A glimpse.

 

 

ROAD RAGE : A Raging Menace in India.

DEFINITION OF ROAD RAGE

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration defines road rage as when a driver "commits moving traffic offenses so as to endanger other persons or property; an assault with a motor vehicle or other dangerous weapon by the operator or passenger of one motor vehicle on the operator or passengers of another motor vehicle".




ROAD RAGE STATISTICS

• 66% of traffic fatalities are caused by aggressive driving.

• 37% of aggressive driving incidents involve a firearm.

• Males under the age of 19 are the most likely to exhibit road rage.

• Half of drivers who are on the receiving end of an aggressive behavior, such as horn honking, a rude gesture, or tailgating admit to responding with aggressive behavior themselves.

• Over a seven year period, 218 murders and 12,610 injuries were attributed to road rage.

One scary statistic worth noting is:

• 2% of drivers admit to trying to run an aggressor off the road!

WHAT CAUSES ROAD RAGE?

•  Driving over the speed limit, or trying to "beat" red lights because you are in a hurry.

•  flashing your headlights at a driver in front of you that you believe is driving too slowly

•  Honking the horn often?

•  Using obscene gestures or otherwise communicating angrily at another driver.

WAYS WE CAN AVERT ROAD RAGE

• · Don’t react in the same way as the aggressive driver. Don’t match with his behaviour. Avoid any physical reaction and also eye contact.

• · Control your temper because you never know the level of hotheadedness of the other driver.

• · Keep a level head and a calm mind. It’s difficult but you have to maintain that calmness to avoid any untoward incidents.

• · If you are being followed, better to drive to the nearest police station and stop your car there.

• · While driving, follow traffic rules, follow lane driving and avoid overtaking, especially in congested traffic zones. Practicing good driving habits is the best way to avoid conflicts.

• · Don’t honk the car horn unnecessarily to irritate other drivers.

• · Try to be courteous to your fellow driver even if he is at fault and let him have his way.

• · Self-control is the basic component to keep your cool. You have to choose between whether to retaliate or not in anger. Better not to indulge in negative behaviour.

STEPS TO PREVENT IT

Last but not the least, the law, police and the authorities are equally responsible. No strict action is taken against the offending drivers. Traffic control is not properly maintained. Police comes to the affected spot very late. One of the best solutions to solve the problem of road rage or prevent it is to install functional CCTV cameras in all sensitive and traffic congested locations, including bus stops and inside the public and private buses to closely monitor the conduct of the drivers. Random checks should be done by higher police officials from time to time at ‘red’ stops to reduce the corrupt practices by police constables and junior officials.

Introduction

“22-year-old shot at after fight over parking” … “The driver of Delhi Public School, Rohini, carrying 40 school students, suffered from severe head injuries, when he was hit by two men in an Alto car, for not giving them passage” … “G D Goenka School’s bus driver was hit by a hammer by a man in a Scorpio for not giving way.” … “5 youths in a Verna car attacked three pedestrians and killed one of them not giving way to their car” … “A police constable was dragged for more than 100 metres and was killed by being crushed under the wheels of a car that was being stopped for crossing red light.”

These are a few instances of what is happening almost regularly in Delhi and are popularly referred to as “Road rage incidents” in the newspapers. In the last 2-3 years, almost every day we get to hear about such incidents and the people on the roads in Delhi are so short-tempered that they don’t even hesitate to hit, punch or even kill someone on the pretext of some minor issues on the road, leave aside the regular abuses and arguments.

Delhi senior police officials have stated that in 2013, 36 road rage incidents were reported and in 2014 till August, there were already more than 20 cases registered. The PCR receives almost 10-12 calls every day on minor scuffles on the roads of Delhi. Short-tempered drivers have made the roads of Delhi very dangerous and unsafe for others. With the rising frequency of such incidents, this issue is giving rise to serious concerns and calls for urgent preventive steps.