What to do to avoid road rage

1 Mind your manners:
Exercise courtesy to all road-users, no matter how uncouth their behaviour may appear to you. Don't cut anyone off, not even if they don't have the manners to give you way; don't provoke them, either verbally or with 'road signs'; don't drive too close to the car in front; don't drive slow enough to impede other people's progress or make rude gestures.

2 Stay cool:
If, after a mishap on the street, you're face-to-face with someone who's lost his temper, apologise. Yes, even if it isn't your fault righteous wrath will get you both nowhere. Avoid eye contact, it automatically becomes a challenge if you try to stare him/her down, and never allow the situation to reach a personal level.

3 Slow it down:
Don't try to beat the clock, leave that to the racing drivers they get paid a lot of money to do it and have more safety equipment than you do. Enjoy the journey instead take an alternative route if necessary. Explore a new short-cut to use the next time you go that way. Allow adequate advance time and factor in delays for your trip.

4 Listen carefully:
Beware of what you are listening to while driving, it plays a big role in influencing your attitude. Play relaxing music (which has a beat slower than your heartbeat!) Stay away from aggressive music, it will make you aggressive as well. Calm music will ease your mind. Avoid overly-calming music if you're sleepy, though!
5Co-operate with the traffic: Negotiating traffic is a co-operative activity. If you must give way to ease the flow of traffic in a jam, don't be selfish. Behave co-operatively and other drivers will sometimes go so far out of their way to help you, you'd be surprised. At the same time, keep your expectations low you will not get help all the time!

6 Exercise self-control:
When someone does something to irritate you on the road, don't react instantly. Slow down if you're on the move. Breathe deeply (without closing your eyes, of course) and count to ten. More often than not, you will have cooled down enough to not do anything to retaliate.

7 Don't skip a beat:
Studies have shown that anger is a major contributor to heart disease. So, in order to save
yourself some serious medical bills, lots of pills and trips to the doctor in the future, it's important tou00a0 control your anger wherever possible. A coronary angioplasty isn't the best way to spend your retirement fund.

8 Get some help:
Do small stresses make you explode with rage, in and out of the car? Do you get pushed over the edge very easily, even when you aren't behind the wheel? If so, then maybe it's time to see a professional who specialises in anger management or else a small thing may balloon out of proportion and cause you unnecessary trouble.