What is the best way to rid yourself of road rage?

Question

I am always so angry behind the wheel. I need help before I either get in a bad accident or go to jail. But people drive so stupid!! I will assume others may say the same thing about my driving, so how do I get past this?

Thank you to all who are giving me realistic answers, I especially like the mantra!

To those being sarcastic, you are the ones that probably bring my road rage on.

Most of you have given such good advice and I appreciate it very much. I believe myself to be a good person and I think what really angers me is that I don't always receive the same respect in return. But that's life, I need to grow up and deal with it.
It was hard coming up with a best answer because several of you are right. While I do not think I need help, there are many out there who can benefit from it. Therefore I chose the best answer that hit close to home with MY situation. Thank you again for taking time out to answer my question seriously, honestly and thoughtfully. You may have saved my life and the lives of others! God bless you!

Answer 1

The mantra that should be playing in your head is this:

"I don't control how other people drive, no matter what I do their behavior wont change"

The rage serves no purpose now, other than to eat you up inside.

Let go of it or perish.

Answer 2

Yep. Have you tried taking public transport? You wait in the rain until it arrives. You get to stand. You get splashed by passing drivers all the rainy season. It's too hot, it's too cold, it's freezing, it's uncomfortable, and the man across the way is throwing up, or eating an onion ring and fries, or he's already done that and is now taking up part of your seat. And he's reading a newspaper and trying to grope the person beside him from underneath it, and he's pretending that he is only reading his paper. Someone else is delaying everyone up front by threatening the driver because they don't have the right change. The only radio station is broadcasting rants from people who suffer from road rage, and the volume is too loud, and you do this twice a day at least.

You, though, are guaranteed a seat. You have a choice of music, and you can control your choice of route. How peaceful it sounds. You can wear what you like, because you only have to get to your car, no waiting in the snow for a delayed bus, no layers of scarves, hats, gloves, two jackets, warm boots. And if you are carrying something very heavy? Do you have space to put it down during your journey?

Can you also find parking at your destination? And a job within walking distance? Are they hiring? Because I wish I had your situation. I used to drive, but where I work, you can't park anymore unless you are really senior in your company or government. I know managers who are actively waiting for a colleague to die so they can inherit their parking space. If I relocate, I'd have to rent out my apartment and go live in a terrible scruffy bedsit, so I don't get angry.

Answer 3

You are not alone :) Many people do experience this, but not that many do realize that and even less are trying to correct it, so kudos to you. I've been in the same boat, and I think I managed to reduce this feeling significantly. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to fix this - only consistent and persistent work on modifying your ego. Here is the quote from my website - hope it will give you some ideas to work with:

"When I was younger, I often got very angry of other drivers, that did not do good to me (or I perceived so). Sometimes, a person cutting in front of me would make me almost loose my mind. Or some oldie sitting in the left lane below speed limit would drive me nuts.

Since I was driving good cars and bikes I was almost always able to take my turn and try and offend the other driver. If he cut in front of me, I would cut in front of him and brake, If he did not let me pass, I would position myself in front of him and gradually slow down way below his original speed. This let me feel much better about initial incident – I paid them off at the end, didn’t I?

Over time a couple of thoughts started to gradually sink into my mind - whoever cuts in front would be responsible for an accident, if it happened, and – if I delay the other guy, I delay myself, too. This made me somewhat uneasy about doing such things, and satisfaction I used to have diminished dramatically. I kept this practice however for quite a while, until another thought came to me: I don’t have to add to the insult I got from others. I do myself more harm than good if I take revenge, be it a higher risk of an accident I would be responsible for in cutting in front of other driver, or be it an extra delay on my way.

And when I fully digested this idea and let it join my ego, I stopped taking revenge. Those incidents still annoy me, and every now and then I go for revenge still. But it is nowhere near that intense and nowhere near that often it used to be. And I have to be already pretty irritated before the incident, for this to happen."

Good luck!

Answer 4

This is probably the best question I have ever seen on Yahoo! Answers - I hope it becomes a featured question!

The road is one of the few places where you can vent your anger and frustration almost anonymously - after all, you're protected in your car, and those jerks couldn't catch you even if they were brave enough to chase you, right? Right.

You're in a hurry, and the jerk in front of you is talking on his cell and just wandering along... so you pass him, and to show him what a jerk he is, you jam on your brakes, just daring him to hit your car.

You're minding your own business, but the big tractor trailer truck just randomly decided to change lanes, and is now holding you up AND blocking your view. With a crafty series of quick lane changes, you manage to dart between his truck and the corner of the truck he's passing. Showed him!

Try this: picture the story in your local paper with the headline, "Road rage driver kills three in firey accident". The subhead reads, "Charges pending, pregnant mother dies with her toddlers." The story goes on: "A local woman is expected to be charged with manslaughter in the deaths of a pregnant woman and her two twin toddlers. The woman told police that she was just trying to pass the dead woman's car when she felt the tires slip on wet pavement. The woman is being held in the county jail pending arraignment. The county prosecutor is expected to ask for life terms in the deaths, and will try to paint the woman as a cold blooded killer."

All you did was pass a car. Maybe a little too fast. Maybe you cut back in a little too soon. But they made you so mad!

That pregnant woman and you will hopefully never meet. You'll stop and think...and maybe have the sense to start for your destination ten minutes earlier so you won't be in a hurry.

Turn the music down. Put the cell phone away. Do your makeup and breakfast before you leave the house. Pay attention...you may be saving your own life.

Good luck.

Answer 5

I find when I tend towards road rage is when I am physically or emotionally in pain. Those are the times when I need to stay off the road. I am surprised at all the people who are out there blowing their horns --for no good reason. Do they want us to run down pedestrians, rear end the next car or what? I think if road rage is an on going problem you should seek counseling to vent you hostilities before you kill someone. Human beings are human, we make mistakes, so should we run them over? As that old analogy goes "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."

Answer 6

1. Always be considerate to other drivers. In return it will help you and your driving habits. 2. Try to anticipate the other drivers actions and then position your vehicle in a way their action will not affect your momentum. 3. look at the vehicles ahead of the vehicle in front of you this will speed up your reaction time. 4. Get away from the jerks. Move over and let them by. A person that is driving like a jerk has probably been provoked by something else, relationships, job, late,etc. The last thing you want to is to do is to become part of their problem.

Answer 7

here is two sets of advice. the first from my dad: dont flip off another driver no matter what they have done. it wont help you by doing this and you dont know who has a gun. the second is from "the greaseman" who was a shock jock. he said to forgive those people who were driving too fast or drving in the break down lane as they might have to use the bathroom really badly. finally, learn how to empathise with those who make errors around you. there will some time come a day when you will make the same error and feel rather stupid. i know that this has happened to me. try some self control. go but five mph over speed limit. u will find that u arrive more relaxed and the time difference is minimal. drive unto others as u would have others drive unto u.

Answer 8

I was a paramedic for many yrs and seen many victims of road rage.If you cannot control your temper,then you have no right being behind the wheel.Talk to you Dr about getting something for anxiety maybe or get some anger counseling before you or somebody else get killed. At least you recognize that you have a problem. Thats a good thing. Please get some help,,I agree with stuart as well on this subject. Good luck and drive safe.

Answer 9

I drive a big truck now, and what I do is turn on the radio and sing. It also helps to just say a little prayer for the safety of the darn fool that pulled in front of me (to close) and hit his brakes. Most people don't realize the amount of time it takes a big rig to stop, and most don't know that it takes longer to stop an empy truck than a fully loaded one. I have found that the best thing to do is just smile and wave. It usually drives them nuts, because they know that they did something stupid.

Answer 10

I found a free download of Scania Truck Driving Simulator here: http://bit.ly/1p0Cls6

Think of Scania Truck Driving Simulator as the key in order for you to receive the license that you always wanted to have. Download it now and learn different driving techniques to improve your skill.
It's a great game.