Human psychology varies in different humans, and we tend to react to situations differently. How people react to situations reflect on the way they drive, or ride a vehicle on the road. As a result, road rage is one of the most common problems because people cannot handle the stress and challenges on the road mostly because of the problems created by their own lack of planning or ability to manage challenges. While you cannot possibly change how people react, there are a few things that you can do to prevent being affected by road rage and stay safe while riding a motorcycle.
Understanding the Causes of Road Rage
Before we begin, let’s understand the common causes of road rage.
- Traffic Jams: One of the most common reasons that lead to anger and stress on the roads is traffic jams. In populated cities and towns, there are peak traffic times that cannot be avoided when all the people are on the road trying to reach their destinations. This creates a situation where nobody can move forward, thereby leading to stress and anger. Many times, this manifests as road rage.
- Delays: The second reason behind people getting angry on the road is because they are getting late for their destinations. Unfortunately, this happens because of a lack of planning commutes and waiting for the last moment to start commuting.
- Apathy for the law (and other motorists): Thirdly, there are people who do not have any regard for the law, or the understanding of sharing a common public space with other motorists. So, irrespective of whether there is a traffic jam on the road or not, such people will continue to engage in unsocial behavior and show anger towards other people on the road.
- Behavioral Issues: Lastly, road rage can also be initiated because of inherent behavioral issues. Some people are more likely to show anger without any instigation, and that anger can spill over on the road while driving or riding a vehicle.
So, as a two-wheeler rider, what can you do to avoid such situations against road rage? Let’s find out.
- Always Stay Safe: Never compromise with your personal safety, and always make sure that you are wearing all the necessary motorcycle riding safety gears including a branded motorcycle helmet made by the best helmet manufacturers, as well as other gears to stay protected on the road. Always maintain high situational awareness and anticipate problems before they even happen. Do not ride aggressively and make it a habit to start a little bit earlier keeping a little buffer time before traffic jams and delays so that you don’t have to rush to the destination.
- Plan to avoid the crowd: The best way to avoid road rage is to circumvent the primary cause behind it – traffic. If you reside in area with excessive traffic, it might be a good idea to plan to get out of the house home early and reach your destination a little bit earlier before the peak traffic. Starts. In many Metropolitan cities, the peak traffic. Starts somewhere around 8:00 AM and lasts up to 11:00 AM in the morning. So, if you can plan to start riding earlier than that, or within a pocket of lean traffic, there is a very good chance that you won’t have to deal with the ugliness of road rage. Observed traffic pattern in your locality and find out when the peak traffic starts, and plan to avoid that my planning your rides smartly.
- Don’t engage or escalate: In case it is not possible to start riding before the peak traffic period begins, try to be as calm and composed as possible and do not engage with anybody who is showing signs of anger or unnecessary aggravation and aggressiveness on the road. Remove yourself from that position and try not to be affected by uncivil exchanges, or harsh words used by the aggressor. Unless there is a tangible damage, or personal attack, ignore such problems and focus on the positive things which will not only keep your mind calm, but also help you avoid getting involved in road rage.
- Use an action camera to record your rides: If you primarily use a motorcycle or a two-wheeler to commute to work, or school, it might be advisable to invest in an action camera to record your rides. this gives you the video evidence to show it to the police, or the aggressor in case there is an accident, or escalation of matters caused by road rage. It might not be necessary to use the video from your daily rides as evidence, but you can definitely use it as a resource to create your own YouTube channel and share your daily experiences with the world. This can become a good way of generating a secondary passive income!
- Involve the police: In the rare event that you get involved in an incident created by road rage, try to solve it amicably, but if that does not seem like a possibility, consider involving the police just to have a third party involved in order to prevent the likelihood of becoming a victim of extortion by the aggressor.
- Get out safe: at times, the aggressor might become too overpowering, or very aggressive which can supervise your personal safety and well-being. In that case, instead of engaging with the person, consider getting out of the situation and reach the nearest police station, or police patrol vehicle that you can spot. However, do that only as a last resort because the aggressor might have a more powerful vehicle which will enable them to catch up with you, and cause more harm which is the last thing you want.
Source: smkhelmets.com
