Reactive tactics: keep your cool under stress
There are lots of situations that cause drivers to
get stressed. When you are stressed your driving suffers and
you can easily make accidental errors you normally
wouldn't. Don't worry, it's a normal reaction and just a part
of being human.
Difficult weather, rapidly changing traffic, getting lost - all
sorts of things can crank up the stress levels. However, you
can calm things down by
deliberately using tactics that help you to react
appropriately. Many unfamiliar or stressful traffic situations
can be handled this way.
Try these ideas when the going gets tough:
- Keep driving with the flow of traffic
- Avoid sudden use of the brake, accelerator, or steering
- Ease up a bit on the accelerator, going slower gives you longer
time to react
- If your passengers are noisy, ask them politely to be quiet
- you need to concentrate
- Relax and breathe deeply and slowly
- If the anxiety levels are really high, look for a safe place to
pull over and stop
- Before pulling over, though, look behind and signal for at
least two seconds