Every two days now, the press broadcasts news of more and more examples of road rage in urban areas of India. For a long time, road rage was something that Indians heard about, as it happened in America or Europe, and was widely discussed. There were discussions about the possible causes, pressures and stress of his “lifestyle” in the face of the strength of the Indian family, and so on. And now the road rage is here in a big way and it looks like everything is ready to stay!
The past months and weeks have seen an escalation of incidents and examples of this international phenomenon, right here at home. From cases of people screaming and honking like maniacs, to young men dragging older people out of their cars and hitting them, to recent cases in Delhi of people being shot for overtaking the wrong car, things they have been getting uglier and uglier. And there doesn’t seem to be any hope, whatsoever, that something will improve quickly. On the contrary, things seem to get much, much worse.
Many people seem to wonder what is causing this. However, if you really think about it, there are no surprises here. This is to be expected and is easily explained. There are many layers to this topic, some of which are easy to understand and some of which are a bit more complex, especially for Indians. For example, the concept of personal space is difficult to understand in a country like this. Since Indians are traditionally used to large families in small spaces, and since the population density per square mile is so high, most people simply do not understand that everyone needs a certain amount of personal physical space to be. really comfortable and happy.
One of the leading theories for road rage, worldwide, is based on this basic human need. When you drive, your personal space expands to include the vehicle, car, bus, scooter, bicycle, whatever, and any invasion into this, as if another driver were standing in front of you, is just as horrible to the psyche as someone who physically crowding him or trying to hit you. As a result, what should be just a minor “shrug” traffic offense turns into a “how dare the dudes” type of personal insult. People have a visceral reaction to such incidents. This reaction is only compounded by the awareness that it could have turned into a life-threatening situation if one party had lost control or concentration for a moment.
But the invasion and the angle of danger is only one of the forces driving the fury on the road. Increasing levels of stress are another major contributor to the phenomenon. People have become angrier and less patient in all areas and facets of their lives. Life itself becomes more irritating every day. Most people don’t have healthy outlets for all the frustration and anger that build up all day, every day, and carry it like a burden, both emotionally and physically. A small incident on the road can often cause all of this anger, frustration, and irritation to spill out in the form of vocal or physical violence.
There are other problems as well. Family and friend circles have become smaller, less supportive, and more superficial in their interactions. This not only eliminates the vital emotional support that allows people to deal with frustrations, but it also eliminates the regular interactions that teach people how to treat each other socially. Young people these days are not taught to respect their elders, to be patient, to deal with things, or to let the little irritants fade away. On the contrary, instant gratification is the mantra of the moment. Children are pampered, they get everything they want, when they want it, without learning patience or understanding. They grow aggressive and impatient. Add to this all the new types of stressors and all the heartache that they have to deal with, every day, and you have the perfect recipe for disaster.
And there seems to be no solution in sight until there is a sea change in the way people handle frustrations and anger. However, anger management classes, laugh clubs, yoga centers, and lifestyle management gurus are making an effort. Even small dents are a start and small steps are a good way to start a long and difficult journey.
