‘After a long day at work, Anjali was heading back home. Tired and exhausted she was keeping to the left lane. The traffic was slow, and every vehicle was just a couple of inches away from the other. As Anjali was making it through the signal, another car from the opposite road just zoomed by skipping his red signal. Shocked and angry, she was furious and started yelling at the guy, he just missed my vehicle, it could have been hazardous! Raging with anger she drove home venting her frustration on someone else". 

How would you feel? Or what would you do? 
 
With more and more people in the world and in the workforce, roads are becoming increasingly crowded. In our daily process of commuting, we see: the road racer, the frequent lane changer, the red-light runner, or the aggressive driver (especially during peak hours), bad weather, congested roads, and narrow lanes. Our response to such stressful situations may often be anger. 

Studies show that in India, many drivers have a feeling of road rage because it is a cultural norm. Angst and frustration come naturally while driving on Indian roads and people learn this behaviour from childhood when being driven around by parents and adults. The government has formulated laws relating to compensation cases for rash or negligent driving, but in practice, these are not always enforced. 
 
Anyone can feel road rage behind the wheel. That's because anyone can take offense at what they think another driver is doing. Our emotions are triggered by mental assumptions. It can start with a little tailgating or maybe the guy in front of you cut you off. In some cases, incidents of road rage are caused by simple misunderstandings between drivers. A driver may make a momentary error of judgment, but this may be perceived by another driver as aggressive driving. It matters little what causes it, a bad day at work or a fight with your parents or spouse. All it takes is a sudden movement of someone else's wheel and within seconds a normally well-mannered motorist/driver is consumed with rage. 

Road rage is a menace-provoking activity that includes the following. 
 
· Speeding and aggressive acceleration. 

· Weaving in and out of traffic. 

· Cutting others off. 

· Honking or flashing lights excessively. 

· Rude gestures. 

· Constantly criticizing other drivers. 

· Verbal abuse. 

· Getting out of one's vehicle to another person's vehicle and banging/hitting the vehicle. 

· Knocking on other people's windows. 

 
People experiencing road rage may face increased health risks that arise from high levels of stress, tension, and anger which leads to many negative health outcomes. In addition to the toll stress takes on the rager's body, the increased risk of car accidents due to road rage puts all drivers at risk. 

Incidents of violent driving have been on the rise for several years and have become a common experience. However, there are ways to control your anger and help you through your journey. 
 
· First, don't take aggressive driving personally. Some people are just rash drivers or their mistakes are unintentional. They may be tired or just not paying attention. Give them the benefit of doubt, let go of your bad feelings, and don't let them ruin your commute. Taking offense at his/her actions will only cause your road rage to escalate. 

· Plan ahead: one of the biggest reasons for cases involving road rage is that people don't allow themselves enough time to get to where they are going! There are so many people nowadays who wait until the very last minute to go somewhere and then drive like crazy to get there in time. This is not a healthy choice and leads to anger. You never know what can happen - you could run into a traffic jam, or an ambulance, may need to stop for petrol, etc. In fact, whatever time you calculate to reach your destination, add 10% to that. That way, congested traffic or unexpected delays won't fray your temper. 

· Show courtesy to other drivers. Allow other drivers to pass you or get over your lane if needed. Use your signals correctly and avoid offending traffic rules. This will put you in a more peaceful state of mind and will keep you safe. 

· If you find yourself confronted with an angry driver, don't make eye contact or yell back. Keep your eyes on the road and ignore the angry driver. Fighting and driving angry are both dangerous. Also, it takes more than one person to start a fight. 

· Find ways to calm yourself down. Breathe deeply and count to 10 or do whatever it takes to buy time so that you don't flare up. 

· If you do become a victim of another driver's rage and you feel threatened, take steps to keep yourself safe. Note the license plate number, make, and model of the vehicle in case the situation escalates and if there is any vehicle damage. If you are being followed, drive to the nearest police station and request assistance. 

· Find ways to make your driving experience calmer. Make your car a happy place. You could listen to music that calms and relaxes you. Do not talk on the phone, text, WhatsApp, check your Facebook account, eat, or do any other distracting tasks while you drive. This could cause you to be caught off guard by other drivers' actions, fuelling your road rage, and endangering you and other drivers. 

· Always remember that the road is public property. The road does not belong solely to you, however much you may contribute to the taxes of the country. 

· Finally, you should understand that you will not be always able to diffuse a potentially volatile situation. Some drivers are going to be aggressive no matter what you do. But if you really try to keep yourself in check when confronted with violent driving, you will be making the first step in stopping that violence. 

If you would like to discuss this further or need some help or support in this or any other area, our counsellors would be happy to help.