Driving courteously is a good way to avoid road rage

DRIVING courteously is the best way to eliminate road rage, according to safety experts.

With the summer holidays in full swing and more people on the road, GEM Motoring Assist is encouraging drivers to protect themselves by being alert to the early signs of road rage.

Neil Worth, GEM road safety officer, said:: “Most of us will have some experience of being on the receiving end of someone else’s aggression.

“Thankfully, violent and unprovoked attacks are rare, but it pays to be observant and if possible to recognise signs of trouble at their earliest stages.”

GEM has identified a few steps to reduce the risk for a driver of being the target of someone else’s aggression:

1. Keep calm and show restraint. Every journey brings the risk of frustration and conflict. Make a pledge to be patient. Avoid using your horn or making gestures in anger.

2. Avoid competition and resist the desire to ‘get even’. If the standard of someone else’s driving disappoints you, don’t attempt to educate or rebuke them.

3. Don’t push into traffic queues. If you wait and clearly signal, you won’t wait long before another drive lets you in.

4. Say thank you, say sorry. Courtesy encourages co-operation on the road. If you make a mistake or perhaps cut things a bit fine, then a gesture of apology avoids confrontation and helps defuse anger.

5 Move away from trouble. If you feel seriously threatened by another driver, then ensure your car doors are locked and drive at a legal speed to the nearest police station or a busy area such as a fuel station. Use your mobile phone to alert the police. Pressing the horn repeatedly or continuously is likely to deter a potential attacker.

Mr Worth added: “We encourage drivers to leave plenty of time for their journeys, which means they can feel calm and in control at the wheel.

“Stress can lead to risk taking, and this in turn increases the likelihood of aggressive incidents.

“We also urge drivers to avoid becoming involved in situations they recognise as dangerous or risky. If you’re worried about another driver who may be in danger, then stop and call the police.”