Road Rage

HONK! ... the blaring horn of a truck sounded right next to me, threatening to pierce my ear drums apart. I jumped and then attempted to glare at the driver hoping to guilt him into submission. He apparently was oblivious to my glare as he was staring straight ahead; arms waving wildly, his face contorted into an expression of rage as he tried to tell the driver in front of him to move ahead in the endless line of vehicles, lest he forgo his place.
Shifting uncomfortably in my seat, back drenched in sweat, I looked around only to find that our car was surrounded by an array of motorcycles, trucks, buses, lorries and the like. My mother was seated right next to me in the driver's seat, her fingers tapping the steering wheel impatiently and her eyes staring right ahead unblinking as if to will the traffic signal to turn green. To top it all off, our car's air conditioner had breathed its last that very day... therefore we were subjected not only to the angry ranting of drivers and stifling smoke emissions of their vehicles but also to the blistering sun!

“My God!” my mother exclaimed, “This traffic jam is unbelievable! It’s the fault of the city government that the citizens of this city have to suffer through this! If they had paid more attention to developing the infrastructure more effectively….” with this my mother lodged into a long and detailed debate of how the government wasn’t doing its job. I nodded, half listening, my attention caught by the images of dissent a few cars ahead of us. A man had got out of his car to give the driver in front of him a piece of his mind. This resulted in a verbal torrent of fury from both sides causing a massive crowd to gather; adding to the chaos. I sighed and settled back into my seat. ‘Its going to be a long ride home.’ I thought despondently.

This was an account of just another incident on the busy and chaotic streets of Karachi. It’s a common a sight to see other people lose their cool and start blaming others for all their carelessness and lack of attention. In fact this particular phenomenon has become so common, there is now a proper word allotted to it as well specific treatments and advice. The word is known as road rage.

The term road rage is used to refer to violent behavior by a driver of an automobile, which thus causes accidents or incidents on roadways. It can be thought of as an extreme case of aggressive driving.
From the perspective of law enforcement and transportation safety officials, because cars give people a sense of anonymous power that explain such confrontations, road rage and aggressive driving manifest themselves in actions such as:
• speeding and aggressive acceleration
• cutting others off in a lane
• weaving in and out of traffic
• sounding the vehicle's horn or flashing lights excessively
• shouting verbal abuse, including threats
• triggering or exaggerating traffic waves due to reduced headways and more sudden braking
• driving in the passing lane and keeping pace with the car next to them to enforce the speed limit themselves
• driving excessively slow on a high-speed road
• screaming at a police officer who won't allow passage into a road

What are the reasons behind this sudden surge of anger? What causes us to abandon all etiquette and self control and just explode with rage?
Road rage can be caused by a variety of events, circumstances, and environments. The three main categories use to classify what causes road rage are the environment, instructive responses, and territorial defensiveness.
Environmental conditions are the main factors associated with road rage. These conditions can consist of traffic congestion, another’s dangerous driving habits, the weather (heat, humidity, etc.), noise levels, and time constraints.
The other two causes of road rage, instructive responses and territorial defensiveness are also closely related. Intrusive responses are actions of retaliation to get back at another for their careless driving. Territorial defensiveness is the act of defending ones personal space (the car) in response to another individuals driving.
Road rage is a relatively serious act; it may be seen as a violation of property rights and an endangerment of personal security.
The problem with giving in to road rage is that it can get a person into a lot of trouble as other people may be just as enraged. Therefore the harm they can cause to others can be downright dangerous.
Psychological research has given us tips and suggestions to avoid aggressive driving behavior so as to ensure that others as well as our own well being is secured.
How to avoid aggressive driving behavior:
• Plan ahead and allow enough time for delays.
• Give your driving your full attention.
• Don’t take your frustration out on other drivers.
• Driving is not a contest. It is not about winning.
• Realize that you cannot control the drivers around you... you can control only the way you react to them.
Other useful tips:
1. Don't retaliate. Never take the other driver personally; he/she is only reacting on a road rage instinct.
2. Don't make eye contact with an angry driver.
3. Before you react to anything that is done to you please ask yourself, "Is getting back at that jerk worth my life?"
4. Be polite and courteous, even when others are not.
5. Always ask yourself: "Could the other driver have possibly made a mistake?"
6. If you are harassed by another driver and being followed, do not go home. Go to the nearest police detachment.
7. Slow down and relax!
8. Never underestimate other drivers' capacity for mayhem.
9. Reduce your driving stress by allowing enough time to get where you are going. Know the roads that are under construction and listen to weather reports that may cause traffic delays. Practice patience and keep your cool.
10. Remember that you cannot control the drivers around you, but you can control the way they affect your well-being. Be calm and drive safely.
One must remember to be respectful while driving and treat others the way they want to be treated. Not giving in to road rage is the best way to avoid any legal troubles and doing something that one will later regret.

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