It started with a minor crash on a Johannesburg road, the kind of moment many motorists experience and move past within minutes.
But in Emmarentia, that brief collision escalated into a fatal shooting that unfolded in front of two children. Faisal ul Rehman, 48, was killed during a confrontation on Barry Hertzog Avenue. His wife, Tehseen, was also shot and injured. She survived. The children witnessed it all.
The firearms involved have been declared legal, Gauteng police confirmed through spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has since decided not to proceed with prosecution against the 58-year-old man arrested in connection with the incident, which has left many questioning how a routine traffic incident turned deadly in seconds.
Dashcam footage also shows what authorities describe as a physical altercation between the two men before gunfire erupted, a moment that has now become central to a wider national conversation about anger on South Africa’s roads.
For road safety advocates, the tragedy is not an isolated case but a warning sign.
Advocate Johan Jonck, the founder of Arrive Alive, states that everyday driving behaviour often triggers road rage, which quickly escalates.
“It is indeed concerning; there are numerous incidents of road rage on our roads, which are the result of responses to aggressive and irresponsible, reckless, and inconsiderate driving,” Jonck said.
He says the most dangerous shift happens when drivers stop thinking and start reacting.
“Look out for these examples of selfish driver behaviour, and do not get involved; conflict can only continue to exist with participation,” he said.
“The best is… to let it go, do not get involved, and breathe.”
Jonck warns that confrontation rarely resolves anything and often worsens the outcome.
“A physical or verbal confrontation is not going to repair vehicle damage or make the roads safer,” he said, adding that motorists should also consider the emotional state of other drivers.
"You may not know the other person's mental state, and many drivers have legal and illegal guns."
Experts say that at the centre of the issue is something less visible but deeply influential: emotion.
Driving, according to road safety experts, is not just a physical task but a psychological one, shaped by stress, frustration, and impulse.
Arrive Alive notes that drivers often behave differently behind the wheel than they would in normal social interactions.
“Driving is as much psychological as it is physical. Stress, anonymity, and competition can trigger aggression behind the wheel. Drivers may behave in ways they wouldn’t in face-to-face interactions, cutting in, hooting unnecessarily, or refusing to let someone in,” the organisation explains.
But it also says the opposite is possible, that small acts of patience can prevent escalation entirely.
“Courtesy reverses that dynamic. Small gestures remind us that there’s a person behind every steering wheel, someone’s parent, child, or friend. This mental shift encourages empathy, which in turn leads to safer decision-making.”
For emergency responders, the consequences of road aggression are not always visible in statistics, but they are felt in real time.
Shalen Ramduth, operations director at Netcare 911, says while road rage-specific callouts are relatively uncommon, aggressive driving is often present in serious crashes.
“There are many different types of medical emergencies. It is relatively rare for us to receive calls arising from road rage specifically, although driver aggression can also be an underlying factor in some motor vehicle accidents,” Ramduth said.
He also warns that dangerous driving behaviour can put emergency crews at risk.
“Aggressive driving styles, like not giving way to emergency vehicles or tailgating response vehicles as we respond, contribute to longer response times and have the potential to make the response even more dangerous,” he said.
“Don’t let your emotions get the better of you when you are driving. Have patience on the road and be considerate of other drivers. Focus on arriving safely at your destination, even if it takes a few minutes longer,” Ramduth said.
Government officials in Gauteng say road rage is driven by a mix of impatience, retaliation, and emotional pressure.
The Department of Community Safety in Gauteng says, "The normal factors contributing to road rage include reckless and negligent driving, lack of tolerance towards other road users, failure to ask for forgiveness from the driver who caused a crash, a driver being under duress due to psychological and emotional reasons, someone wanting to retaliate after a violation of a road traffic rule and lack of patience on the road.”
It warns that these moments of anger often have lasting consequences.
“Road rage has a negative impact on our road safety efforts because it often results in unnecessary crashes leading to death or injuries or even damage to infrastructure,” the department said.
Officials are urging motorists to de-escalate rather than retaliate.
“When a mistake has happened, it is recommended that the wrongdoer should apologise and never try to retaliate even if you feel that you are right… It is also advisable to take the registration number of the vehicle involved in road rage and report the incident,” the department said.
It added that ongoing awareness campaigns are being conducted in schools, malls, and public spaces.
The Motor Industry Staff Association (MISA) says the Emmarentia case reflects a broader societal risk that extends beyond traffic enforcement.
“We call on all motorists to exercise restraint and never allow anger to dictate their actions. A minor collision or insult should never escalate into violence,” said Martle Keyter, Chief Executive Officer: Operations at MISA.
“South Africa cannot afford to lose more lives to road rage. Let us commit to protecting one another on our roads, for the sake of our families and our children.”
anita.nkonki@inl.co.za
Saturday Star