For the first time since 2012, a court in Santa Rosa has charged an individual with murder in a vehicular crash. The driver killed his passenger while driving with a .23 percent blood-alcohol content, which is almost three times the legal limit in the state of California. The last time Santa Rosa faced such a case, in 2012, the driver at the center of that case was charged with killing another driver – a complete stranger – during a road rage incident, while chasing her boyfriend on her motorcycle. It’s hard to remember what to do when faced with a reckless driver, especially one under the influence, on the road. However, here are some tips for facing road rage from auto body professionals who see thousands of crashes each year.

As insane as it sounds, trust the experts… from demolition derby.
If you don’t remember what demolition derby is immediately, you will when you’ve seen a video. Drivers modify cars, and then intentionally try to hit each other, while still keeping their own cars running. As insane as it sounds, these people are truly the experts at knowing how to survive a hit in your vehicle, because they survive crashes for a living, or a hobby. When facing a road rage driver under the influence, you could find yourself facing a demolition derby of your own. The advice is basic. Avoid big hits. Try to stay away from being trapped against obstacles. If you are going to be hit, try to keep them away from yourself and let them hit your passenger side, or if you have a passenger, then the rear of the vehicle. Keep the front of the vehicle intact so that you can drive away as quickly as possible, while calling the police.

Your front and rear bumpers were designed for hitting, but get it on record.
While being rear-ended, or being forced to rear-end someone else by a road rage driver who has “brake checked” you, can be a horrible experience, handling that impact is part of the purpose of bumpers. They are there to protect the main portion of your car. Let them be destroyed – we can fix them. We also mentioned that road rage drivers sometimes pull in front of drivers that upset them and suddenly slam on the brakes, trying to cause accidents. There are inexpensive dashboard cameras to help you record this. Here’s a thorough review of a dependable model available in the $40 range.

Remember, insurance is there to pay for body work.
No matter what happens, remember that any part of your car can be repaired. A trustworthy auto body shop will work with your insurance to get your car back to normal, after any evidence of road rage or another individual’s DUI is carefully maintained.

Road rage is a fact of life at this point, as are individuals who insist on driving under the influence. The rest of us do what we can to stay safe, and hopefully, you’ll now be calmer if ever faced with such a situation.