Road rage seems to be all the rage these days on our busy city streets. It seems like every other day there is an incident in the news about a disastrous road rage occurrence.
Within the last week in Houston, Texas, in particular, there were three back-to-back incidents of road rage that happened that left one innocent young mother deceased in one case, and another young mother shaken up as the driver following her pulled a gun on her and her three-year-old. In what is one of the latest incidents, two individuals took road rage to another level as a true wild west shootout occurred in broad daylight on one of the busiest streets in Houston.
On a busy Wednesday afternoon on Westheimer and South Kirkwood gunfire erupted between two drivers involved in a minor collision, according to ABC News. The shootout left one innocent bystander injured with a bullet that grazed her head. It’s a miracle there weren’t any more injuries, as the shootout took place as drivers were passing by on both sides of the street. This Hill Country reporter happened to be passing right after the incident occurred and was thankful to not have witnessed that as it happened.
Being safe while you’re out driving is more than just not texting or talking as you’re driving. While your driving skills and paying attention to road conditions during bad weather are important as well, there are also a few tips you can follow to try and avoid a road rage incident. Below are a few pointers shared by abc13.com on what you can do to “avoid playing a role” in road rage:
- Plan ahead– Give your self enough time to get to your destination without having to worry about rushing.
- Calm yourself-Listening to music or your favorite CDs is a great way to relax as you travel to your location.
- Let them go-If you notice someone tailgating or following too close move over and let them go.
- Don’t engage-Try not to make eye contact with an angry driver and give them their space.
- Be the grownup-It can be hard but ignore foul language or obscene gestures from an angry driver
- Practice polite driving-As you go on your merry way try not to honk at others if possible.
- It’s not you, it’s them-Don’t take an angry drivers emotions personally. You never know what the other driver may be going through at the time.
- Don’t go home-If you find yourself in a situation where an angry driver starts to follow you drive to the nearest police or fire station.
These are just a few things to keep in mind to stay safe out there as you take to the streets each day on your personal journey to school, work, or wherever the road leads you that day.
