Residents of Austin, Texas, and frequent commuters know the struggle of getting around town. As Austinites head to work, school, or a weekend Longhorn football game, traffic gets heavy, and people become impatient and frustrated.
As tempting as it may be to release your anger onto other drivers, road rage will only make matters worse. Here are three tips on how to handle aggressive Austin drivers to keep you and others safe on the road.
1. Remain Calm
The best thing you can do is remain calm in a road rage situation. When someone is driving aggressively around you, take a deep breath. Your immediate instinct may be to react, but remaining calm and keeping a level head will allow you to make more sensible and safe decisions.
If you are the target of a driver with road rage, try not to panic. Keep your hands firmly on the wheel, keep your eyes on the road, and remain aware of your surroundings. Constantly watching the driver through your rearview mirrors can cause you to crash into cars in front of you. If the driver is trying to get around you, continue driving until you can safely move over and allow the vehicle to pass.
2. Don’t Engage
If you’ve ever experienced road rage from another driver, you know how tempting it can be to honk your horn and scream profanities from your car. However, you should never engage in reckless behavior around another aggressive driver. As frustrating as it may be to have a driver tailgate you or cut you off, responding aggressively can put you and other drivers in danger.
Austin is ranked as one of the top 25 cities in Texas for road rage incidents involving gun violence. Rather than engaging, avoid eye contact with the driver and give them as much space as possible. No traffic incident is worth your life.
3. Pull Over
Sometimes, allowing the driver to pass you isn’t always an option. In situations like these, pull over if you’re feeling threatened. Find a safe place to stop, such as a parking lot, and wait for the driver to move on. Try to avoid pulling into the shoulder to allow another vehicle to pass you. This can make it extremely difficult to merge back into the flow of traffic, even after the aggressive driver has passed.
In some cases, drivers can report aggressive or reckless drivers to 3-1-1. This is a non-emergency contact to connect with an Austin operator. You can report the aggressive driver’s license plate number, description of the vehicle, and your location. If the situation escalates into an emergency, such as a car wreck, always call 9-1-1.
Remember to take care of yourself and put your safety first. If you or a loved one has been injured in a car crash caused by road rage, contact a qualified personal injury attorney to help get your life back on track.
