Putting an End… to a Raging Trend!
By Dr. K. Javeed Nayeem, MD
Of late we are seeing reports all too frequently of road rage incidents, from not only across the country but from many locations nearer home too. Most significant are the three such incidents that have been reported in just five days, from the Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway alone, which is not at all what we can call a very remote or desolate stretch of road, by any set of standards.
And, none of these three incidents have been the outcome any major unpleasant confrontation between the parties involved. Every one of them has been the outcome of some very minor irritation of the kind that most of us brush aside and quickly forget, as being only a minor inconvenience.
This disturbing trend shows that people on our roads are becoming more and more aggressive and intolerant of the way other road users use our roads or behave on them.
Status symbol
These days, a vehicle has come to be considered and used as a status symbol that signifies wealth, power and importance of its owners and so some of them are tempted to flaunt all the three, in the arrogant way in which they use it. This leads to frequent shows of some very aggressive and rash driving or even one-upmanship, when they see other vehicle users trying to outdo them.
It is a situation when hurt pride gets into the driving seat and steps hard on the gas pedal, with some very disturbing and even dangerous consequences.
Very often, the main reason for this is people feeling challenged when the vehicles they try to overtake, do not let them do so easily because their drivers too get into a mood to show off their driving prowess and the superior power of their own vehicles.
And, when frustration builds up, many people are unable to control their pent-up rage which leads to the behaviour that has now come to be called ‘Road Rage’ in a relatively newly but very aptly coined term. And, when you add to this already dangerous concoction of wealth, power, importance and hurt pride, a liberal dose of some blend of alcohol or psychotropic drug, you naturally have the ideal formula to become a public nuisance.
A comic angle!
I cannot help pointing out that this grim situation also has a rather comic angle to it because while our whole country is crying itself hoarse that the measly 20 percent ethanol in our petrol is stealing the power away even from their most powerful vehicles, the same ethanol, in a much lesser dose, is able to add power to their otherwise powerless owners!
When you think of it, with drunken driving becoming more and more common these days and drivers naturally becoming more and more dangerous on our roads, the idea of our government to progressively increase the percentage of ethanol in our petrol, may actually end up making our vehicles much safer, with their greatly reduced power. So, it looks like a brilliant idea after all!
Another amusing piece of news I read in connection with the recent incident of firing at a truck driver that took place recently, really takes the cake. It said that the Police were able to quickly nab the culprits responsible for it and had even seized the pistol used in the crime, along with two cannisters of carbon dioxide gas and some pellets.
Having said that and even released a picture of the seized arm and its very anaemic ammo, there was a statement that the same had been sent to a forensic lab for experts to check whether it was indeed a firearm. The question that I would like to ask here is whether our cops really need forensic help to determine whether a gun they have seized is real or only a gas powered, pellet firing toy!
Humour aside, I think it is time for us to think of means and ways to reduce the increasing incidents of Road Rage, especially on our fast expressways, both by increased patrolling by our Highway Police who are rarely seen now and also by increasing the number of speed monitoring and high-definition surveillance cameras, that can record not only vehicle number plates but also clear images of the people using them.
Non-functional cameras
A further step is to ensure that all these cameras are maintained in a fully functional state at all times, unlike the way in which most of them now remain dysfunctional at a stretch, for days or even months.
This sad state is testified to by the fact that almost all the regular cab drivers who drive on this road, know not only the locations of all the cameras on this route but also know which ones are in working condition. The result is that like regular players of a video game, they know exactly when to slow down and stay within the speed limit and when to ignore it with gay abandon and exceed it.
The sad fact is that while anyone can play a video game in any way, without any bad outcomes, adopting the same attitude while driving on a real road can be extremely dangerous, for ourselves and other road users too.
In addition to what our authorities can do to reduce incidents of road rage and the consequent unpleasant confrontations, we as road users too can and should exercise some much need common sense and caution to avoid becoming its victims.
The natural human tendency for all human beings is to retaliate defensively whenever we are confronted by a challenging or adverse situation, however small or big. But controlling this urge, even when provoked, is an art that we should all cultivate and which will certainly keep us out of trouble. This should not be seen as an act of capitulation or surrender. The most important thing to remember here is that even though we see a bad situation as not arising from our fault, every such situation we land in, lands us into much avoidable trouble, that can cost us dearly in terms of both money and inconvenience of every possible kind.
Stay clear of trouble
So, staying clear of trouble is the best and most sensible policy, which I always adopt, both on and off the road too. If I find a madcap trying to overtake my car in a much bigger monster, I move out of his way and even smile in admiration and awe as he passes by, to give him a sense of accomplishment and superiority.
And, if I find another one of his tribe, trying desperately to see if his tiny jalopy can outdo mine, with a frustrated expression, I let him win the race which I never ran, to make him happy with what he has.
It is enough for me, if I know what my car can really do, while letting him think that his car too can do, what it simply cannot!
e-mail: kjnmysore@rediffmail.com
This post was published on July 12, 2026 7:30 pm