When people think of advances in car technology, they usually consider things like improved safety, better interiors, more efficient engines and so on. But rarely do they consider the wider impact that cars have on our environment and our lives.
With the rise of cars that drive themselves, much of the conversation has shifted more in that direction. For example, how will driverless cars affect our cityscapes? How will they reduce our chances of being involved in an accident, and so on?
But accidents aren’t always the main safety concern but their aftermath. Fortunately, the vast majority of accidents are minor scrapes and bumps. In these situations, most of you just exchange your details with the other driver and then find out if your personal injury case has merit by speaking with an attorney. But sometimes, things can turn nasty. A simple bump or scrape can sometimes lead to fights in the street, people getting deliberately run over or even shot. But could all that be about to come to an end?
When there’s a train crash, the survivors don’t all start having a massive punch up. They don’t whip out their guns and start spraying bullets at each other. Instead, they try to escape or help others who might be trapped. Nobody on the train, except for the driver possibly, is responsible for the accident, and so there’s usually nobody to blame (at least not directly). But with car accidents, it’s a different story. There’s always a driver, so there’s always somebody who is at fault.
Of course, road rage can occur without any collision at all. Somebody could just cut you up, undertake you on the inside lane, pull into your parking space, or pull out right in front of you, causing you to slam on the brakes and that could be enough to send you into a rage. You could easily do the same and cause other road user’s blood to boil. But could all of this soon come to an end?
Road Rage Will Become A Thing Of The Past
Everyday, there are articles published in the leading car magazines and newspapers about new car technology. We’re fascinated with the idea that one day, our cars will drive themselves. The possibilities are tantalizing and extremely exciting. But among all the articles out there on the internet, few, if any, deal with the impact that driverless vehicles will have on road rage. Driving magazines like to portray driving as this exciting activity that everybody loves. But the actual reality of driving on the road is very different to the way it’s portrayed in the magazines. Not only is it tiring and boring when you’re stuck in traffic, but it can also take its toll on your emotions too.
Road Rage Is A Public Health Concern
Drivers are constantly reacting to the actions of other motorists in an emotional way. And given how inconsiderate some drivers can be, these reactions aren’t always positive. Most of the time, emotions remain below the surface, but when they emerge, they can alter your state of mind and put you in a completely different mood.
Road rage is a serious public health concern. An estimated 1,500 people are injured and killed every year in road rage incidents, according to the American Psychiatric Association, and many hundreds of thousands more are involved in dangerous conflicts.
Road Rage Is Out Of Proportion To The Event
One of the strangest things about road rage is how out of proportion it is to any wrongdoing. Something as simple as parking in the wrong space or overtaking using the wrong lane can put one’s life in jeopardy. Psychiatrists call it “intermittent explosive disorder,” meaning people who have a tendency to explode into a rage at the drop of a hat. It’s described as temporary insanity, a period in which people will kill other people over practically nothing.
The good news, though, is that we could soon be saying goodbye to road rage forever. The self-driving cars of the future will mean that nobody is at fault and no humans are responsible for cutting you up on the road. What’s so ironic about all of this is that, eventually, self-driving cars will drive like the most inconsiderate people. They’ll tailgate each other to save on fuel, cut each other up when it is efficient to do so, and undertake on the inside lane if it means that the whole system will be more efficient. One day, driving will be worse than it is today, but it won’t be anybody’s fault.