TRAFFIC CAN INTENSIFY DRIVERS' ANGER; EXPERTS OFFER TIPS ON AVOIDING ROAD RAGE.

Byline: Peter Hartlaub Daily News Staff Writer

Getting behind the wheel of a large machine capable of high speeds can make you feel powerful - too powerful, experts say.

And authorities assert that was the case Wednesday when two women were killed in a car crash reportedly provoked by a bout of so-called road rage.

People can have strong emotions and sometimes those emotions spill out when they are driving, said Alfred Coodley, a psychiatric consultant for the criminal division of the Los Angeles Superior Court.

Some motorists might display irrational behavior in their car that wouldn't surface walking down the street, he said. ``Recognize that every human being has all kinds of potential for intense feelings,'' he said.

Coodley said the best way for drivers to avoid the phenomenon is to think twice when confronted with a frustrating or stressful situation.

``Never act on an impulse,'' Coodley said. ``Think carefully five times before taking any action at any time.''

So when someone cuts you off and the road-rage impulse sets in, experts say, slow down and take a deep breath.

Automobile Club of Southern California spokesman Jeff Spring's advice is to ``not take things personally'' on the road.

``You want to get somewhere. That's why you're driving your car,'' he said. ``You're not there to play games with someone.''

Although movies such as ``L.A. Story'' and ``Falling Down'' might parody Southland drivers as gun-toting lunatics, statistics show driving in Los Angeles is getting safer, a California Highway Patrol spokesman said.

CHP Officer Evan Robinson said freeway crashes involving revenge-minded drivers are ``isolated incidents,'' not a prevalent problem in the Southland.

``There are more drivers on the road in Los Angeles, so when there is an accident it tends to get blown out of proportion,'' Robinson said.

Spring agreed.

``L.A. keeps getting called the capital of road rage, but there's no data to indicate that it's true,'' he said.

At 1.43 deaths for every 100 million miles driven in 1996, Robinson said California has one of the lowest driver death rates in the nation. In Los Angeles County, 863 people were killed in traffic crashes in 1996, down from 972 in 1995 and 1,077 in 1991, according to CHP figures.

While there are no figures to measure road rage-related deaths - Robinson said the term is a media invention, not used by the CHP - he said the number of motorists cited for unsafe driving isn't proportionally larger in the Southland than other parts of the state.

The Automobile Club of Southern California does acknowledge the term road rage, and offers several tips to prevent it, from driving with the speed of traffic to making sure the radio isn't tuned to an inflammatory talk show host.

Tips that Spring offered to prevent a road rage incident include:

Make your vehicle as comfortable as you can. Play your favorite music, use the air conditioner and avoid talk radio that you may find upsetting.

Drive with the speed of traffic. If someone is tailgating, move to a slower lane, even if you have been obeying the speed limit.

``If they want to pass you, let them pass,'' Spring said. ``Don't be the one to pass judgment on their speed.''

Don't use angry hand or finger gestures. It's OK to use body language to say ``I'm sorry,'' but even that can be misinterpreted.

``An obvious wave using all five fingers can work,'' Spring said.

If someone gets angry, follows you and will not leave you alone, the best thing to do is pull off into a populated area like a gas station or storefront. If you know the area, find a police or fire station.