GOOD MOTORING
Reining in road rage
H. Kishie Singh

THERE is something about an automobile that brings out the worst in us. A perfectly normal person, who is cool, calm and collected, can become a raging tiger when he gets into an automobile. Perhaps it’s the zoom-zoom sound of the exhaust as he guns the engine or the speed with which his vehicle moves which gets his adrenalin pumping. Whatever the reason, a person at the wheel can become dangerous.

You should drive with the realisation that you own the car, and not the road. If you drive as the owner of the car, you will not want to put a dent or scratch on it. So, drive slowly and carefully. If you drive thinking that you own the road, you are likely to upset and irritate other road-users. This is the beginning of road rage.

Flashing lights, incessant use of horn, tailgating, cutting lanes, blocking overtakers, driving with high beam, speeding, overtaking from the left and bad driving are symptoms of aggressive driving. They result in road rage in others too.

The other road-user may have things weighing on his mind. A bad day at the office, an argument with his wife, the stock market crashing — all this builds up tension. And, all that is required is a small incident to ignite road rage.

Rage is defined as uncontrolled and violent anger. People act in a way they themselves cannot comprehend. This rage can be momentary or last a long time. During this time, the person could be uncontrollable and dangerous. Do not get out of your car to confront him. The confrontation could become physical and that’s the last thing you want.

It is an accepted fact that bad driving leads to road rage. So drive carefully, and respect other road-users. Be courteous, and you will avoid trouble.

One point that comes up repeatedly is that of fast driving. You generally drive fast if you are late for an appointment. Already you are under stress and a few wrong moves on the road could trigger road rage.

Leave for your appointment on time, allowing enough time to drive and park (sometimes this takes time). All this should be done at a leisurely pace. This will ensure you arrive cool and calm for your important business meeting.

One way to stay cool is to have soothing music. This creates a peaceful environment in the car. Music with a beat slower than that of your heartbeat is recommended. The boom-boom bang-bang music of today encourages you to drive fast. It can make you hyper. Don’t take traffic and traffic problems personally. Learn to be polite. Instead of snarling, smile. Let the faster driver overtake. Don’t blow horn or flash lights unnecessarily. In case you have an aggressive driver alongside, slow down. Don’t speed up, or else he will do the same. There have been instances of people being run off the road.

You should avoid eye contact with an aggressive driver. There is something about eye contact which infuriates people. Never make rude gestures like shaking your fist.

Happy motoring.

This feature was published on May 15, 2004