Bengaluru: Cops cracking down on repeat road rage offenders

On Wednesday, a video of a brawl between two bikers near Tin Factory surfaced on social media. The clip shows them punching each other and using their helmets as weapons. The incident is one among numerous road rage incidents that have been reported in the city this past year. 

In October, 34-year-old Manoj Kumar and his wife, Aarti Sharma, allegedly murdered Darshan, a gig worker, by ramming into him with their car after the latter damaged their mirror while riding his two-wheeler. 

Habitual offenders

Cops have been keeping track of repeat offenders and cancelling their licences, says Seemant Kumar Singh, Bengaluru City Police Commissioner. “We have also improved response time to distress calls to 112 (to 10 minutes) to prevent the incident from escalating from verbal to physical assault,” he shares. He notes that while there has not been an increase in incidents, more cases are being registered. “There is no classification under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for road rage incidents. The cases are booked based on the nature of the injury or damage done,” Singh says. Recently, the cops registered an accident case in Sadashivanagar but further investigation revealed it was a case of road rage and the culprit was booked accordingly, he recalls.

People are on edge due to job uncertainties and shaky relationships, and this has resulted in an increase in anger issues, which are often manifested on the road, counsellors and psychologists say. 

Emotional regulation in school 

Psychotherapist Kala Balasubramanian explains that one must evaluate any emotion based on whether or not it is relevant and commensurate with the situation. The emotion can be either helpful or unhelpful, depending on how appropriate it is. “For instance, if someone cuts you off in traffic, it is normal to get angry. On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the lowest and 10 the highest, if your level of anger is 1-3, it is helpful and manageable. But if it is 8-10, it is too intense for the situation and can become rage,” Kala shares.

She points out that understanding and regulating emotions need to be taught in schools and colleges. “In some countries, it is part of the school curriculum. Kids learn to understand and regulate their emotions and also respond appropriately to the emotions of others. I think it is important to introduce emotional literacy in our country,” she states.

Regulating anger

According to Sunil John, a therapist with over 15 years of experience, anger often stems from neglect of one’s mental and physical health. “Most people are not equipped to handle the situation,” he says. He recommends box breathing (inhale for four seconds, hold for four seconds and exhale for four seconds), visualisation techniques (picturing a scenario that makes you happy, like a beach, your pet or your favourite food), and humming a favourite tune in your head to regulate anger and bring down cortisol levels.