think about it is that we all make mistakes. Maybe we accidentally cut someone off, maybe we misjudged the speed of an approaching vehicle. Things happen no one is perfect. We can control our attitudes, but we can't control the other person's. When I screw up I try to acknowledge that fact and in some way convey that I'm sorry by gestures, or getting the heck out of the way. I also have thought about options for when the apology isn't accepted.

I'm by nature an impatient SOB, so I try to make sure I start trips early so I have plenty of time and am not tempted to drive aggressively. I generally try to find a position so that I'm travelling with the flow so that I'm not having to come off cruise or change lanes too often.

One of the things that really gets me going is someone on the highway camping out in my blind spot, so I make sure I don't camp out in anyone else's. I've got blind spot mirrors on everything I drive but I still reinforce that by making a positive check over my shoulder before lane changes.

I also try to be the 'grey man' on the road. Not too fast, not too slow, never aggressive- just go with the general flow of traffic on the road. Especially when traveling on my motorcycle.

When I'm on my motorcycle I'm a waving son of a gun. I definitely do not hang out in blind spots when passing on the motorcycle. I come off cruise, crack the throttle, get passed, signal back into the lane and wave. Same thing whenever I have a motorist on a side street make eye contact with me and hold their position instead of pulling out, they get a big ol' wave.

This is probably a bad thing to mention, no one endorse it but me, when I am riding my motorcycles that don't have self-canceling turn signals, I don't use them, rather, I use arm signals. I wonder how many riders w/o self canceling signals have met their maker because they had their left turn signal on and an oncoming car believed them and turned left in front of them, or a motorist on a side street believed the right turn signal the motorcyclist left on and pulled out in front of them.

[19852+]

Personally, I don't take driving personally. Some people drive like idiots, and there's not much I can do about it. Why stress or even waste time thinking about it?

I also try to be the 'grey man' on the road. Not too fast, not too slow, never aggressive- just go with the general flow of traffic on the road. Especially when traveling on my motorcycle.

Yes, exactly, the grey man. My wife often criticizes my slow and conservative driving style. I slow and stop for yellow lights if possible, she speeds up to get through. But she's often late and I leave early so I don't have to rush. She always wants me to drive so I do but if she comments on my adherence to the speed limit I signal to pull over so she can drive. Oh no... you drive...

Too me it all keys around getting places on time. Leave early enough so you can drive easy and even get a little lost without being late. Much less stress.

[Corse]

Yes, exactly, the grey man. My wife often criticizes my slow and conservative driving style. I slow and stop for yellow lights if possible, she speeds up to get through. But she's often late and I leave early so I don't have to rush. She always wants me to drive so I do but if she comments on my adherence to the speed limit I signal to pull over so she can drive. Oh no... you drive...

Too me it all keys around getting places on time. Leave early enough so you can drive easy and even get a little lost without being late. Much less stress.

You’ll probably enrage more people by stopping for a yellow light, besides the fact that nobody will expect you to do that.

[Erik]

That and adhering to the speed limit in most places, as unreasonable as that may seem to some of you. When I see someone driving like that my first thought is, "drunk or very old." Driving the speed limit and slowing for yellow lights is sort of the opposite end of the spectrum from driving like an asshole and sailing through red lights but neither is really "grey man" and both will probably enrage anybody who's likely to get enraged anyway.

[19852+]

That and adhering to the speed limit in most places, as unreasonable as that may seem to some of you. When I see someone driving like that my first thought is, "drunk or very old." Driving the speed limit and slowing for yellow lights is sort of the opposite end of the spectrum from driving like an asshole and sailing through red lights but neither is really "grey man" and both will probably enrage anybody who's likely to get enraged anyway.

Slowing for a yellow caution light when possible and when it's been on for more than a few seconds is the safe way to go, how someone else reacts is on them. The crime crushers around here do enforce city speed limits rather enthusiastically so 35mph is 35mph..

[RoyGBiv]

That and adhering to the speed limit in most places, as unreasonable as that may seem to some of you. When I see someone driving like that my first thought is, "drunk or very old." Driving the speed limit and slowing for yellow lights is sort of the opposite end of the spectrum from driving like an asshole and sailing through red lights but neither is really "grey man" and both will probably enrage anybody who's likely to get enraged anyway.

There's a 2-lane road near me with a 30MPH limit. If I drive less than 35 on that road, the tailgaters become double-yellow passers.
I asked our local PD to start writing tailgating tickets on that road, but, so far not.

And Texans are some of the worst red-light-running drivers I've ever experienced. If I'm stopping before the light is RED, I've got to check my rearview while I'm breaking.
On the good side, Texans are some of the BEST I've seen at yielding to emergency vehicles.
Possibly related?