Road rage incidents a security threat — expert
‘It is now a security threat. Socially it’s a psycho-cultural problem. There is a need for stricter traffic laws implementation’
Daily Tribune‘It is now a security threat. Socially it’s a psycho-cultural problem. There is a need for stricter traffic laws implementation’
Road rage incidents last year was 12 percent higher than the previous years and should be taken as a security threat, a psychology expert from the Quezon City Rehabilitation Center said Tuesday.
At the Quezon City Journalist Forum, Dra. Ana Victoria Faltado said there were 15 recorded deaths and 222 injuries "because of aggressive driving" that led to road rage incidents.
"It (aggressive driving) has become the common cause of traffic altercation," Faltado said noting that incidents are higher in Metro Manila because of urbanization.
"Eight out of 10 (drivers) exhibit aggressive behavior, while nine out of 10 tends to be aggressive," she added.
"It is now a security threat. Socially it's a psycho-cultural problem. There is a need for stricter traffic laws implementation," Faltado explained.
2nd District Councilor Rannie Ludovica, on the other hand, who headed the Council Committee on Public Order and Safety said he had already filed an "anti-road rage" measure to prevent it from happening around the city's jurisdiction.
Ludovica said the ordinance carries a penalty of P5,000 to both the "aggressor" and the "victim."
"Once na nagtalo sa kalye, obstruction na sa traffic ang result. We leave the imprisonment clause to the discretion of the court, as there are other charges to be slapped against them, we have LTO rules that they also violated for sure," Ludovica explained, adding that the measure however will still have to go into process like calling for a public consultations first of all sectors concerned.
"What we have arrived first are the factors behind it (road rage). Economic, cause everything now has become expensive. Most common is under the influence of liquor and drugs. But the biggest factor is that the driver or would be road rager has a love problem," Ludovica explained.
For Dra. Fataldo, to prevent irritation on the road, the driver should have to "take a deep breathe" and "turn your radio to listen to a good music."