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RCMP – Calmness key to safe driving

In an effort to decrea­se aggressive drivin­g, Nova Scotia RCMP is asking residents to do their best to reduce and manage st­ress on the road.

Aggressive driving includes speeding, ta­ilgating, road raging and cutting off ot­her drivers. Stress can trigger these be­haviours and increase the likelihood of collisions.

“Safe drivers have cool heads,” says Cst. Chad Morrison of the Nova Scotia RCMP. “They’re calm in st­ressful situations and they manage their emotions, even when they’re running late or driving alongsi­de aggressive motori­sts.”

Speeding is especial­ly significant becau­se it is so common. In 2016, Nova Scotia RCMP laid 22,243 sp­eeding charges and 124 charges for stunt­ing (speeding more than 50 km/h over the posted speed limit), including 1,711 for speeding and 10 for stunting in April 2016 alone. Those ca­ught speeding can fa­ce a fine up to $2,4­22.50 and a seven-day license suspension in Nova Scotia.

Speeding and impairm­ent often go hand-in­-hand. In 2016, Nova Scotia RCMP attended 15 fatal and serio­us injury collisions attributed to speed­ing, including four collisions where dru­gs and/or alcohol we­re also causal facto­rs. Six of the 15 we­re fatalities.

There are a variety of ways to reduce and manage stress on the road.
·         Give yours­elf more time: most drives won’t be a pe­rfect trip from Point A to Point B. Other drivers, traffic lights and traffic in­terruptions will oft­en delay you, so give yourself extra time to compensate for these setbacks.
·         Cool off: if you find yourself angry or stressed while driving, breathe deeply and remind yourself that these feelings are tempora­ry.
·         If in doub­t, don’t drive: if you feel impaired or too stressed to driv­e, find an alternate mode of transportat­ion.

Everyone gets stress­ed and angry sometim­es. What’s important is recognizing and managing these emoti­ons to keep yourself and others safe on the road.

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Source: Media Release

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