Road Rage in South Africa: Drivers Aggressive Behaviour
Abstract
Road rage amongst drivers has spiraled out of control. In some extreme circumstances resulting in the loss of lives. It is problematic in our attempts to separate drivers' aggressive behaviour , and the threats of violence associated with it, from that found in the wider society. Both are unarguably linked to the other. The aim of this study is to look at the causes of road rage and have the aspiration of finding a lasting solution(s0 to the problem. The author relied on previous literatures carrying out a systematic literature review using thematic analysis approach to analyse the data gathered. Some of the findings of the study are: the violence found in the wider society correlateswith societal violence influencing driver's behaviour , lack of education on how to deal with conflicts, unwillingness to accommodate other road users, clear rules of the road be easily accessible in all official languages in South Africa, periodic compulsory psychological assessments for drivers, imposition of harsher punishment for offending road rage drivers and adequate support for road rage victims.
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