Sunday afternoon’s road rage incident in Emmarentia, where a father was killed and his wife wounded while their children watched, is shining a light on road rage in South Africa again. Outrage, shock and questionable statistics resulted but none address the root cause of the problem.
Road rage is rarely about the other vehicle. The CEO of MasterDrive, Eugene Herbert, expands: “Instead, the vehicle ahead represents emotional and cognitive overload. Congestion, deteriorating infrastructure, and the daily accumulation of stress create highly-strung drivers. By the time a minor bumper-bashing occurs, many drivers are already at capacity.
“The collision is perceived as disrespect, and when combined with a refusal to back down it triggers an aggressive response. The Emmarentia incident is testament to this exact dynamic: a minor collision quickly escalated with consequences that irreversibly changed lives.”
A preventative cognitive spiral precedes the first punch….
.jpg "Three killed in a crash on the N1-24 at Engen Garage involving a Quantum Mini Bus coming from Gauteng")