Road rage statistics in South Africa are a scary thing. In a survey, up to 70% of all South African motorists reported having suffered abuse from other drivers, in the form of aggressive behaviour, verbal insults and 11% of drivers having to deal with aggressors actually getting out of their vehicle in a fit of road rage. In 2005 SA earned the unfortunate title of the worst road rage record in the world, in front of the UK and Greece, second and third respectively. 

Some theorists claim that in South Africa, “cars are extensions of the South African driver ego”. This is aggravated by our lack of public transport, contributing to a culture of attaching too much status to the price label, or ‘toughness’ of the vehicle a South African owns. Just last week a young man in a BMW died while trying to attack occupants of a vehicle with a sword: in a blind rage he stepped onto the highway and was hit by three vehicles.
 

Road rage incidents also contribute to our bad road statistics in general: In South Africa 36 people die on the road each day, formulating huge costs for all those involved: Over £5 billion (yes, Pounds!) a year. Tips for steering clear of rage-filled drivers include avoiding eye contact, breathing in deeply, not making obscene gestures, using your hooter sparingly and not blocking the passing lane.

Yet, road rage exists in all countries, and continues its year-on-year growth of about 7%.