Road Rage on Indian Roads: “तू जानता नहीं मेरा बाप कौन है”

Road rage, a phenomenon that plagues the roads in India.

A strange disorder that has so many variations but a common outcome. We hope you’re not a victim of road rage and never will be. Still, you will resonate how traumatic it is to go through it. A concoction of feelings, emotions bleed through your mind.

Road rage is one of the worst things that can happen to anybody on the road period. No doubt, it is a severe prevalent issue in India, with the ever peaking population it is getting a bit troublesome to share the limited space we have.

Incidents of hurled abuses, violence and even fatalities are frequently reported.

As per 2015 statistics released by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra are the top five states in India which have the highest number of cases of ‘Causing injuries under Rash driving/ Road rage.

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Road Rage: What Causes Them?

Aggressive Driving
Whether one’s in a hurry or they think its cool, aggressive driving is one of the principal causes that lead to road rage.

Brushing against another car, lane hogging, trick driving, cutting off another commuter One is bound to make a mistake doing so for that the result is Road Rage.

Infuriating Traffic Jams
We hate those traffic jams as much as you do. In fact who enjoys being confined in a metal box surrounded by fellow exasperated motorists? Jams act as an incubator of road rages.

Hence, someone, somewhere in the grid-lock gives in and breaks.

Disturbed/Distracted Drivers
Motorists under stress, in delay or late for work, are also to be blamed for road rage. It’s often seen at peak hours where commuters on four-wheelers and two-wheelers are in a hurry to reach their places to be.

This particular demographic resorts to trick driving, lane cutting and whatnot, which as mentioned in the first cause leads to road rage.

Bad/Restricted/Under Repair Roads
Now, this situation is something we can relate to the most.

Already we’re seeing a massive crisis in public spaces adding to that are those ever “in construction” roadways that will never see the light of completion. Those huge craters people call potholes further brightens the mood.

How To Handle Road Rage?

Stay Calm
This is the best thing you can do to yourself and for the situation- stay composed. Don’t lose your cool, take a deep breath and always remember- it’s not worth it.

If you come across an aggressive individual, your first action should be to ignore that fella, reasoning with him will only feed his rage. Try to avert the situation and stay out of it.

Do not react or retaliate
This will only make matters worse. Motorists in a rage will not take your reaction well. Abuses and violence may follow.

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Alert the Authorities
This is the best action that one can take in such situations. Approach the nearby traffic sentinel and report him of the illegal activity. They are trained to handle such situations.

Be at peace with yourself
“This too shall pass.”

Take hold of the situation, manipulate it as per your needs. Bad Roads? Drive slowly and carefully. Late for work? It’s better to be “Mr Late” than “Late Mr” (heard that somewhere?).

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Some Driving Etiquettes To Keep in Mind

Be kind to others
Even in the most unconducive of situations, try to be good with other commuters, give them space if they need, allow them to pass through. Kindness is karma; it always comes around.

Learn to share
A road is a public property; everyone’s entitled to use it. While you pay your taxes and deserve a part of it, so does the other person. Let’s realise that and mutually benefit one another.

Drop the phone
Now, this should not be said or mentioned, but we will. Talking on the phone while driving is not only stupidly dangerous but a serious traffic offence. Doing this will for sure land you in trouble.

Consider the Pedestrians
Our motor vehicle act gives privileges to pedestrians and so should you. They are at higher risk on the road than you are in your car so, take care of them even if they are driving you nuts. After all, it never hurts to be the bigger person.

Mind your safety
Wear a seatbelt, follow the signal, abide by the law, no reckless driving, no sharp turns. Just a simple list of things can prevent road rage to a large extent.

Conclusion | Road Rage

As we have mentioned above, road rage is one vice that is detested by many and yet many contribute to it.

While it is a result of stress and a lot of external factors that add to it, let’s start from ourselves. By making sure to not entertain unruly activities and driving in accordance with the rules and regulations, a lot of incidents can be avoided. Let’s make our roads better again!

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