Anger-provoking actions on the streets

Most of Rawalpindi city has driving conditions that are poor at best, so why is it that some people are just so bad at adapting their driving to the conditions?

“Going to work the other day I encountered numerous drivers that don’t have their lights on in poor lighting conditions and are driving too fast. The city has scores of bad road users,” says Akbar Hussain.

“Some drivers are all over the place and they don’t seem to realise that they are supposed to stay in their lane. Instead of following their lane, they get on to your lane causing you to hold back. Absolute madness, you really have to be on your guard against this kind of thing,” says Ali Akbar Abbas.

“Then we have the slow drivers. These persons seem to think that by driving slowly they are the safest drivers on the road. Unfortunately, they do present a hazard. I have noticed that roughly, 80-90% of cars on the streets go by the prescribed speed and in this scenario, a vehicle not keeping up with the flow of traffic becomes an obstruction,” says Munawwar Hussain Naqvi.

“Obstructions lead to tailgating and congestion, tailgating and congestion leads to road fury, and so on. I see it happen regularly. So many times, have I been behind one of these slow drivers and tried to overtake only to have another vehicle approach rapidly in my rearview mirror going faster than me and staying dangerously close until I can get back up to speed,” adds Munawwar Hussain Naqvi.

“Then we have the truck drivers. They just will not let the car behind pass quickly. They just think they are the King of the Road! Then we have vehicles overtaking other vehicles, they drive parallel to each other as if it is a competition one vehicle slowly gaining ground on the other,” says Professor Naveed Hussain.

“Next is the driver who sits in the slow lane insanely but cannot be bothered to change lanes, why would he change? That would be like an insult and this is clearly beneath his standards. Driving a brand-new car, he is clearly a superior being. I see cars in my front and they stay there all the way through to the third/fourth exit while I keep on judging what their intentions are,” says Jameel Hasan Alvi.

Muhammad Kashif Mehdi says, “Next encounter is with the drivers who constantly feel the need to brake and refuse to just ease off their accelerator to slow down for a slight bend in the road. They have to brake sharply every few seconds and then put their foot down again until they see the next two-degree bend or bump.”