Saga Magazine – August 2018

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Extra online

For more on how to

deal with road rage,

visit saga.co.uk/

aug-mag

(^2018) I SAGA.CO.UK/AUG-MAG 103
way to defusing the situation,
even if you aren’t at fault.
Try to cultivate a laid-back
attitude to the actions of other
less even-tempered road users.
What if things escalate?
If the other driver gets out of
their car, ignore them. Lock the
doors and close the windows.
If you feel threatened, drive
away if you can – safely.
You only need to move off at
a faster speed than they can
run; 10mph is plenty.
If they follow you, drive to
a well-populated area. Find
a petrol station – which will
have CCTV. Call for help and
wait for the police in your car.
Consider installing a dash-
cam. They start at less than
£20 and can gather invaluable
evidence either for the police
or your insurance company.
icture the scene:
walking along the
pavement, you get
in someone’s way. Chances are
you’ll both be terribly British
about it and apologise to each
other – no matter who was
at fault – and carry on.
Picture a similar scene but
when you’re in a car: is the irate
other driver shaking their fist or
sounding their horn in temper?
Theories abound as to what
causes such a drastic change
in our attitudes when we get
behind the wheel. The real
question is, what should you do
if you are on the receiving end?
Keep calm
Violent road-rage incidents
are rare. You’re more likely
to be insulted than injured.
A mouthed apology and
a raised open hand go a long
Get over it
If you’re shaken, pull over as
soon as you can and take
a quick walk to burn off some
adrenaline. If it was serious,
report the incident to
the police, if you haven’t
already done so.
Talk to someone to help
you make sense of what
happened. Was your driving
to blame? Or were you
simply unlucky?
You could consider taking
a driving assessment. The
Institute of Advanced
Motorists (iamroadsmart.com,
0300 303 1134) offers a range
of courses to help you iron out
any bad habits and restore
lost confidence in your ability.
Finally, put the incident
behind you and get on with
enjoying your car and the
freedom that comes with it!
More than nine in ten UK drivers are worried about potential
damage to their car as a result of poor road conditions,
according to an AA-Populus poll of more than 21,000 people.
Some 52% have actually experienced such damage.
How to
cope with
road
rage
If you’re confronted by
an aggressive driver,
the way you react is
the key to reducing
stress and staying safe.
By Carlton Boyce
Driving
H.ARMSTRONG ROBERTS/ CLASSICSTOCK/ TOPFOTO, SHUTTERSTOCK
P
Impartial witness
Dash-cam footage
could be useful