Most Americans, looking at the overall mood of the country, exhibit less patience than ever before. It began long before the pandemic. Travel outside of the country, the common opinion by foreigners colored Americans as assertive. We appear pushy and always seemed rushed. It’s not entirely our fault. Americans, in general, are go-getters, and it’s that get-it-done attitude that makes our country strong. Both rebels and frontiersman forged attitude that would later propel America into the mightiest superpower on the planet.

Road Rage Rules!

But many believe this assertiveness goes too far, including dangerous attitudes communicated via the vehicle. Throw in massive swings in the economy, hyperinflation, job concerns, family issues and the appearance of policing being more reactive than proactive with little perceived lack of repercussions by crime doers right now, it makes for a perfect storm of anger and impatience, which translates onto the road.

Most people used to singularly associate road rage with male drivers. There are now equal examples of female aggression on the road as well. Most riders, at some point in their lives, come into contact with a dangerous driver, according to AAA. “Road rage, commonly characterized by aggressive driving, is a factor in more than 50 percent of all car crashes that end in fatality,” according to the organization. According to AAA, at some point in their lives, most riders in the U.S. will come in contact with a dangerous driver. In fact, “Road rage, commonly characterized by aggressive driving, is a factor in more than 50 percent of all car crashes that end in a fatality” according to the organization.

Tardy Equals Tension

“Running late is one of the leading reasons given for aggressive driving and the most frequently-cited excuse for following too quickly and passing on the right,” as noted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). An additional recent study showed 80-percent of all drivers experienced or witnessed extreme anger, aggression or road rage within the last month.

“We all seem to be living in a bubble now, and society sure seems to be a lot rougher than I ever would have imagined,” said Police Chief Steve Stelter of the Indian Head Park Police Department just outside of Chicago. Exposure to such high volumes of road rage makes it tough to navigate.

Learn To Sidestep

Always remember the old adage that “It takes two to tango.” So control your own emotions first and work on developing more patience. Easier said than done, right? Well, most research on this subject reflects that one of the primary reasons why other people might be speeding is that they are late for something as shared earlier. Therefore, give them a break and even use your head and plan ahead. If traffic drives you nuts, lower your footprint.

What we mean by that is to perhaps drive during off-hours. It may break your normal routine, but you might be a lot happier as you may discover that fewer jokers on the road equals less opportunities to get pissed off—a fairly simple fix if you have the chance. Also, if you are easily irritated, try not to jump into the car after an argument with your boss, your lover, kids, etc. Walk around the block a few times to blow off steam before you get into your vehicle. “Take it easy with your horn and finger gestures, as that just invites a potential escalation in traffic,” Chief Stelter said.

Trouble, Now What?

First off, you need to abandon all the fantasies that you’ve created from watching that all those Dirty Harry and Death Wish movies. Nothing is ever that simple and clean. One of the smartest things to do is if you have someone who you perceive is angry with you in traffic because of an incident, don’t make eye contact. It’s actually the simplest way to defuse any potential situation as you are not acknowledging any type of communication step that is required to escalate any situation. Don’t engage with a reciprocal finger gesture, horn, yelling or anything else. Remember, you don’t know this person, and this person doesn’t know you. Keep it that way. You don’t want to know this individual anyhow, so who cares.

Also, don’t forget that carrying a firearm in your car empowers you with a tremendous responsibility. That equalizer eliminates any reason to act like a cowboy. You could even find yourself paranoid, thinking someone is following you, after some type of incident. A little trick the FBI teaches–make three or four turns left in a row. Make sure the turns create an invisible box. Any car still with you at that point–a high likelihood points to a suspect following your vehicle.

Avoid Confrontation

Another way is to get off the highway exit and go the opposite direction to see if your paranoia is clarified and you are in fact being chased. “If you think things are turning bad, be sure to call 911 so you are protecting yourself and keep at a safe speed limit. In most cases the road rage person will just tire of you and continue with their day,” said Chief Stelter. “If you find that things are really escalating, and the person is following you, drive to the nearest police or fire station while on the phone with the authorities and let them handle it.”

When To Boogie

Let’s assume you have done everything by the book and are following the rules. You are certain that someone is committed to engaging you and intending some type of harm either with their vehicle or some type of perceived weapon that they have shown you from their vehicle. Well then you have every right to defend yourself and, of course, you need to do everything you can to protect yourself and your family.

Now the scenario paints you into a corner. You must get out of the vehicle and face this individual, or more. “I would still recommend staying on with 911 and just running away from your stopped vehicle. Just bolt. Run fast in the opposite direction and, if you think you are getting shot at, run a zig-zag pattern as it’s very hard to shoot a moving target in a most extreme example,” Chief Stelter said. This advice might just hurt your ego. But the smart thing prevents officers from dragging you into the police station or court as the aggressor. Let the other loser waste his time defending himself to the authorities while you are at home watching TV.

Pay The Chill Forward

There is nothing wrong with being patient and passing kindness to others while you are on the road. Always remember that it is more important for you to think three-dimensionally, positively and logically out of a potentially dangerous situation as it’s very easy to lose your cool and allow primal rage to set in. Don’t let it happen. Once again, remember that it takes two to tango, so it is much better for you to be the better person on the road and de-escalate and don’t make any contact (eyes, horn) if you can. You’ll be a much happier and healthier person.

This article originally appeared in the February-March 2022 issue of Ballistic Magazine. Get your copy today at OutdoorGroupStore.com.