‘Aggressive’ Road Rage in Portland, Maine Has Increased – Police Share 5 Tips to Avoid It
We've all been in a situation where another driver does something that really rubs us the wrong way. Most of us are able to just swear out loud alone in our cars and move on. However, some drivers are taking their anger much further in Portland and police have taken notice.
A Facebook post by the Portland Police Department reports that they have seen several incidents of aggressive driving and road rage recently and one of those incidents got out of hand when a driver ended up pointing a gun at another driver.
It all happened after a young driver got angry at another driver while merging. Merges always seem to be the trouble spot for drivers. There are rules of the road governing them, but it always seems to turn into a race to see which car gets ahead of the other before the merge and that's where the trouble starts.
This guy wasn't happy with the results of the merge with the other driver and started driving aggressively and ended up pointing a gun at the woman. Luckily she remained calm and got to a point where she was safely away from the driver, but got a picture of his license plate. He has since been charged with criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon.
Portland Police say this woman did everything right and shared these 5 things drivers should do if they find themselves in a situation with an aggressive driver.
- Don't engage - As much as you might like to flip the other driver the bird, that won't make the situation any better.
- Get out of the way - Give the other driver space until they get out of harm's way
- Avoid eye contact - Eyes ahead and drive.
- Do not attempt to follow - It's not worth escalating the situation by chasing after the aggressive driver.
- Do not block the passing lane - Don't block any other drivers or the aggressive driver from passing you.
Keeping calm, cool, your eyes on the road, and avoiding confrontation are your best bets to keep an angry driver from escalating the situation. If the situation continues to escalate despite your best efforts, call 911 if able.
As Portland Police say, "Safety starts with "S", but begins with "You." Good advice, but that pun is bound to get a few eye rolls.
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