Road Rage in India
The term ‘road rage’ pertains to the violent events that take place on roadways, due to the stress caused by driving on high traffic regions. An incident of road rage occurs, when an angry or impatient motorist or traveler threatens or attempts to kill or actually kills or injures a fellow commuter. It often starts with an exchange of angry words and furious verbal retorts at a fellow passenger.
Typically, young men below 19 years are found to be most prone to road rage. This is because of their aggressive nature and lack of patience. In the US, therapists claimed that road rage is a condition of a medical disorder. In most parts of the world, road rage is considered to be a serious crime rather than a medical disorder.
Road Rage: What Causes Road Rage?
It has been found that feeling of anxiety and frustration comes naturally while driving on high traffic zones, which results in road rage. Psychologists reveal that people are prone to this kind of violent behavior in their childhood by watching adults or even violent movies. It is seen that violent behavior comes naturally to Indian drivers as though it is a cultural norm. Interestingly, women who drive are not as prone as men.
Most of the incidents of road rage occur during peak traffic hours. Reasons associated with the incidents of road rage are:
- Traffic congestion
- Weather conditions
- Noise levels
- Time constraints
- Alcohol consumption
Road Rage: When Do Drivers Get Provoked into This?
The most common provoking activities that trigger road rage are:
- Cutting others off
- Weaving in and out of traffic
- Rude gestures
- Verbal abuse
- Threatening to use a fatal weapon
- Aggressive acceleration
Road rage is considered as a criminal offence, which may lead to serious injuries and even death. While there are no clear laws specifying road rage in India, it is something for the government to define and enforce strictly so that people do not take law into their own hands. It is important for people to avoid getting aggressive on the roads.
In addition to all that have been remarked to pacify road rage, one important fact to be emphasized here that road tolerance should be inculcated in the minds of the children by their parents, who take pride in their children driving the vehicles even at the earlier stages, and the schools. One other thing is that the theory of deterrence, levying a minor fine even for a slight rage will certainly go a long way in tackling this menace.
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