ROOTING OU" ROAD RAGE
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‘ ou stupid B*@$%#d!" The sudden ja
ming on of brakes, the heart leaping the mouth, the overwhelming desire get out of the truck and thump the livi daylights out of the idiot who's just dc
something incredibly silly in front of you...soun familiar? Fortunately, for most of us, that desire to judge, jury and hangman in the face of other pc pies' bad driving can be kept in check. Howevi some find it a lot harder to keep a tight rein on th temper. So-called Road Rage (we hesitate to gi generally aggressive behaviour legitimacy by app ing tabloid cliches to it) has yet to be a regular pf nomenon within the road transport industry. Giv the intimidating aspect of the average 38-tonr we're not surprised that few car jockeys try to pi fights with HGVs; particularly as professional drivr as a breed have a reputation for being able to gi as good as they get. If Commercial Motor's expe ence of HGV drivers is anything to go by they ha the patience of Job. But after sitting for three hours a sweltering jam on a gridlocked motorway N wouldn't bet on anybody staying calm in the face irresponsible, discourteous or downright dangero driving from others. In response to this ti Department of Transport is to include advice on hc to avoid road rage in the new edition of the Highw Code. Given that few drivers look at the HMSC most popular product after they've passed their tes this does seems to be another case of bolting the si ble door after the horse has rushed out and kick, someone. The DOT also wants "lessons on approp ate behaviour as part of driving tests..."We alrea( act like angels in order to get a licence; it's afterwar that we act like little devils. If the DOT really wants reduce the risk of road rage it ought to do a bit mc than offer soothing words. The root cause of all that frustration is having to live every day with a road network that's already at full capacity and showing signs of collapsing under the strain. It's also the knock-on effect of the DOT cancelling bypasses, slashing the road budget and doing nothing to encourage private car users to forsake their personal roadspace for public transport. That's more than enough reason for road users to lose their temper. Meanwhile, take a deep breath and count to 10...