Aggressive drivers are a threat to the safety of all road users as they deliberately or ill-intentionally disregard safety, resulting in road rage from their side, or from another road-user.
Road rage is defined as an incident in which an angry or impatient motorist or passenger intentionally injures or kills another motorist, passenger, or pedestrian, said Lt. Col. Sergio Kock, police spokesperson.
Road rage is often triggered by the irresponsible behaviour by others, but the common factors that contribute to the causes are:
Heavy traffic
Standing in a long queue of vehicles can be frustrating, with drivers getting triggered quicker when an inconvenience comes their way;
Psychological factors
Such as hostile thinking, high stress, misuse of alcohol or drugs, and having a short temper can often lead to road rage;
Impatient drivers
These type of drivers are most likely to drive aggressively as they believe that their needs come before anyone else’s, which might lead to them being involved in road rage should there be any inconvenience while driving;
Driver retaliation
The way a driver retaliates will determine whether it will lead to road rage;
Pedestrians
Sometimes pedestrians will make a gesture or not follow traffic rules which could lead to conflict and road rage.
Protect yourself at all times when having to deal with aggressive drivers.
Be polite and cautious even when the other driver is not. Should the situation escalate and become worse, lock the doors of your vehicle and when the aggressive driver confronts you, dial the police emergency number 08600-10111 or drive to the nearest police station.
When you are stopped in traffic, always leave enough room to pull out from behind the car you are following.
Set a good example and make sure not to tailgate, do not change lanes without indicating, use your horn sparingly as some drivers may misinterpret the polite honk, and do not block the passing lane.
Adhere to the rules of the road at all times and create a much better and safer environment for drivers.
