We make better drivers and riders

Road rage – don’t be a victim

Blog post posted on 13/07/16 |
3 x
Advice

In this week’s driving tips IAM RoadSmart head of standards Richard Gladman talks about how to avoid becoming a road rage victim, and what to do if it does escalate.

  • If someone is being confrontational or aggressive, don’t make eye contact and don’t react visibly.
  • Let the other driver go on ahead. You might feel wronged, but letting the other party go will make no difference to the rest of your day.
  • Name and shame! If you or better, your passengers, can film any behaviour on your mobile phone it will help in terms of evidence, including the registration number of the other vehicle involved.
  • If the conflict is more serious and other processes aren’t working; call the police, especially if you feel there is a threat or possibility of violence against you.
  • Sorry helps. If you were at fault, admit it and apologise. If you feel upset or emotional pull over and get some fresh air or walk around if you need to before resuming your journey.
  • Again find some distraction, like listening to the radio - move your mind deliberately onto something else – deliberately driving well would be a good example – but don’t dwell on the incident.

Richard said: “Road rage does not affect everyone every day. If you’re finding it is happening very often, you might want to think about how you engage with other road users.”

He concluded: “No-one need experience road rage, but it us up to each of us to ensure it stays that way.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

  1. Richard Gladman is IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards.
  2. IAM RoadSmart has a mission to make better drivers and riders in order to improve road safety, inspire confidence and make driving and riding enjoyable. It does this through a range of courses for all road users, from online assessments through to the advanced driving and riding tests. IAM RoadSmart is the trading name of all businesses operated by the UK’s largest road safety charity, the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) and was formed in April 2016 combining the IAM, IAM Drive & Survive, PDS and IAM Driver Retraining Academy. The organisation has 92,000 members and campaigns on road safety on their behalf. At any one time there are over 7,000 drivers and riders actively engaged with IAM RoadSmart’s courses, from members of the public to company drivers, while our Driver Retraining Academy has helped 2,500 drivers to shorten their bans through education and support programmes.

To find out more about IAM RoadSmart products and services visit the new website www.iamroadsmart.com

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ENDS ALL