Many people are on the road a lot of times for various reasons, whether it is the commute home, on their way to vacation, out of town, etc. This may leave you dealing with many types of drivers. There are calm drivers, slow drivers, precautious drivers, and even aggressive drivers. Road-rage incidents can be fairly common, especially on highways. The aggressiveness and hostility behind a road-rage episode can even lead to accidents, with many innocent victims paying the price in forms of injuries and other expenses. If you are on the highway and dealing with a road-raging driver, what can you do to alleviate the situation? Here are a few tips on dealing with drivers who are going through road-rage episodes:
Take the High-Road
If an aggressive road-raging driver is trying to engage with you, don’t give in. Keep your eyes on the road and refrain from using your horn, unless you are preventing an accident. It is very important to not fuel an aggressive driver, as they may take this as an invitation to be more of a road bully and can cause serious accidents.
Give Them Plenty of Space
Let an aggressive driver cool off to keep peace on the road. Move onto the next lane, or even two lanes away to let them speed off. By giving them space, they may not be allowed to tailgate you or try to get close to yell or insult you. Putting plenty of space between you two is key.
Don’t Stop
It is important to not stop and confront a road-rage driver. This can lead to physical altercations and even injury. It is best to stay on the road, remain calm, and disengage from any form of contact with the angry and erratic driver. They will try their best to persist and get your attention if they are particularly angry, but you must keep your distance and cool.
Report the Situation to the Authorities
If you find an angry driver is still following you or trying to provoke you, report the situation to the police immediately. This will get the proper authorities involved, so swift action can be taken to put a stop to the road-rage incident.
When Road-Rage Goes too Far
What starts off as a messy case of road-rage can lead to consequences such as car accidents with injuries. If you were involved in a road-rage incident that led to car accidents, you may be entitled to seek financial compensation. When a driver shows road-rage and causes an accident, they are liable to be brought to court in a lawsuit. Sit down with a personal injury attorney to discuss your claim.
Road-rage can start off as an anger episode and quickly escalate. If you were victim of a road-rage incident that ended in a car accident where you suffered severe injuries, you are entitled to seek financial compensation. If you are looking for a personal injury attorney in Claremont, reach out to Lerner, Moore, Silva, Cunningham & Rubel today.