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• MasterDrive's Eugene Herbert explains why driving angry can turn your vehicle into a weapon.
• Anger removes some of the most important skills required to be a safe driver.
• A video is circulating of a man smashing into a News Café building because he was denied entry.
• For more motoring stories, visit Wheels24.
Anger can turn your vehicle into a weapon, endangering your life and that of other motorists.
It removes some of the essential skills required to be a safe driver. When people are angry, they become extremely distracted and can no longer concentrate on the task at hand.
You lose your ability to react calmly to situations encountered. Should a driver cut you off in traffic, you are unlikely to ignore it but more likely to react aggressively. Your ability to respond to emergency traffic situations will also be affected. When someone swerves into your lane, your reaction may be delayed or even completely removed depending on the level of anger you feel.
Losing your cool
Demands in the workplace increase the stress levels at work, additional financial difficulty due to lockdown, challenges for parents catching up time lost due to the pandemic and the resultant depression and anxiety that comes with the changes created by COVID-19 inevitably affects the anger levels of many.
Have you witnessed or experienced a situation where a driver acted out of anger on the road? Please email us, or share your thoughts in the comments section below.
The key is to be aware of your vulnerability to becoming angry while driving and identifying how to regain your composure. Be aware of what losing control behind the wheel can do to your driving ability, and avoid exposing yourself and others to this risk.
READ | Sometimes, the simplest approach can keep you safe and promote road safety in SA
Alternatively, if you are angry before you get into the car, rather delay your departure. Take some time to cool down and find ways that work for you when it comes to controlling your anger.
Almost every driver can admit to getting behind the wheel while angry. There is proof of how quickly and badly things can get out of control. The key is to ensure you never do it again.
Eugene Herbert is the CEO of MasterDrive.
