Well construction season has arrived in Calgary and with all the road construction, detours and road closures comes elevated stress behind the wheel when left unchecked can result into what is commonly called road rage.
There are some common sense tips to keep your driving stress levels under control as we navigate through a summer of snarled traffic that increases our driving stress.
Tip # 1 – Time Management
It is the most important tip to reduce your stress levels while driving. Give yourself plenty of time to get to where you need to be. Sounds simple doesn’t it? But when we have had an extremely busy day and feel we are already behind schedule we don’t always think and give ourselves the extra time that is needed to get to our destination. With road construction at its peak in the spring and summer months, giving yourself more than enough time is a huge stress reducer. I’d rather arrive a little early and have a few minutes to kill rather than arrive late and stressed.
Tip # 2 – Plan Ahead
Planning ahead requires some effort. Check your route to your destination to make sure that there are no detours or road closures. We always assume that the route we normally take for some reason will be exempt from lane closure construction and detours. Check with the city or other sources to try and keep up on the latest road construction and detour information available. Plan alternate routes and time them. A new route may add time to your commute. If your regular commute route has changed do to construction, plan an alternate ahead of time. Don’t try and weave your way through side streets and alleys you are not familiar with. This can increase frustration and stress levels.
Tip # 3 – Check Your Fuel Level
Once again one of the biggest causes of driving stress is to be gridlocked in traffic on the Deerfoot and be running low on fuel. Always check fuel levels relative to distance of your destination and time it will take you to get there. You don’t want to end up roadside waiting for a friend, relative or AMA to rescue you, when they will have to travel through the same gridlocked traffic to get you back on the road.
Come back to my blog for more tips on reducing driving stress.