Life has become fast. People live on the razor’s edge. They are tense, angry especially while driving because they want to get to their destination quickly and think that they can somehow clear the highway. They honk, skip signals, shoot verbal spears and the slightest provocation is enough for them to pull the “trigger”.

While one can’t be sure if rage is now more common than it used to be, given the ever-increasing number cases of shootings, ramming into other vehicles, hit and run and other such incidents, having a short fuse is proving to be fatal than one could have ever imagined.
Recently a 26-year-old executive working with a multinational company was allegedly shot dead in outer Delhi by unidentified men after an argument. Sometime back Himanshu Batra, 24 was getting out of his car, when he accidentally hit by a man carrying a plate of chicken tikka, which fell on the ground. An argument broke out and the accused allegedly later pulled out a pistol and fired four rounds and “killed” him immediately.
Whether it is cutting someone off with their car to physically attacking another motorist in the middle of the street, throwing punches, slapping each other, we wonder what exactly provokes someone to the point where one would react in such a way to harm another? These and many other cases show that strangers were involved in the killings and the bone of contention was nothing more than just a small altercation.
psychologist Dr Rajat Mitra says that it is much more than just tempers flaring and a motorist wanting to take out his frustration out on another motorist. Low threshold, no fear of the law and escalating tempers, all contribute to road rage. “Although pinpointing the actual root cause of road rage is not as easy as one might think, but the major factor for short fuse is the tribalist way of society, where people are not scared of the consequences. There is no faith in the system and people want to settle scores then and there. They can’t wait for the police to arrive and justice to be served,” he says.
Whereas psychologist Dr Jitendra Nagpal adds that some people use the road as a platform to gratify their urge for thrill, the thrill of being in control. “Some people are not focused while driving. Their minds are filled with worries and an underlining impulse. Some have various kinds of insecurities and for them violence is the last option to sort out issues. Their ego is so brittle that a drop of hat is enough for them to fly off the handle,” says Dr Nagpal.
He adds that stimulants like drugs and alcohol only worsen anger. “Even in urban cities where inhabitants are educated, many tend to get barbaric on the slightest provocation,” says Dr Nagpal.
Lack of driving etiquette coupled with lack of experience compel disagreements to graduate to crime. “In big cities, grace, decorum and sophistication are slowly disappearing. People get so engrossed in an argument that they actually forget about the original issue that started it all. The shallowness and ‘I have to win’ attitude needs to be taken care of in a civilised society,” says Archana Gill, an HR professional. So how should this menace be addressed? What is the cure? “Many people don’t know there are ways of releasing anger. Anger management is both educational and therapeutic and there would be a lot less road rage if one knows how to deal with one’s anger,” says psychologist Deepak Gupta.