KUALA LUMPUR: The serious traffic congestion in major towns, especially in the Klang Valley, is an issue that can be likened to a ‘time bomb’ which can explode anytime because of its impact on the psychology of drivers.
A psychologist, Dr Meriam Omar Din said although traffic congestion could not cause drivers to be out of control, it would have an effect on them if they were stressed with the situation at home or in the office.
“When in a tense situation, even a petty matter can irk them and traffic congestion is one of the examples,” she told Bernama here.
Studies revealed that Malaysians in major towns spent an average of two hours in traffic congestion daily, resulting in losses of productivity of RM5.51 billion a year.
Only 12 per cent of the population depend on public transport, while the remaining preferred to use their own vehicles.
Dr Meriam said drivers stressed with problems should not vent out their anger on the road.
“Identify the cause of the stress, and address the problems with a right-mind. If possible, avoid congested roads, plan your trip well,” she added.
An expert in traffic psychology at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Associate Professor Dr Rozmi Ismail said he conducted a research in 2005 which showed eight out of 10 motorists became aggressive when on the road.
“This happened because of their selfishness and the hurry to get home,” he added.
His research focused on stress level and its link with the aggressiveness of motorists, he said, adding that the findings, among others, was that uncontrolled behaviour could result in an individual becoming aggressive, temperamental and rude.
“Public transport service should be improved to encourage more people to use public transport to work to reduce the number of vehicles on the road,” he added.--BERNAMA