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Safety Tips for Women When Caught in a Road Rage Predicament

Protecting yourself in your home and on the street takes different types of self-defense techniques but what happens when you are on the road and have been confronted by road rage? This situation can be very dangerous and presents unique self-defense problems than other situations would. After all, when confronted with a potential two ton machine, what exactly would you do?

The American Automobile Association or what many people refer to as AAA, reports that cases of road rage have increased sharply within the past ten years or so. Every person has the potential to experience someone's road rage several times a day and just imagine all the cases of it that go unreported. The percentage of occurrences could be quite higher than anyone originally thought. This means that as a female, you are more likely to be the victim of road rage than any attack against you elsewhere.

Speed and the massiveness of a motor vehicle are what put you in potentially deadly situations. It is obvious that you need to prepare to defend yourself against road ragers in unique ways. In the hands of someone brimming with hostility, a vehicle is much more dangerous than a gun. When faced with the road rage of another, it is important to note that when you panic and give into trying to "outrun" your dangerous opponent, you are doing more harm than good, increasing your risk of injury and death.

Keep in mind that during a road rage situation, you are in the best position possible – behind the wheel of your own vehicle, protected by your own doors, glass, bumpers and more. While a vehicle can be a potential weapon against you, your own can also protect you, given that you do not panic. Remember, your car has the power to slow down, exit and find safety.

So what should you do to protect yourself in the event that road rage is directed at you? The first thing you want to do is slow down and see if the offending person will just continue on. Speeding up to avoid them increases your chances of accident and injury greatly. As any police officer will tell you, when you slow down, the attacker typically must slow too and you will have more control over your own vehicle to make smart decisions. High speed chases result in high speed collisions and more than likely, death.

If you are being antagonized by someone with road rage or generally anyone up to mischief, whip out your cell phone. Make a big production about calling the police. Pursuers do not want to get caught and just the potential of it happening will have them taking off and leaving you alone. If possible, try and memorize their license plates anyway to report them and cops will try to alert each other to be on the lookout for them.

Whatever you do, do not get out of your car or stop as this is an open invitation to the aggressors and will put you in harm's way. If they bump or block you, keep on moving. Drive up the curb or across the median if you have to or slam on your brakes so that they end up slightly ahead of you. This will buy you time to get around them and find an alternate route out of there. Keep up with the traffic around you are there are safety in numbers. Plus, if people in other vehicles spot the road rage afflicted driver, there is more chance of the aggressive driver being reported and caught.

Overall, there are really only two things you can do to stay safe on the roads. The first thing you can do is buckle up and ensure your car is in good working order. The second thing you can do is to stay alert while driving and always keep an eye out for potentially aggressive problem drivers and take appropriate action to avoid them.