Tailgating is defined as following to closely to the car in front of you. When you tailgate, you make the driver in the car ahead nervous, which often makes them angry. Then when you finally get to pass the car, he will probably give you "the finger." This is another major contributing factor to road rage. Simply a rude gesture can often make people angry. Although it may not seem too aggressive, flashing your high-beams at oncoming traffic can really get you into trouble. People simply do not enjoy being blinded by someone else. The last major contributing factor to road rage is lane hopping. Lane hopping is the act of changing lanes often and quickly in order to pass slower moving traffic. Many times others cause the lane hopping simply because they will not move into the right lane after passing. These few factors are the major factors that make people angry and lead to road rage. .

             It is every driver"s responsibility to help control road rage. The best way to reduce road rage is to start with your self. While driving down the road, be sure to retain your attention to your surroundings. This alone can cut down on mistakes that will make others angry. When following other cars, be sure to maintain the "safe" following distances that are listed in the driver"s manual. In other words, simply do not tailgate. You should never use your fingers as weapons, because the words which the middle finger represents can come back to haunt you later down the road. Always plan a route before you get onto the road. This will help you and others having to be on the road with you. The best thing to remember is that the left lane is not yours to keep; give it up when someone else wants to pass. When you think about your actions, you can reduce the stress on others. Therefore, if you and everyone else is responsible for yourselves, we can all be sure to have a safe and pleasant driving experience.