LETTERS: The case of road rage that happened four years ago came to a conclusion when the Shah Alam High Court judge sentenced Yew Wei Liang, 45, to 16 years in jail.
I know it will serve as a lesson for me. I have to admit that I have been in a couple of incidents where another motorist and I were shouting choice words at each other from our vehicle and showing hand gestures to express our contempt.
It was my good fortune that the incident did not cause any more damage than some hurt feelings and a ruined day.
However, from this road rage case, I can see how, on a different day, things might have gone out of control.
I realise that a lot of things go through our minds when we are driving, and often driving in the city, especially during peak hours, can be emotionally and psychologically taxing.
If the wrong thing is going through our minds while we get stuck in a jam at a time when we are already late, one minor mishap might be all it takes for our pent-up stress to explode.
If we have the bad luck of getting into a traffic altercation with a person, who is also on the brink of a psychological meltdown, some really nasty things can happen.
Alas, in the above case, a life has been lost. Sometimes we have to bear with a harsh punishment just so that the scales of justice can be balanced. For what it's worth, the only thing we can hope for in this tragic turn of events is that it will indeed serve as a reminder to keep our act together regardless of what duress we are under.
NEHRU SATHIAMOORTHY
Kuala Lumpur
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times