UNITED STATES—What is it about driving that drives so many of us nuts?  Is it the fact that many people refuse to obey the rules of the road, is it inexperience or the fact that the road is a dangerous place?  The road is a dangerous place for those who are not equipped to control their vehicle.  Having the ability to drive is a privilege; it’s not something that everyone has the right to.  There’s a reason for that, those who are not well aware of what they’re doing behind the wheel can place other people’s life in danger.

road_rage_autonational
Photo courtesy of Autonational.

I’ve always wanted to know just why people get so angry when things do not go their way on the road.  Is flicking the finger or cursing someone out, really going to make a huge difference in you getting to where you have to go?  The answer is no, but I see some people get so ruffled by people’s disregard for being courteous drivers; you’d think it was the end of the world.  Fighting fire with fire will only further incinerate that fire.  Take a deep breathe relax and stay calm.  Losing composure while driving can only further lead to more problems on the road.  You dropping a few expletives can cause you to lose focus on what you are doing behind the wheel.

Its true new drivers tend to be a bit inexperienced behind the wheel; the biggest issue for those drivers is distractions.   Whether it’s the use of cell phones or other people in the vehicle, if you minimize those distractions and you’ll have safer drivers on the road. Other issues relate to drunk driving.  This is perhaps the most dangerous driver on the road.  If you have a drink, whether its 1 drink or 4 drinks, drinking is bad in general behind the wheel. Not only are you diminishing your driving skills, but you’re also placing the lives of passengers who may be in the vehicle with you as well as others on the road at risk.  Thousands of people die each year because of drunk driving, yet people continue to get a slap on the hand.  Enough is enough we must have stricter laws on drunk driving to send the message that if you do indeed to drive while intoxicated expect some major consequences for it.

There are those drivers who get to an age where their driving skills are taken into question.  It’s not a good feeling for the elderly to have their driving privileges taken away, but there are some who has lost those skills to react in a timely manner.  There have been several cases where elderly drivers have over-accelerated on the accelerator causing their vehicle to plow through unsuspecting passengers.   Rage comes in many fashions rather it’s a young driver, middle aged driver or older driver.  We all have to understand that overacting behind the wheel not only affects the driver, but everyone else on the road.

By LaDale Anderson