Written by: Brennan Deitsch -Off the Subject of Marketing-
Date: 11/ 29/ 2011
Today I was driving around and enjoying the wonderful rainy fall day when suddenly a driver in a BMW drove right in front of me. I confidently put the agility of my Mazda 6 to test and drove around him. Instinctively, anger tried to take over me. However, I did not let my emotions get the best of me. The driver sped off and had to be traveling close to 60 mph in a 35 mph zone. The driver was swerving around cars like he was in a race. I thought to myself that he must be in a hurry to get somewhere and trying to let him know I was frustrated would not solve anything. Surprisingly, the driver turned into a hospital.
While the driver had no right to disobey the law and put others at risk, perhaps the driver was in a hurry to see a loved one who was fighting for their last breath or maybe his wife was having a baby. Regardless, this is exactly why road rage is an abusive way of driving a vehicle. What does it solve? If you let your emotions get the best of you, your car could look like the Taurus in the picture. Just in case you were wondering, Ford does not offer a Taurus convertible. What if I let the emotions get the best of me with the driver of the BMW? The driver may have never made it to the hospital. In addition, that would of made me just as bad as a person!
Vehicle Road Rage: Our Most Deadly Weapon
We all know that guns are dangerous and can kill people. We also know that the Atomic Bomb can kill millions in a matter of seconds. Luckily, only a selected few carry guns. However, if you look in your driveway, you may own a weapon that may seem innocent at first. The beautiful lines and dual exhaust can make you grunt like Tim Allen on Home Improvement. Don’t let your car fool you. Weighing in from around 3,000 to 4,500 lbs., your “grocery getter” or “soccer mom” van is a dangerous weapon when left in the wrong hands.
Take my advice, as a retired amateur race car driver, I saw a small portion of how ugly car accidents can be. Race car drivers constantly deal with emotions of anger, however the best drivers contain their emotions and only worry about what their car is doing. We all have places to be, but expect people to make mistakes and be ready when they do. When drivers do things on the road that make you angry just let them go.
You will not prove anything by speeding up to catch up to them to show your anger. Just ask Kyle Busch in the Camping Word Truck Racing series. Kyle Busch was accidentally pushed into the wall by Ron Hornaday. Kyle Busch, known for a quick temper, retaliated and slammed Ron into the wall. Due to his recklessness, NASCAR took Kyle out of the race. Kyle also lost his sponsorship with M&M’s for the remainder of the season.
What is Road Rage and What are Some of the Statistics?
Road rage, also called road violence, aggressive driving and road anger, is defined as the deliberate use of a vehicle to express emotions such as anger and frustration. While some drivers resort to honking their horn or giving the other driver the finger, some drivers resort to hitting other vehicles or pedestrians to voice their displeasure. According to www.Coedu.usf.edu, 66 percent of annual traffic fatalities are caused by road rage. Interestingly, there has been a 51 percent increase in aggressive driving since 1990.
In conclusion, if you find yourself in a situation where another driver drives in front of you or offends you in any way, remember what is most important. Is it the offending driver or the family you are driving home to? Calm yourself down and listen to your favorite music. I hear Enya is a great solution to road rage.