{
  "id": 19437096,
  "title": "Potholes, taxis and tailgaters: The battle for sanity on SA roads",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/11/potholes-taxis-and-tailgaters-the-battle-for-sanity-on-sa-roads",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-11T03:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Citizen",
    "slug": "the-citizen",
    "url": "https://www.citizen.co.za/news/opinion/potholes-taxis-and-tailgaters-the-battle-for-sanity-on-sa-roads/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The battle for sanity on South African roads has transformed into a modern-day gladiator sport. Once a leisurely activity, driving has become a source of emotional instability and aggressive behavior. Load shedding, enormous potholes, and unexplained appearances of minibus taxis from alternate dimensions have all contributed to the rise of road rage.\n\nThe author, once a calm individual with reasonable blood pressure, now mutters things while driving that would make a pirate blush. One driver plods along at 43km/h in the fast lane, lost in thought, while 17 vehicles follow closely behind – a perfect recipe for disaster.\n\nTailgaters have become a particular source of frustration. These drivers believe the safest following distance is \"close enough to read my emotional state through the rearview mirror\". One week, a bakkie was so close behind that the author could hear the driver chewing gum. Coping mechanisms include inventing backstories for terrible drivers. The woman applying mascara at a red light is likely late for a music video audition, while the man swerving between lanes without indicators is fleeing responsibility.\n\nTo combat the madness, some people sing loudly in traffic, while others listen to mindfulness podcasts and threaten strangers under their breath. One woman even keeps emergency snacks in her car cubbyhole to avoid becoming a headline. It seems that road rage is no longer just about traffic – it's about survival. Some argue for installing therapy counsellors at every traffic light, offering gentle reassurance and reminding drivers that prison is not worth it.",
  "summary": "I myself have transformed from a calm woman with reasonable blood pressure into somebody who mutters things in traffic that would make a pirate blush.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}