
Beyond Bad Driving: Understanding South Africa’s Road Rage Crisis
From Afternoon Drive with John Maytham by CapeTalk
May 5, 2026 · 9 min
About this episode
John Maytham discusses road rage in South Africa with clinical psychologist Thandi Van Heyningen, exploring its roots in social and emotional factors.
John Maytham is joined by Thandi Van Heyningen, a clinical psychologist, who argues that road rage should be understood as a form of interpersonal violence — shaped not just by the moment, but by broader social and emotional factors. She highlights that many incidents are driven less by what actually happens on the road, and more by how drivers perceive and interpret those moments. Presenter John Maytham is an actor and author-turned-talk radio veteran and seasoned journalist. His show serves a round-up of local and international news coupled with the latest in business, sport, traffic and weather. The host’s eclectic interests mean the program often surprises the audience with intriguing book reviews and inspiring interviews profiling artists. A daily highlight is Rapid Fire, just after 5:30pm. CapeTalk fans call in, to stump the presenter with their general knowledge questions. Another firm favourite is the humorous Thursday crossing with award-winning journalist Rebecca Davis, called “Plan B”. Thank you for listening to a podcast from Afternoon Drive with John Maytham Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 15:00 and 18:00 (SA Time) to…
People in this episode
Host: John Maytham
Guest: Thandi Van Heyningen
Topics covered
- road rage
- interpersonal violence
- social factors
- emotional factors
- driver perception
Keywords
- road rage
- South Africa
- interpersonal violence
- psychology
- driver behavior
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: CapeTalk
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