I have really bad road rage what can i do?

well take three deep breaths before driving anywhere. and when someone makes you mad grab a stress squishy.

start smoking – joking
move to NY – joking
okay I don’t know
but I think every time you want to yell, take a gulp of water

make sure you drive a very small car… avoid getting behind the wheel of an SUV. And only drive really late at night or very early morning so you have less drivers to deal with.

Pack a crowbar… if you are going to get in a fight, might as well be well prepared.

Let somebody else drive.

Listen to happy music that you can’t help but sing! You can’t be angry when you sing the Little Mermaid soundtrack.

Leave the car at home and ride a bicycle. After a few days’ harassment at the horns of your fellow road ragers, you might affect a new attitude.

Eliminate everybody that offends you on the road?

@VRBO ha, I’d be angry :)~

My father is a mild-mannered guy who changes into a vitriolic hothead when he gets behind the wheel. His problem is that:

1.) he views other humans as obstacles in his way, instead of human beings who are capable of making mistakes and that they’re not ALWAYS doing whatever it is on purpose to be assholes to him. I just want to tell him, hey! We all pay taxes and we all have a right to the road. The [minority of] people on the road being dickheads and pissing you off? They’re all people who likely have roadrage issues too, and they’re acting out. Stop contributing to the problem.

2.) he views the road as a battleground. It’s NOT. This is a huge mistake that a lot of people make. It isn’t a test of wills, it isn’t for adrenaline highs from confrontation (not when we’re operating 2–3ton death machines), and it isn’t him against the world.

3.) He sees travel as a competitive race against the world to the destination, instead of the means of getting from point A to point B. Most of the time, it’s not a race, even when you have to be somewhere on time. Give yourself a LOT of extra time on the road to allow for simple courtesies like not running yellow-to-red lights and letting people merge in. These things allow for easier travel for EVERYBODY and will cause less people to act out.

Do you have issues controlling your anger in other areas of your life? If so, I recommend therapy. If not, look into ‘self-talk’... what you say inside your head has an impact on how you act. Remember that in reality, it is not as big a deal as it seems when someone pisses you off on the road. Remind yourself constantly that it’s not important, and you are only harming yourself with the rage.

@3or4monsters you’ve OBVIOUSLY neer driven in Tijuana. It is a never ending fight to the death on the road. Little old ladies will drive past you waving the finger and cut you off for going even a little bit slow.

@Dr_C I’ve driven in New Jersey, does that count? :) I actually prefer aggressive/decisive driving (not to be confused with aggressive behavior, like yelling, throwing stuff, or actively cutting people off), because it’s consistantly predictable, whereas passive drivers, you never know what messed up shit they’re going to pull.

The difference is that I forgive them before it’s happened. It floats on the surface, and I don’t let it get to me, because I realize that I am not faultless and that we might be friends under different circumstances. :)

Drive a Taxi.

Just IMAGINE how stupid you look!
Beet-red face, blue veins popping, sweat running, finger and fist in the air and mouth wide open, and noone can hear a noise of what you’re screaming…

giggles from the thought

Listen to relaxing music.

Heh.

Take off your seatbelt and roll your vehicle at high speed.

If you have serious road rage, go for serious help. Take a defensive driving course, or ask your local police station what they recommend regarding rehabilitation.

The enemy here is yourself, even if the person ahead of you is driving badly. This is because you are in control of your emotions, not them.

My first recommendation is to reduce the chances of becoming upset by other drivers’ choices, and this is easily accomplished by leaving more space between the cars. As a bonus, you’ll be a safer driver, have more time to react to situations, etc.

My second recommendation is to become aware of your thoughts and emotions, almost put them in a box and observe them as if you were another person. When someone does something that makes you angry, observe your anger instead of acting on it, understand why this anger exists, and think of ways you could have avoided the anger. Understanding is the first step towards eliminating, after all.

My third recommendation is to calm down and keep your cool. Do whatever soothes you, whether it’s music, a conversation, whatever. I find sympathizing also works to cool me down, my mind can invent a situation that results in the way this person drives, this keeps my brain occupied and I don’t feel the need to express myself outwards.