Florida Car Accident Lawyer Blog
Car crashes in Aventura can happen for any number of reasons, but a common cause is road rage. Road rage incidents can happen in any community, and when they do occur they can be quite dangerous.
Road rage occurs when a driver loses their temper while driving. In some cases, they may leave their vehicle to confront or even assault other drivers. In other cases, they may drive aggressively and cause a collision or may even use their vehicle as a weapon, to hit others on the road.
Preventing Road Rage Collisions in Aventura
Road rage can happen to everyone, but you can avoid being in a road rage incident with these tips:
- Be as serious about emotional driving as about drunk driving: Just as you wouldn’t drive after drinking, get into the habit of not driving when you’re angry. Just as with drinking, emotions can mean you are distracted and make poorer decisions behind the wheel. Get into the habit of checking your emotions before you step into your car. If you’re upset, take the time to calm down before you drive.
- Take good care of yourself: You’re more likely to lose your temper if you’re hungry, exhausted, and unwell. Learn to delegate tasks and manage your time well, work to reduce stress overall in your life, and take care to get adequate rest and good food. When you feel physically better, you can better control your emotions.
- Look for warning signs: If you struggle with anger management outside the car, you may be at risk of road rage. Notice whether you overreact to discourteous driving or traffic jams. Getting counseling or finding ways to deal with frustration can keep you safer on the road.
- Drive courteously: Avoid tailgating, cutting other drivers off, and other behaviors which can trigger other motorists and cause a heated exchange.
- Drive defensively: When you drive defensively, you are thinking ahead and predicting how others will behave on the road, which may mean fewer surprises, less frustration, and potentially less anger.
What To Do If You’re in a Road Rage Incident in Aventura
If you’re driving calmly but another driver starts acting aggressively, you need to use caution. Road rage leads to many accidents in Aventura and other South Florida communities. If someone else is affected by road rage, you will want to:
- Stay calm: Remain calm, lock your car doors, and roll up your windows. Avoid engaging in discussion, shouting, or gestures with the other driver, since this can escalate the situation. Do not leave your car.
- Stay in a public spot: Avoid going home if the other driver is following you. Stay in public or drive to the nearest police station.
- Get out of the way: Allow the upset driver to pass you. Consider getting out of the way, is possible, so they can move on where their focus is not on you.
- Get help: If another driver is attempting to ram your car or injure you, have a passenger call 911. Police can direct you as to what you can do over the phone and can remain on the line with you until help arrives.
If you’ve been injured by an aggressive driver, contact Flaxman Law Group at 1-866-352-9626 (1-866-FLAXMAN) for a free accident consultation with an Aventura car accident attorney.