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aggressive driver

How to Handle an Aggressive Driver

Follow this advice to deal with an Aggressive Driver

Aggressive driving can be annoying, but it can also turn dangerous very quickly. Your behavior behind the wheel greatly affects how an aggressive-driving situation can turn out. While you can’t control all factors, you can remain calm and do your best to get out of the situation unscathed. If you aren’t careful, your chances of being involved in a more violent altercation or an accident increase. And if something you’re doing tends to attract aggressive behavior, you need to know how to safely defuse potential confrontation.

As annoying as it can be to see aggressive behavior, you need to stay as calm as possible. Don’t make hand gestures back, don’t yell, don’t tailgate, don’t use any aggressive behavior toward that other person. That will only escalate the situation, and you never know how short a fuse that other person has. Maybe they get really irritated and then give up – and maybe they get really irritated and brandish a weapon or try to run your car off the road. Calm behavior can end many aggressive situations by not allowing the aggressive behavior loop to continue.

If someone is being aggressive while driving, do what you can to avoid the person. If they cut you off, back off a bit and try to change lanes if possible. Do not “take revenge” by tailgating them yourself or throwing gestures their way.

If someone gets aggressive because of something you’re doing, like traveling too slowly for their taste, this is not the time to try to win a race. Move over if you can and let them pass. Don’t challenge them or stare at them if they yell at you, even if you’re trapped in traffic. When you drive, you have to adopt a go-with-the-flow attitude. This is easier said than done sometimes, but do your best.

If the worst has happened and you’ve ended up injured as the result of dealing with roadway aggression, call Eisenberg Law Offices at (608) 256-8356. Don’t let aggressive drivers get away with harming you as the result of their bad behavior.