AAA is issuing its third "Coping with Construction" alert, a series of statewide informational alerts that have been issued through the road construction season.
AAA says summer construction projects are heating up all across Michigan roads, bridges and highways, and rising temperatures, higher numbers of motorists on the road and the challenges of maneuvering construction areas can increase the risks for aggressive driving.
The alerts are in response to the growing concerns regarding the safety and sustainability of Michigan's crumbling infrastructure. With major construction in progress, AAA's tips are provided to help motorists "cope with construction."
The alert is focused on avoiding aggressive driving, reducing road rage and supporting driver safety across the state.
According to a study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety:
- Nearly 80 percent of drivers expressed significant anger, aggression or road rage behind the wheel at least once in the past year.
- Approximately 8 million U.S. drivers engaged in more extreme examples of road rage, including purposefully ramming another vehicle or getting out of the car to confront another driver.
- Nearly 3 in 4 drivers believe that aggressive driving is a bigger problem today than three years ago, while nine out of ten believe aggressive drivers are a serious threat to their personal safety.
AAA's tips to avoid road rage are:
- Do Not Offend: Never cause another driver to change their speed or direction. That means not forcing another driver to use their brakes, or turn the steering wheel in response to something you have done.
- Be Tolerant and Forgiving: The other driver may just be having a really bad day. Assume that it is not personal.
- Do Not Respond: Avoid eye contact, don’t make gestures, maintain space around your vehicle and contact 9-1-1 if needed.
