Whether you are a driver or a passenger, it is safe to assume that you might have encountered an uncomfortable incident of road rage. Arrived Alive defines the concept of road rage as an incident in which an angry or impatient motorist or passenger either threatens or attempts to injure or kill another motorist, passenger or pedestrian. As South Africans, we often witness many instances where motorists experience frustration on the road. This is often caused by unroadworthy or aggressive driving which results in inconveniencing many other road users.
Arrived alive explains that this concept has become a normality in South Africa that is often influenced by factors such as stress levels, modern high-pressure lifestyle, lack of consideration of other road users and so forth. Dekra reveals that certain personality traits have also been linked to aggressive driving and road rage.
Factors that lead to road rage are:
- Traffic Delays
The population of our country is ever increasing, this is partially evident in the number of hours spent on traffic and the numerous road users. It comes as no surprise that we spend longer hours stuck in traffic, with a buildup of stress and many other frustrations. Traffic delays can be very time-consuming, resulting in impatient and restless drivers.
- Driving under the influence
While alcohol can slow down one’s reflexes, it is also important to note that being under the influence can cause blurred vision. Because driving is an activity that requires one to always be vigilant of other users, drinking under the influence has led to many encounters that resulted in fatal accidents. According to Arrive Alive drivers who drive drunk or drugged add significantly to the problem of road rage.
- Disregarding others
Most road users often have expectations from other road users that they don’t comply with. Many tend to think they can simply bend the road laws. This is then usually followed by irresponsible driving that can be a danger to others.
Listed below are a few road rage effects that are advised by Dekra:
- Physical harm
The aggression of road rage is often followed by arguments which later break into physical fights. In these cases, one party has invaded the other party’s personal space thus leading to conflict. Retailing this act would be an expression of anger which may be a physical fight.
- Accidents
These are led by irresponsible driving tactics that may cause harm to both the vehicle and all parties involved. Actions such as speeding, disregarding other road users and breaking traffic rules may lead to a collision or even a deadly accident.
- Psychological trauma
A driver’s retaliation may lead to conflict or possibly a car accident. These experiences often leave many victims with trauma and PTSD. The emotional fear that some road users encounter result to anxiety and the fear of being behind the wheel again.
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