Stress drives up road rage

Forget the hijackings, smash-and-grabs, taxi violence and service delivery protests which have made driving on South African roads a nightmare – increasing acts of road rage incidents are an even bigger thorn in the side of many drivers.

Such incidents – which include acts of speeding, tailgating, cutting in, swearing, hooting, gesturing, threatening and physical assault – have become the new normal on our roads.

Chief executive officer of JvR Africa Group, Dr Jopie de Beer, said road rage was on the rise internationally.

De Beer said this was mainly due to increased traffic congestion, insufficient infrastructure, drinking-and-driving and inadequate policing.

He said there were additional factors in SA which made our roads more dangerous than elsewhere in the world.

One of these relates to the stress levels of the country’s inhabitants.

De Beer quoted the results of a recent Bloomberg study, which rated South Africans as the second-most stressed country in the world out of 74 nations.

“The political temperature in the country needs attention. Our driving is a major reflector of whom we have become,” De Beer said. “The character of the driver is probably the most important factor in trying to understand road rage.”

Deputy managing director of Masterdrive, Garry Clackworthy, said road rage was usually the result of a bad driving attitude, aggression and extreme anger when another driver made a mistake on the road.

“It could be triggered by anything really. The driver in question could have had a fight with their partner or spouse or they could just be having a really bad day. The minute another driver makes a mistake on the road they see red and they pounce,” he said.

De Beer said there were generally two different types of road rage.

Pressure-cooker road rage, a progressive condition that starts with anxiety and stress, can build up into a pressure-cooker situation where irritation bursts into anger.

There is also rule-breaking behaviour, dubbed hostile road rage, where some people enjoy the adrenaline of fast and dangerous driving, easily becoming agitated when other drivers frustrate them.

“The car becomes a deadly weapon and the car reflects their power in what they consider to be their territory, which may start out to be the car, but could extend to their road, passengers, route, city, country and their right to eliminate competition,” he said.

Clackworthy said when faced with an angry driver on the road, it was best to apologise and walk away.

Arrive Alive added to this, urging drivers to remain calm, avoid eye contact with the aggressive driver, not respond to provocative words or actions – and to what they can to avoid conflict.

If the aggressive person heads towards you, remain in your vehicle, making sure the windows are shut and the doors locked. If possible it’s best to leave the area and go to a place where you can get help. Do not drive home if the aggressive driver is following.

“Road rage can become serious so never underestimate an angry driver. It can start out verbally and very quickly escalate into a physical altercation,” Clackworthy said.

“I have read a report of one driver being killed in a road rage incident in South Africa.”