When you find yourself on the road and feeling frustrated, what do you do? If you don’t know the answer to this question, this blog is for you. Defensive driving is an incredibly important part of being a safe driver, which means not only keeping yourself safe, but keeping other drivers safe! Even if you’re angry or annoyed, or if other drivers on the road are driving aggressively, you should still try to set an example and drive the best you can, no matter what.

Road rage is a serious issue that can escalate into super dangerous driving very quickly, so one of the most important things to do is to make sure that you are calm, collected, and know what you’re doing, even in the event that someone else on the road loses their cool. Here are some tips on how to stay in control of yourself and your vehicle!

1. Be safe! Try to avoid driving aggressively, and pay attention to the road and the other vehicles around you. Make sure there’s space between you and the cars around you. Make sure your doors are locked and everyone is wearing a seatbelt.

2. Pay attention! Always look in your mirrors before going anywhere on the road, and keep checking them as you drive and merge lanes. If there’s another aggressive driver on the road, keep an eye on them and try to avoid getting near them if possible. Also keep an eye out for pedestrians, animals, and anything else that can be near the road.

3. Don’t assume everyone else is driving defensively. You should try to be safe without assuming other people on the road will keep you safe. Be ready for anything to happen!

4. Obey the speed limit! If there’s no other traffic on the road, that is. Make sure you’re not speeding, even when it’s just you on an empty road. You never know what could pop out unexpectedly from a driveway or side road. When there’s other traffic around, i.e. on the highway, you should keep up with the flow of traffic so that you don’t cause an incident, but also make sure you’re not speeding or going too slowly.

5. Don’t drive distracted. If you know that music distracts you while you’re driving, then don’t listen to music when driving. This goes for other distractions like texting, phone calls, and even your passengers. You should never text while driving – it’s not only a distraction, but it is illegal in most US states and is incredibly dangerous. Phone calls should be taken over Bluetooth® if your vehicle has that feature, and your passengers should be courteous to you, the driver. Driving requires your full attention at all times, so staying focused is imperative.

We hope these tips have helped! Driving is important and difficult, but it should also be fun! Stay safe on the roads so that you can enjoy driving for many more years, especially in a vehicle you love.