Dear Aggressive drivers who are on the road each day,

I write to you today because I am working hard to understand your thought process in some of your actions. I have been out on the road for 18 years of my life being a passenger, and then becoming a driver . I have come to the conclusion that there are a lot of people that can be classified as a road rager. This letter is for those who rear-end you, are constantly tailgating, honking their horns, flashing high beams at your mirror when you are in “their” fast lane, finger flipping, screaming out the window, causing or creating accidents. I want to begin by thanking you. Your haste speed increase of 10 MPH just to pass me, to what, prove a point that it’s not quite right to your liking?

How dare I think to slow down when the stop light turns yellow. It was my bad that I dismissed the fast pace world we live in. Do not fear because I never fail to comprehend those feelings.  You know, that intimidating feeling I get after receiving the look. The look that follows how I didn’t run through the busy intersection- so both of us could get to the next red light. Isn’t that what the point of driving is? Get to your next location as quickly and efficiently as you possibly can?

Each and every day there are people on the road. To a slight surprise, on average in the United States a person spends around 87 minutes in their car  which must drive some of us insane. The busiest day of the week for drivers is Saturday which opens the door for more aggressive driving due to the crowded road! Everyone can come up with an excuse as to why they disregard other people out on the road and act as if they’re the only ones out there.

Most Americans construct this idea that they just have to hurry hurry hurry, so they can get to exactly where they need to be. Time plays a role in aggressive driving. But- why not leave 15 minutes earlier?  If you know you have to be somewhere at a certain time shouldn’t you allow yourself an extra amount of time to get there? Oh yes, people run on their own time. Procrastination is a consistent norm in America which seems quite ironic since it appears that most people in the car don’t show it when they’re trying to zoom past you! If you fail to do this, is it really important to get there on time at all? These questions need to be asked because when you see a taxi, Uber, female, or male out on the road who seem in a rush and you can sense their agitation. Is it really that important to get all worked up when you were in fact, in control of when you could get to your final destination? Of course not! What the majority of the population fails to realize is that our actions impact our results.

While it’s easy to get angry with a complete stranger and blame them for your problems, it isn’t equitable to take out your frustration on them. Think about it this way, they are just trying to get where they want to be just like you. It could be a mother picking up her child from a friends house.  It could be a grandpa trying to get to the store to go pick up some groceries for Sunday dinner at the house, or it could be a teenager leaving practice who is just trying to get home and finish their homework for school the following day.  When you are out on the road and find that road raging sensation that contributes to the act of putting the lives other people in danger, what if you were in the same situation. The realization of the matter is that each and every day we are in danger without knowing it while being on or off the road. We can’t predict the actions of other people, but we can control the way we react when in control of our own vehicle. Now, let’s try a few things that could possibly help us in a situation where we feel that anger on the road. Turn up the music and listen to your favorite song. Try a new thing called acceptance because once you are able to accept the fact that you are going to get to where you need to be regardless of the time, your patience may as well be restored. Time is an illusion after all.

Sincerely,

Mikayla Acovelli