Calming road rage

ROAD RAGE, according to psychiatrist Dr Frederick Hickling, stems from a lack of control.

"There are various stresses that cause people to get angry, but most human beings learn how to control their impulses," said Dr Hickling.

"People who don't learn how to control their impulses have very short wicks. They get angry very quickly, cannot control their anger or rage and are constantly in conflict with other people. This personality disorder is usually associated with other psychological problems, such as conflict and anger management."

A professor of psychiatry at the University of the West Indies, Mona campus Hickling said persons experiencing this disorder tend to have a huge psychological ego where they believe that they are the centre of the world.

Hickling's comments came against the background of the recent killing of 17-year-old Khajeel Mais by the driver of a BMW X6.

The professor said the personality disorder can be either mild, moderate or severe.

"They will pull out a gun and shoot someone for stepping on their toe, which is abnormal behaviour, and is fairly common in this country. Just driving on the road in this country, you see some outrageous things," he said.

He said preventative measure is the best treatment, by helping young children learn to control their impulses. However, there were psychological techniques that could be used to help people to control their rage, anger and impulses.

Psychiatrist Dr Geoffrey Walcott said the few international studies done showed the propensity for road rage and violence are the same.

Coping mechanisms

"Psychological steps can be taken to ensure that persons have proper coping mechanisms in dealing with anger, control impulsivity, in general, and controlling one's emotions," Walcott said.

He believes training for drivers should include a workshop on stress management and anger control. He advises persons who come upon possible confrontational situations to call the police.

"Emotions do tend to flare on both sides sometimes, and it can prove impossible to reason out a situation when everyone is angry."

Kenute Hare, director of the National Road Safety Unit, said over the years they have seen cases of road rage. However, it is rare that it escalates into tragedy.

"About seven years ago, we had a situation where a driver was shot because of bad driving. We have seen road rage leading to people being attacked and chopped," he said.

Hare appealed to persons to control their anger and get anger management therapy if necessary.

"Drivers must understand that driving is not just a mechanical thing, but it has a lot to do with our psychology. They must understand that the road network can be very hostile so they have to learn how to deal with that and know how to be in a good frame of mind when operating in the traffic environment," said Hare.

- Anastasia Cunningham