With the ever-increasing number of vehicles on the ever-shrinking road space, the stress confronting us in everyday life is slowly becoming evident in our drivers too. While in 1950 we had only 0.3 million vehicles, today the country has more than 25 million vehicles. The growth of our roads has not kept pace with the growth in the number of vehicles. While the volume of traffic has grown over 100 times in the last fifty years, the road space has grown only by five to six times in the same period. And this takes a toll of civic sense, compassion and courtesy. Our roads have started experiencing the malady of road rage that was earlier thought to be only a western concept.

Today, all of us like to live in the fast lane. No one wants to be left behind. With everyone on the fast forward track, compassion, tolerance, and patience have given way to aggression, frustration and irritation. People turn maniac and violent. And remember they are otherwise perfectly normal and sedate people who wouldn’t hurt a fly.

Now what is that, which makes our drivers, both men and women, rule breaking and foul mouthed? Congested roads with too many vehicles, too many people constantly failing traffic signals, limited parking space, bad behaviour of other drivers, sudden diversion on an often-frequented route and VIP movements holding up traffic for long periods, lead to road rage. Another problem peculiar to our roads is the unique combination of slow and fast moving vehicles plus the stray cattle on the roads.

The electric gizmos in the present day cars also contribute significantly to the problem of road rage. A recent American study showed that cellular phones are considered to have contributed to more accidents than drunken driving. Driving while talking on a mobile becomes highly unpredictable and accidents can result. Stressful conversations on mobiles while driving can be dangerous. The loud stereophonic music systems in the cars blaring away to glory provoke the young drivers to drive rashly and without concern for the fellow road users. They tend to match the speed of the vehicle with that of the music. At times, even the co-passengers especially the children in the car can be the cause of distraction. Smoking and eating while driving can also cause erratic behaviour.

Some years back, Aston University of U.K. conducted a study in collaboration with the Health Promotion Research Trust on Driver Stress. The study showed that driver stress has five components:

• Driving aggression
• Dislike of driving
• Frustration associated with overtaking
• Irritation while being overtaken
• Heightened alertness and concentration

The main causes of driver stress or road rage as we call it today were identified to be:

• Other drivers’ behaviour
• Bad weather conditions
• Road and traffic conditions
• Keeping to a strict time schedule
• Worries from home or work

Another survey by the Automobile Association of America (AAA) in Washington showed that 44 percent of drivers consider aggressive driving as the biggest threat to road safety, even more than drunken driving. Still, 50 percent of those included in the survey admitted their own aggression while driving. According to AAA, about 66 percent of all traffic fatalities are caused by road rage.

Now here are some tips to overcome the problem of road stress:

• Always be prepared for other people to drive erratically - all drivers are human.
• Be tolerant - aggression and anger are bad for you; accept traffic jams as a fact of life.
• Channel your aggression elsewhere. Don’t hank the moment the light changes colour.
• Drive less if you dislike being at the steering often - use other modes of transport from time to time.
• Enjoy some soft, devotional music on your car stereo to soothe your frayed nerves.
• Forget other problems when you are at the wheel.
• Go to the slow lane sufficiently in advance if you are not sure of your way; it is preferable to ask a pedestrian for guidance.
• Have patience - remember a few seconds will not make much difference to your overall journey time.
• If the vehicle in front of you is being driven by a physically impaired person and if you must overtake, try to do it as gradually as possible.
• Journeys are easier in stages – try not to drive for more than three hours at a stretch - you will be more alert and able to concentrate if you stop from time to time.
• Know the rules for merging in thoroughfares and take turns.
• Late hours driving - do not honk your horn continuously - allow yourself time to react - driver ahead of you could be drunk or sleepy and tired.
• Master relaxation techniques, these come handy in traffic jams.
• Never allow your mood, emotions and attitudes to take over you.
• Older drivers need more time to adapt to sudden changes on the roads, be considerate towards them.
• Plan your journeys to take care of traffic jams.
• Quick decision at times saves you from many problems -remain alert to your surroundings.
• Residential areas could be dangerous - look out for budding Sachins.
• Stress has a long-term association with heart diseases.
• While taking a turn, give way to pedestrians.
• Use your vehicle only if absolutely necessary.
• Vehicles should be given a proper check up before you embark on your journey; a stalled vehicle can cause frayed nerves.
• Weather can be tricky at times; be prepared.
• Express your greetings to your friends with an acknowledging look and not by holding hands between vehicles.
• You are new to a place, don’t take lead at traffic signals.
• Zigzag driving should be avoided at all costs.

Last month, Britain observed National Kissing Day and a study released on that day says that people who take time to kiss before heading out to work, are less likely to have a car accident. Husbands who kiss their wives before leaving home in the morning, live five times longer than those who don’t. So it is very easy to wipe out road rage from our roads. We needn’t say anything more.