Our crime statistics will support the assertion that South Africans are generally desensitised to daily violence and shootings in the country.
But the heartbreaking scene of a little boy attempting CPR on the lifeless body of his father, the child’s bloodied hands as he’s led away, his sister sobbing uncontrollably for her “pappaji” after a fatal road rage incident that played out in Emmarentia, Johannesburg, on Sunday, would crack even the coldest heart.
The violence escalated within minutes from a side-swipe involving two cars to fisticuffs between the drivers, before gun shots rang out along Barry Hertzog Avenue near the Checkers centre.
The bloody aftermath, seen in videos that have gone viral on social media, is a glimpse of the utter chaos and heartbreak that is becoming all too familiar on our roads.
Last February, Candice Adams brutally attacked another female driver after a minor collision, repeatedly punching her in the face and stomach. Again what made the situation that much more alarming was the presence of young children in both vehicles.
Initial reports allege Faisal ul Rehman’s wife retrieved a gun from their car when the verbal altercation turned violent on Sunday.
At least three witnesses claim she fired shots into the air, allegedly prompting the driver of the second car to fetch his gun and open fire in response.
Seconds later, Ul Rehman was lying bleeding on the road, his wife was shot, and the driver of the second vehicle laid his firearm on the road while the children ran to their parents.
The aftermath was described by the witnesses as grim and haunting.
While it may start with something as trivial as a fender bender or a momentary lapse in attention, road rage has increasingly triggered violent and deadly confrontations on the road.
Investigations by the Medical Research Council, the University of South Africa’s Crime, Violence & Injury Lead Programme and the Accident Research Centre at the University of KwaZulu-Natal confirm the problem appears to be increasing worldwide along with traffic congestion and frustration on roads.
In his paper on driver aggressive behaviour in South Africa, criminal law researcher Shaka Yesufu believes there are various catalysts of extreme rage, with some people having a history of “blowing their top”, mental disorders or antisocial personalities.
Other factors such as limited road capacity, an increase in the number of drivers, cars and pedestrians, stress, depression and pent-up aggression may be some of the precipitating factors that create anger and frustration on the road.
A survey conducted by the AA South Africa among drivers in the Johannesburg area concluded that 47.7% of respondents reported having children in the car during a road rage incident.
He suggests certain personality types are more prone to road rage than others.
Anecdotal evidence collected by the Automobile Association suggests the high level of testosterone more common in men explains why more men are road ragers than women.
A survey conducted by the AA South Africa among drivers in the Johannesburg area concluded that 47.7% of respondents reported having children in the car during a road rage incident.
The violence on our roads mirrors the brutality and bloodshed in our homes, schools, hospitals, offices and public spaces.
It is a shameful apartheid legacy that permeates our social fabric and is passed down to generations.
Taxis drivers who hog the emergency lane, drivers who cut others off while changing lanes or motorists who speed or are too slow often elicit a barrage of verbal abuse or profanity or a physical response, usually in front of impressionable children.
All arguments should not end in violence, yet this seems to be the default setting for many in our nation.
Reversing such responses requires the education of citizens on finding alternate conflict resolution models, which for myriad reasons still elude our government.
It has been suggested stiffer punishment for road rage incidents could be a deterrent, a subject that will dominate conversation given that the National Prosecuting Authority on Tuesday declined to prosecute, for now, the driver of the second vehicle.
Aggressive drivers who cannot control their anger should not be on our roads.
De-escalation and managing conflict should be taught at school from an early age and should be a mandatory section in driver training. Infringements should lead to the loss of licence.
The change must start with every driver who should choose tolerance over aggression and respect over rage or else the blood will continue to stain our hands and our roads.
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