Road Rage Reasons and Dealing With It

by Ronel Forbes

January 18, 2023

Ever had the chance to collide with a reckless driver who abruptly cut you off? While some individuals are understanding, others become enraged and then attempt to retaliate. If worst comes to worst, there may be altercations between two drivers.

Here in the Philippines, one motorist would frequently end up cursing at the other. And you can bet that nothing constructive ever results from it.

We’ve all been there: attempting to maintain composure despite the need to scream and shout while driving. After all, we are stressed the moment we leave our homes here in the Philippines, more specifically in Manila. Today, road rage is rather widespread due to the hundreds of other drivers on the road.

Here are the top reasons why we get angry on the road!

Being tardy

Yes, being late is one of the main causes of road rage. People may be very angry if they are already five minutes late for their arranged meeting.

After all, their employer will likely write them a note or maybe give them a side-glance, thus it makes sense that they are angry on the road. Before entering that meeting, you’d better try to let go of your rage!

Other’s Driving

On occasion, the way other people drive might really make us feel sick. We can safely argue that this significantly contributes to road rage because some people are too rude to the point where they actually cut you off or even go ahead of you in line for the U-turn spot.

Imagine running into someone who drives that poorly while you are already running late. Bummer!

Traffic

Of course, being in traffic might make you angry. You’re stuck at EDSA dealing with a carmageddon instead of being able to accomplish a lot of things already. You don’t want to see that dreadful image, right?

Therefore, you should go a few minutes (or even hours) early than usual.

Road Construction

Our understanding of the road’s design has recently changed. Sometimes there is only one lane, and other times there are three lanes, one of which is even counterflow! We all agree that it is excessively confusing and disrupts our daily activities.

What a sight to behold and a cause for road rage!

Hungry

As people, we are probably easier to irritate when we are hungry, as Snickers famously put it, “You’re not you when you’re hungry.”

What else could we possibly expect when we’re already dealing with the headache brought on by not being able to eat anything in the morning?

Dealing with Road Rage

No matter your upbringing or where you are, you have to recognize that not everyone will be the finest driver. Road rage is a terrifying component of driving forever.

Try turning the other cheek and not letting the offense bother you rather than flipping the bird to every automobile or cab on the road that cuts you off and developing arthritis in one finger.

Raging is not only unsafe for everyone else on the road at that moment, but it is also not worth the long-term effects on your health to have a 5-minute rant at the car who pulls up next to you. To get tips on how to deal with road rage, we chatted with a health and wellness expert.

Take a look at the information below and work to change the world on the road.

Listen to music or books on tape. Music may add an engaging soundtrack to your commute and gently color your experiences. You can get a small amount of distraction from audiobooks while driving, which can make it fun enough that you won’t find irritating drivers and heavy traffic as frustrating.
Remain calm: When you’re frustrated, your body holds the strain. You will gain the ability to rapidly let go of whatever stress you are holding even while driving, which will make you feel more physically and emotionally calm.
Breathe: Breathing exercises will help you rid your body of stale energy and stagnant air while also increasing blood oxygenation and, of course, relieving stress. Without diverting your attention too much from the road, concentrating on your breathing draws your attention inward and makes difficulties appear more distant.
Use games like “counting idiots” to implement cognitive- behavioral treatments. Basically, you can lessen the tension you experience in response to other drivers’ impolite actions if you accept that a certain number of individuals will make a fool of themselves on the road and decide to make a game out of counting them.
Plan: We frequently become irritated while driving since we are rushing to go there and are unable to do it quickly enough due to traffic. You may feel more at ease if you manage your schedule so that you can leave earlier and account for traffic because it won’t matter as much if the trip takes a few more minutes.
Always keep oneself safe: Make sure your car doors are secured when interacting with a hostile motorist. The purpose of doing this is to prevent the offender from grabbing you. Call the police right away to report what is happening, especially if the attacker has confronted you. Maintaining your composure will help prevent the situation from getting worse.
Always have a dash camera: Dash cameras have become an indispensable component of daily driving. It is employed not only in the Philippines but has also been shown to be crucial in other nations. In fact, having a dash camera can spare you the trouble of demonstrating your innocence in minor collisions. Additionally, it can assist you in recognizing and obtaining details about potentially aggressive drivers, such as their vehicle’s description, license plate number, and similar information.

Conclusion

In the end, it’s up to you; how you act around other drivers will frequently determine how a potentially dangerous situation turns out. Keep your composure and handle your road rage as you would a young child who smashed something; who knows, your composure might inspire others to do the same! Safe travels!