How to avoid road rage

I live in Austin, where rapid population growth and relatively poor planning have led to some very congested roads. Add that to the fact that Texans drive like crazy people, and you have yourself a recipe for some serious aggression behind the wheel.

This is echoed across the country, as roads become increasingly blocked up, and commute times growing longer every year.

But many aspects of life are stressful, so what is it about driving that sends us over the edge?

For one, there's no escape. According to psychologist interviewed by MSNBC, "Stress is a fight-or-flight reaction." And while we can normally step away from a situation to cool down, there's nowhere to go when stress takes hold in the car.

Regardless of why it happens, anger behind the wheel is unhealthy -- not to mention dangerous. In order to reduce the likelihood that you'll succumb to road rage, follow these tips:

-Make yourself more physically comfortable
-Distract yourself with something soothing -- like an audio book
-Take deep breaths
-Remember that everyone -- including you -- makes mistakes behind the wheel
-Rushing might save you 5 minutes, but an accident could kill you
-Realize that you're not invulnerable, nor anonymous just because you're in your car

For more in-depth explanations behind these driving tips, read this helpful article by Patrick Enright.