Watch Your Temper Almost all drivers get angry and frustrated at times, especially when confronted with incidences ofaggressive driving and bullying. If left unchecked, these feelings of anger can spiral into road rage. The best way to cope is to keep calm and avoid being angry and vengeful. Do you have the potential to become a road rager? You may not think so, but go through the following checklist to see if you have an anger problem when you drive: Have you ever cursed someone or muttered under your breath, saying things like: "Come on, move it! I don't have all day!" or "Does he think this is his grandfather's road?" Have you ever made obscene gestures or yelled at other drivers to "punish" them? Have you ever slowed down to frustrate a tailgater? Do you regularly change lanes without using your indicator? Are you in the habit of tailgating? Have you ever sped up to block someone who's trying to cut in front of you? All the scenarios above point to the potential for aggressive driving or road rage. If you've answered yes to any of them, you need to learn how to handle anger on the roads more effectively. You need to be more aware of the situations that trigger anger in you. Calm down and slow down when you come across such situations. Take deep breaths or listen to calming music, or if you have passengers in your car, talk to them to get your mind off your anger. Don't take other drivers' bad behaviour personally and don't respond to their provocations. Avoid glaring or gesturing at them, no matter how frustrated you may be. Retaliating will just worsen matters. Stop yourself when you have thoughts such as "What's the matter with that jerk?" There could be a good explanation for their behaviour, for example he or she is rushing to the hospital, is tired from a long and stressful day at work or just couldn't see you in their mirrors. Don't think that they're out on the roads just to personally antagonise you. Above all, treat other drivers as you would want to be treated. If you're courteous, other drivers will notice and appreciate it and hopefully will emulate your behaviour.  Send to friends Print this article		> Road courtesy quiz > Tips on courteous driving > Pay attention to other road users > Courtesy begins with you
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