The road rage in which three women were arrested on Saturday for abusing and attacking a couple with a baby in a car needs to be looked in the totality of on-road behaviour of vehicle drivers, psychiatrists say.
According to them, while it is common knowledge that men dominate roads and that many a time women drivers are aback by aggressive driving by men, a probe on the lines of what could have made the women explode in an exaggerated manner could also be taken into account. Mostly, it is men who are found resorting to “exaggerated behaviour” on the road.
“On the other hand, the police also should be testing all abusive drivers with “exaggerated behaviour” for substance abuse,” said Ajeesh Ramachandran, a psychiatrist who heads the de-addiction centre at the General Hospital.
Drug intoxication can never be found through the usual testing for alcohol. The blood sample has to be tested for psychedelic drugs, he said.
Latent unrest
The police said the women resorted to exaggerated behaviour after the car driver applied sudden brake, resulted in the women swerving their vehicle to avoid hitting the car. While the police may not read much more into the incident, there could be an underlying unrest in people’s behaviour in such situations.
Anne Amma, who heads the Mental Health Centre, Thrissur, said drivers should focus on avoiding mistakes rather than teaching lessons to those on the road. It affects concentration, she added.
A counselling session for all road rage accused drivers could also help them have better control of their emotions, said Dr. Ramachandran.
Personality issues
He added that there had been a rise in behavioural or personality problems in many youngsters. Interaction with college students, family counselling sessions, and clinical practice have shown several youngsters, including women, who have issues dealing with various life situations.
REINING RAGE
Abusive drivers need to be tested for substance abuse
Counselling could help drivers have better control of their emotions
Drivers should focus on avoiding mistakes rather than teaching lessons to others
