On average, 1500 people are injured or killed each year due to aggressive driving in the United States. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, nearly 80% of drivers expressed significant anger, aggression or road rage behind the wheel in the last 30 days.

Considering these statistics, it’s evident that road rage presents a dangerous and deadly risk to all drivers. Here are six tips to keep in mind while your behind the wheel.

Practice Polite driving

Avoid tailgating, speeding weaving, erratic braking and leaving on high beams. When in doubt, behave courteously.

Give other drivers the benefit of the doubt

Most driving mistakes are unintentional. Try not to take them personally. An aggressive response isn’t worth the risk of injury or death.

Keep your travel expectations reasonable

Don’t set unrealistic goals for how quickly you can get to a destination. Know when there will be traffic and give yourself plenty of time to reduce your chances of using unsafe driving behaviors and getting angry at other drivers.

Steer clear of aggressive drivers

Put space between yourself and aggressive drivers. Consider slowing down to let aggressive drivers ahead or changing lanes to create distance.

Don’t make rude gestures

Avoid making eye contact or making hand gestures at aggressive drivers. Use your horn sparingly and only for emergency situations.

Call 911

If an aggressive driver is targeting you , call 911 and stay on the phone with the dispatcher. Consider driving to the nearest policy station, convenience store or public location. Do NOT go home if you are being followed.

Put Down your device

You may not realized you are the cause of other drivers stress. Even simple cell phone conversations can cause distracted driving. Researchers have found listening on the phone while driving creates a lag in the mind to extract itself from one object before fixing attention on another object. Putting down your cell phone gives your brain the ability to focus on the task at hand.

For more information on safe driving and auto insurance contact RISE Insurance at 423-541-1111 or chad@riseins.com for a free policy review to make sure you are properly covered. You can request a quote at https://www.riseins.com/personal-insurance-quote-request