MALAYSIAN Medical Association (MMA) president Dr Muruga Raj Rajathurai said those found guilty of road rage should also be assessed for psychological issues before being allowed back behind the wheel.
“Apart from facing punishment, those found guilty of a road rage offence should be assessed for any psychological issues and if found to be having any mental disorder, be treated and fully rehabilitated before being allowed back behind the wheel,” he said.
According to Dr Muruga, such actions are crucial even if they are serving a prison sentence because the unrehabilitated can still pose a hazard to road users.
“People who display road rage have an issue regulating their emotions. Certain psychological factors like heightened levels of stress, anxiety and displaced anger can contribute to violent behaviour on the road or incidents of road rage,” he remarked.
Dr Muruga asserted that Alcohol Use disorders, Bipolar Mood Disorder and substance, are some of the examples of mental health disorders that can make people prone to explosive outbursts.
Another disorder that can trigger outbursts is Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED), an impulsive control disorder characterised by unexpected burst of anger without apparent provocation.
“We urge the authorities concerned to investigate including rederrals to a mental health team for proper phycological assessment and management in the form of counselling or psychotherapy, as part of its management of road rage case, he said.
On Monday (June 5), a 24-year-old woman was scolded and hit on her forehead by a man during a road rage incident on Jalan Cameron Highlands-Tapah near the Lata Iskandar waterfall.
Perak police chief Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri said the man also threatened the woman and her 17-year-old brother during the incident.
Comm Mohd Yusri said the incident occurred on Monday (June 5) at about 5.30pm when the woman and her brother were on their way down from Cameron Highlands to Tapah.
During the journey, the woman had tried to overtake a gray car but could not do so. The driver of the gray car, who is a factory supervisor, then made some obscene gestures.
The driver then got out of his vehicle and knocked on the windshield of the woman’s car and proceeded to scold and hit her forehead while uttering threatening words.
The 29-year-old man was arrested the next day and was sentenced to seven days in jail today (June 9) after pleading guilty to two charges under Sections 506 and 323 of the Penal Code for criminal intimidation and voluntarily causing hurt. – June 9, 2023
Main pic credit: The Rakyat Post
