Road rage [also known as traffic tantrum] can be as dangerous as a bad traffic accident. It is a form of aggressive, menacing behaviour meant to intimidate another driver and could involve making rude gestures, screaming, throwing verbal insults, threats to cause physical harm or driving dangerously in a variety of ways [such as nearly grazing the other driver’s vehicle] to scare another driver.
Road rage can lead to altercations, fights, assaults and collisions – deliberately or otherwise – resulting in serious injuries, damage and even death. It must be controlled and avoided at any cost.
There are a thousand and one reasons why a driver would get enraged on the road but one should avoid committing at least the following driving ‘mistakes’ so that no driver has a reason to take you on. You can be the cause of someone’s road rage if:
You are driving too slowly in the other driver’s judgement and not bothering to get out of the way even when he blows the horn.
Unknowingly or out of mischief you do not allow the other driver to overtake you, and even race against him when he tries to do so.
Instead of looking for a proper parking you park your vehicle conveniently outside a building or a shop thus blocking a lane, causing a tail-back and slowing the traffic.
While a long left-turn queue of vehicles may be progressing smoothly in its lane, you suddenly come from the right lane as an intruder and try to push your vehicle in even as the green light turns red leaving the law-abiding drivers facing the red signal.
You change the lane without giving signal and thus jump a surprise on the unsuspecting driver in the lane which you may have joined.
You tail a vehicle in the fast lane moving at the allowed speed limit [say 100 or 120kmph], pushing it to drive faster by blowing the horn or blinking.
You emerge from a bylane speeding, forcing the driver on the main road to suddenly put brakes or you stand waiting to join the main road with the nose of your car thrust out to such extent that the oncoming driver will have to put brakes even though it is his right of way.
When the queue of vehicles is too long on a red signal, just when it goes green you come from far behind and try to get ahead of the law-abiding drivers.
These are just a handful of examples of how the truant and errant drivers can often test the patience of those following the traffic rules. And if the dam of patience of one of them bursts then be ready to one day see someone blocking your way in anger. That’s when you will be face to face with road rage. Don’t rouse it.