Road rage can include many behaviors, such as: 

• Shouts, excessive use of a horn or obscene gestures and threats. 

• Driving actions like when you cut off another vehicle, drive too closely, block another vehicle so it cannot use a traffic lane, chase another vehicle or run it off the road, or deliberately slam into a vehicle. 

• When you stop a vehicle at the side of the road, get out to threaten, attack, fight or injure another motorist or passenger or a pedestrian, bicyclist or other person. 

Research indicates that being in a state of rage can affect your blood pressure and your ability to reason and make decisions. As a driver, you will make more errors. The chance of being involved in a traffic crash will increase. 

Aggressive driving and road rage can lead to revoked or suspended driver licenses, problems between family members and friends, loss of employment and legal problems. 

Many drivers do not recognize when their own aggressive driving or road rage is affecting their ability to drive safely. State law requires every DMV-approved accident prevention course to address the hazards and dangers of road rage. For information about DMV-approved accident prevention courses, go to the DMV website at https://dmv.ny.gov/learn-more-about/pirp. You can also contact one of the program sponsors. Information is available at any state or county motor vehicle office. 

## SPEED 

You must obey the speed limit. If no limit is posted, drive no more than 55 mph (88 km/h). Often, it is common sense to keep your actual speed below the posted limit. For example, the legal limit on a slippery or fogged-in expressway might be 55 mph (88 km/h), or even 65 mph (100 km/h), but the safe speed to drive would be much lower. Even if you were to drive at 50 mph (80 km/h) on that hazardous highway, a police officer could ticket you for a speed “not reasonable” for 

the conditions. 

To keep a smooth traffic flow, some highways also have minimum speed limits. If you drive slow- er than the minimum speed you can interfere with the traffic flow and create a dangerous condition. Even if there is no minimum speed limit, those driving too slow can be as dangerous as those who drive too fast. 

Know that some cities have speed limits less than 55 mph (88 km/h) that are not always posted. For example, the speed limit is 25 mph (48 km/h) in New York City unless another limit is posted. 

## ALLOW YOURSELF SPACE 

Four of every 10 crashes involve rear-end colli- sions, normally because a person is following too closely (tailgating). Leave enough room between your vehicle and the one ahead so you can stop safely if the other vehicle stops suddenly. Brake early and gently when you prepare to stop or turn. It gives drivers behind you plenty of warning that you plan to decrease your speed. 

For a good “space cushion,” use the two-sec- ond rule: Select an object near or above the road ahead like a sign, tree or overpass. As the vehicle ahead passes it, count slowly, “one thousand one, one thousand two.” If you reach the same object before you finish the count, you are following too closely. In bad weather and when following large trucks, increase the count to at least three or four seconds for additional space. 

If a driver follows you too closely (tailgates), move to another lane if possible or reduce speed and pull off the road to let the driver go by. Make sure to signal when you drive off the road and when you return to it. Do not press your brakes suddenly or unnecessarily as this may startle the motorist behind you and could escalate into road rage. 

In case you must change lanes quickly or pull over to avoid a hazard, leave some “escape” room to your left and right. 

