What to do when a honk leads to road rage incident
QI know you don’t encourage the use of the horn, but it is unfortunately necessary and I have started paying attention to how often I use it. Before, a few months ago, I maybe used the horn once every few days. Arian Sarris A And now? Q I use it probably five to 10 times A DAY! About 90 percent of the time it’s because some jerk at the stoplight is looking down — at their phone. It is amazingly common. And it’s getting worse every day!
Arian Sarris A A light tap on the horn can be OK, but blasting away on the horn frequently is not an approved Roadshow driving habit. Why? Road rage.
Q I was entering a shopping plaza and as I was entering, a guy blasted by and I honked. He honked back and continued to act inappropriately (slowing and hitting his brakes).
He continued this, then parked in a handicapped spot where he sat and waited. I, unfortunately, had to cross his path to get to the store and he yelled about how he did not have a stop sign. I brushed that off, not worth the argument. Walter Mayed A One honk can lead to another and rising tempers. But you did right to walk away.
Q One night I was on Benton Street, waiting to cross San Tomas Expressway in Santa Clara, when I pulled up behind a vehicle. There were a couple of cars in front, all waiting to cross the intersection. At that intersection there is a “keep clear” sign, so I complied.
The left-turn arrow turned green and the potato head in the car in front of me decided he wanted to go that way instead. He dropped his car into reverse and, before I had time to react, had reversed into me and took off.
Of course I went after him, and a block later he pulled over. Eddie Chandler A No, no, no. Don’t go speeding after Mr. Potato Head. Fortunately this dispute ended calmly, but it might not have.
Q My wife was heading to Interstate 280 in downtown San Jose, apparently going too slow for the driver behind her. As he zoomed around her on the ramp, she honked at him. He slammed on his brakes and only her quick action prevented a collision. Tom Bates A According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, confrontations between drivers are becoming more common. You can try to steer clear of them by following these tips. n Don’t tailgate. n Use your horn only when needed to get another driver’s attention to prevent an accident.
n Don’t block the passing (left) lane or obstruct the flow of traffic, even if going the speed limit. Allow faster traffic to pass. n Ignore gestures. n Avoid eye contact with aggressive drivers as this can be seen as confrontational.
n Resist the urge to react. Don’t confront an upset driver and never pull off the road to settle things unless in an accident.
n If trapped in traffic or at a red light and feel threatened, do not open your door or roll down your window if the other driver approaches you. Keep your doors locked, call 911, and honk loudly for help.