Anger Can Kill You

Why is everyone always in such a rush? Even when I'm not running late or don't really have anything to do I am trying to get there as fast as I can! It annoys me as much am I'm sure it annoys people around me. So this past weekend I went on vacation and I came back super relaxed and just content with the world. I started driving like I feel I should drive all the time; going the speed limit, slowing for yellow lights instead of speeding up and praying there aren't any cops, and just enjoying the music on the radio. However, by the end of the day all the people rushing around me ruined that relaxed feeling I had had only hours before! I am such a peaceful driver until someone is rude to me, then the next thing I know I'm the one speeding around people, not enjoying the music, and just getting more pissed off. I am not quite sure why! So I did a little research on road rage....

According to ABC News, road rage is not somebody getting mad because one person cut them off. It is someone who has had a bad day, or maybe had been cut off multiple times and it just kind of snow balls. It snow balls until someone cuts them off and they snap. Redford B. Williams, a psychiatrist at Duke University Medical Center, says "If you can't keep your anger under control, it can kill you. Heart disease and strokes have repeatedly linked to anger." Road Rage can kill you! That is if a road raged maniac doesn't do it first...

Now according to NBC News is depends on the make and color of your car! They reported that the angriest drivers on the road are driving blue BMWs! They also said that in general those who drive blue cars are rated as the worst when it comes to road rage. (I drive a blue car...) So either be careful what color your next car is and watch out for those crazy people in the blue cars! Also, men age 35-50 are most likely to have road rage while women age 17-25 are least likely to have road rage however, on average men fall victim to road rage 5 times a month while women fall victim to road rage 8 times a month! So I see it as the men picking on the women! I can honestly say I've never had a women mad at me on the road, its usually the men swearing, honking, yelling, or spiting out their windows at me. (He spat out his window because I honked because he cut me off on the highway. How rude.)

To avoid road rage, wikiHow suggests driving politely, don't yell or be rude back, and try to accept the fact that it is nothing personal (most of the time). They also have a list for how to control your own road rage but I'm just going to go ahead a say cut it out! I will be polite if you're polite! Respect.Oh, and remember the golden rule.

Morale of the story, stay away from the crazies in the blue cars, don't take it personally, and remember that we share the road!

V