Take This Driving Stress Test

Malaysia: In a matter of days (9 days to be precise), 125 people had been killed in road accidents due to "Balik Kampung" or loosely translated as "going back to hometown". Yesterday alone, which is the 1st day of Hari Raya saw 20 fatalities! Damm! Malaysia is arguably one of the countries that boost the highest accidents and fatalities rate compared to other countries. Why is it so? Could it be there are too many lost souls (aka ghost) haunting the roads that is claiming other lives to replace their places? Or is it because of the bad weather that causes poor visibility and bad road gripping? Good excuses huh! But we all know most of it are due to our own fault-reckless and selfishness.

You don't want to be like him right?

Sometimes, it pays to be more patient. After all patient is a virtue right? There's this adage: As long as you are safe, it's ok to be slow! Perhaps my direct translation from "Biar lambat, asalkan selamat" sucks, but I believe almost all Malaysians know this right? But how many really, really apply this when they are on the road? I don't see many hands in the air. Maybe the driving stress is taking its toll on the driver? I bet the euphoric feeling derived from speeding and weaving is simply irresistable. Some sped for venting their frustration, whilst a handful "sprint" as if they were going to get a prize. Whichever it is, we all know no one will benefit from it and the net results is always negative.

So you wanna race? Bring it on...

So here's a road test for you to rate your level of driving stress by considering these five traffic scenarios below. By using the scale from 0 to 5 (0=Don't bother; 5=I'm gonna chase you):

I~A motorist just ahead of you is darting in and out of traffic.
II~You're behind a very slow vehicle on a single-lane road and cannot overtake.
III~Another driver shouts at you and makes an obscene gesture.
IV~You are dead-still in an endless traffic jam.
V~A car you're trying to overtake speeds up to blockyou off.

Scoreboard-->Your Points=Your Driving Stress:

1~Not at all angry. You're either a saint or a pushover.
2~Barely ruffled. Why get all worked up?
3~Fairly irritated. Your patience has limits.
4~Check your radiator. You're ready to boil over.
5~You want a piece of me, buddy?

If you scored...

15 or lower~You're cool in the cockpit. We'd carpool with you any day.
16-18~No angrier than the average commuter. We're definitely bucking up in your car.
19-20~You probably thought that Fast & Furious as an instructional movie. Breathe deeply and play some Enya to reseat yourself.
21 and higher~You're a hazard to yourself-and all of us. Put the wheel brace down. Get help. Ask others to drive. Or you simply need to take your hypertension medication (if any).

A smile could just do trick! :)

So how did you fared in this test? Looks and sound simple right? But it could safe your precious life. It's time to lower down your driving stress right? Heard of Macromedia's Dreamweaver? But I don't hope to see you guys become the Death-weaver. Weaving around the traffic will certainly kill you sooner or later. A little patience can bring you a long way (back to your home etc.)! You certainly don't want to meet up with your friends and family in the morgue right? Remember...

Haste is waste!!!

So...

Drive safely, your love ones are waiting for you...

Don't let them down.

P.S.: Don't drink and drive ok. And if you're tired, get some sleep before hitting the road again. ;)