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Class differences and prejudices have a role to play in road rage, says top traffic psychologist

Dec 22, 2024 08:15 PM IST

Anagha Pullangotte, one of India’s few traffic psychologists, discusses the lesser-explored reasons behind the rise in road rage.

The last six months of the year have witnessed a surge in road rage incidents in our overcrowded cities. Police in Bangalore have reportedly registered 40 cases of road rage this year. Between August and October, volatile Delhi recorded more than ten incidents, including one that led to the death of a 20-year-old man. In suburban Mumbai, a 27-year-old man was beaten to death by a group of men after an altercation on a busy road.

Anagha Pullangotte is one of the few traffic psychologists in India.
Anagha Pullangotte is one of the few traffic psychologists in India.

What is traffic psychology?

While traffic congestion, the stresses of urban life, and long commutes are primary triggers, there is much more to the story, says Anagha Pullangotte. Based in Kozhikode, Pullangotte is one of the few traffic psychologists in India. Traffic psychologists—an exceptionally rare profession globally—study driver behaviour on the road and their relationship with their vehicles.

Pullangotte, who trained in traffic psychology at IIT Hyderabad, runs Traffix, a consultancy working with organisations such as Bangalore-based Rasstep, a traffic planning and engineering firm, and Kochi’s SCMS Institute for Road Safety. A former design faculty member at Hyderabad’s Mahindra University, Pullangotte founded Traffix about a year ago.

"I wanted to spend less time working on research papers and more time on the ground," she says. In this interview with the Hindustan Times, Pullangotte delves into the emerging field of traffic psychology, the socio-economic factors behind road rage, and the common traits shared by those responsible for such incidents.

Q: What exactly does your work entail as a traffic psychologist?

There are several aspects to my work. We collaborate with private organisations, state governments, and NGOs focused on road safety and sustainable transportation. For instance, Rasstep is involved in transport planning and policy research, while at the SCMS Institute for Road Safety, we train traffic police in Kerala on the behavioural aspects of driving, including the general psychology of drivers. We aim to positively influence driving culture. In addition to conducting research into the traffic environment and stressors, much of my work involves reviewing dashcam footage from participating vehicles. This helps us understand environmental behaviour: how drivers react to specific situations, the kinds of emotions these situations provoke, and how they behave in crowded settings, for example. I also consult with people dealing with driver anxiety—those who have driven before but are no longer able to, often after being involved in accidents.

Q: Do you think road rage is more pronounced in developing economies such as India?

Developed nations also experience high levels of road rage, but it is often better managed due to more effective enforcement and greater public awareness. The extent and manifestation of the problem can vary depending on cultural, social, and economic factors. In developing countries like India, traffic, particularly in urban areas, is extremely heterogeneous. Unlike many other countries, we have everything from Mercedes-Benzes to bicycles, two-wheelers, large trucks, and rickshaws all sharing the same roads. Many people might not realise it, but there is a significant class divide. The way people from different socio-economic backgrounds judge one another, along with the general stereotypes we associate with people from different parts of the country, can also contribute to the rising instances of road rage. Some of the factors identified in my research within the Indian context include a sense of entitlement among drivers of luxury cars or government vehicles, gender bias, power dynamics (where larger vehicles may use intimidation tactics against smaller ones), and even caste and regional factors that might spill over into driving behaviour.

Q: Are men more prone to road rage than women?

I wouldn’t say it’s absolute, as road rage is influenced by various social and moral factors. Statistically, men may be more aggressive, but in the context of India, women are generally not exposed to the conditions that tend to provoke road rage.

Q: What’s the one thing that is common to perpetrators of road rage?

Overconfidence, without a doubt. They have a strong belief that they are in the right, regardless of the situation, and they believe this very convincingly. Some studies have shown that around 70% of drivers feel they are better than others on the road, and this overestimation of one's abilities is a key contributor to road rage.

Q: Could technology in cars, such as advanced driver assistance systems, help reduce the factors contributing to road rage?

Perhaps, but it is generally difficult to influence or change behaviour in collective situations. While it is possible to work with individuals, changing society’s collective attitude is much more challenging. Many of the newer safety features in cars do minimise the scope for errors, but they can also make drivers overly dependent on automated systems, leading to a reduction in attentiveness. In some cases, drivers may begin to take these systems for granted.

Q: Is the daily commute one of the most stressful parts of a car owner’s day?

I would say so, because you have the stress of a long day ahead, with work piling up, and by the time you’re heading home, you’re exhausted from the demands of the day. We spend an excessive amount of time in our cars, especially in our metropolitan areas, where the traffic environment is full of stressors. It’s no surprise that many people enjoy driving in off-road or controlled environments—they don’t have to deal with the road and the traffic!

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