While routine tire checks and brake pad replacements are among the essential auto maintenance tasks for staying safe on the road, it’s equally important to be aware of your surroundings. Aggressive drivers with varying levels of road rage must always be avoided, even if your initial reaction is to engage by racing or cutting them off. Rather than finding yourself in an accident or other dangerous situation, use these tips to stay extra safe on the road.

4 Tips for Steering Clear of Aggressive Drivers

1. Maintain a Safe Distance

Maintain a distance of at least five car lengths from the driver in front of you, especially if the person is driving erratically. While it’s still important to keep up with traffic since slow driving is dangerous and can aggravate already-irritated drivers, the more distance you place between you and other cars, the safer you will stay behind the wheel. Also, stay in the right lane unless you need to pass.

2. Stay Calm & Relaxed

Remain calm and relaxed as you drive instead of paying attention to aggressive drivers. As much as you may want to “teach the person a lesson,” it’s important to breathe deeply and make decisions based on logic instead of anger. Trying to “one-up” an aggressive driver can easily lead to multicar accidents because you are focused on each other instead of the road and surrounding vehicles. Even making eye contact can be viewed as threatening, so do not look at the erratic drivers either.

3. Let Dangerous Drivers Pass

Always let dangerous drivers pass you, which can mean pulling over to the side of the road, as long as it is safe. If you are in a multilane highway, you can simply change lanes to get away from the driver. Remember to use your turn signal a few seconds before you switch lanes, so other drivers have time to react.

4. Tell the Appropriate Authorities

Report dangerous driving to the right authorities. Call 000 to let police know about any dangerous drivers; you’ll have to let them know the vehicle’s type and color and location of the incident and explain how the person was driving. Some states require you to fill out forms instead of calling the authorities, which includes the license plate number and any other information you can provide, such as the driver’s name and address and what auto maintenance and repairs your vehicle needed following an interaction. Contact your local municipality if you are unsure how to proceed.

Stay alert whenever you are behind the wheel and rely on Mullanphy Tire & Automotive in Florissant, MO, to provide the auto maintenance your vehicle needs for safe driving. The full-service auto maintenance and repair shop provides honest, reliable, and affordable services that St. Louis County residents rely on, including brake work, oil changes, and tire rotations. Call (314) 921-4961 today to schedule service, or learn more about the auto repair shop’s latest specials online.