LETTERS: The authorities should deal firmly with road bullies, who drive aggressively and dangerously, leading to harmful outcomes.
One recent report was on a Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) survey that stated an estimated 2.4 million of the country's 13.3 million motorists exhibited "furious anger" while driving.
Road rage-related offences accounted for some 15 per cent of traffic violations last year, and 63 per cent of drivers had experienced road rage or aggressive behaviour in the past year, with women drivers particularly intimidated by such bullies.
Due to people rushing to their destinations, especially during peak hours, many have the tendency to drive aggressively and become road bullies.
It is not uncommon to see drivers overtaking another car on the left lane.
Changing lanes without signal is a common occurrence. Drivers who abruptly change lanes without signalling can cause a collision between motorcyclists or cars.
Drivers who are in a rush will often fail to keep their distance from the car in front as they think it will intimidate the other driver to give way.
Some even repeatedly honk at the car in front, endangering other road users by causing panic and losing control.
In addition, some drivers get angry easily when the vehicle in front is deemed uncooperative or slow in giving way.
They will roll down their windows and curse the other driver for blocking their way.
Some even try to get physical by cutting in front of the other driver's car and getting out to challenge him or her to a fight.
In February, for example, a man reportedly got out of his car and smashed another vehicle's windscreen because the car was blocking him from using the emergency lane.
In these cases, severe action should be taken against the road bullies for endangering other road users.
I hope the authorities will take measures to address cases of road bullying as the number of vehicle users increase on our roads and highways.
One important step is to take the 2.4 million "furious" drivers off the road as stated in the Miros report.
SHALINY SHAMSUL
City University Malaysia,
Petaling Jaya, Selangor
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times