Aggressive Drivers – How They Can Affect Your Auto Insurance
When you’re faced with the aggressive behavior of another motorist while driving down the road, how you react can make or break your day. It doesn’t really matter if you’re on your way to work or grandma’s house – the outcome – good or bad – depends on you. Similarly, your auto insurance premiums can also depend on what you do next.
We’ve all been subjected to rude and discourteous drivers who believe the highways were built just for them. Of course, we know that’s not true. But, some of us may want to dispute the ownership of the asphalt. And, that’s where many drivers tend to make the wrong choice. After all, your options are quite simple:
• Avoid being goaded into a confrontation and you’ll generally come out the winner.
• Overreact by responding in kind – and, you could easily escalate an otherwise benign situation into a dangerous one that leads to road rage.
According to researchers, 82 percent of motorists expressed that their mood behind the wheel was often affected by aggressive drivers. Furthermore, 85 percent of respondents describe other drivers as being the problem, while 36 percent admit to having engaged in aggressive driving themselves.
Some of the more common reasons for being annoyed by aggressive drivers were:
• Cutting off other drivers (59 percent of respondents)
• Using high beams toward oncoming traffic (57 percent)
• Tailgating (56 percent)
But, apparently, other situations are inclined to offend non-aggressive motorists in their everyday driving experience. Of those surveyed, 37 percent claim to having witnessed other drivers cut into a funeral line. Another 54 percent have witnessed fully-able drivers use marked handicap parking spaces without regard and 42 percent noticed drivers cut off a school bus.
Although getting a motorist to truthfully admit to past aggressive driving is based on the honor system and varies somewhat from coast to coast, the study listed Boston as the highest ranking city in the U.S., with 46 percent of drivers confessing to having taken part in the risky behavior. Los Angeles and New York laid claim to 38 percent, while Denver ranked lowest in rudeness on the road at 26 percent.
On a more positive note, 72 percent of those responding to the survey said that making a change in their own behavior to avoid aggravating fellow motorists would be something they’d be willing to do.
The following safety tips might be worth considering each time you get behind the wheel:
1. Though it may not always be easy, be friendly, calm, and courteous at all times. You might be surprised – it often encourages other drivers to do the same.
2. Learn to recognize the signs of aggressive driving. If you’re engaging in it – stop.
If you notice others doing it, do what you can to safely avoid them.
3. Learn to anticipate, plan, and accept unexpected traffic delays.
4. Don’t overreact to what may have been an innocent mistake by another driver.
5. Don’t respond or react to another motorist’s angry hand gestures. Let it go.
In our stressful daily commutes, keeping our emotions and anxieties under control can be quite a challenge. But, if you practice maintaining a calm demeanor behind the wheel, you’ll find you can actually keep things more in check. Not only will you feel better at the end of your drive, you’ll also lower your chances of reacting in a way that may endanger your safety…as well as cause your auto insurance rates to skyrocket.
The last thing you want to deal with is skyrocketing insurance premiums or paying too much. That’s why; check to make sure you’re getting the best rate on your auto insurance. Why not get a free auto insurance quote today?
Have you ever engaged in aggressive driving? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
