Why This Season of Fasting Could Make Britain’s Roads Safer
Tomorrow, something unusual happens. Lent begins for Christians. Ramadan begins for Muslims. Two great traditions, drawn from different scriptures, different histories, different spiritual traditions – and yet arriving on our calendars almost side by side. Both are seasons of restraint. Of discipline. Of reflection. Of giving something up. And so I want to suggest something radical.
What if, this year, we gave up road rage?
Recent data suggests that nearly 47 per cent of drivers have experienced road rage, with 15 per cent admitting it happens often. Around a third say it flares up occasionally. Even more worrying, a significant number report feeling stressed or overwhelmed while driving several times a week.
The irony, of course, is that almost every driver blames “other idiots” for their anger. Yet statistically speaking, we are all someone else’s “other driver”. It’s easy to think road rage is about bad drivers. But it isn’t always is it?
Why We Get Angry Behind the Wheel
Psychologists tell us that road rage stems from a perceived loss of control. When someone cuts us up, fails to indicate, or brakes suddenly, it feels like an intrusion – an attack on our space, our schedule, our dignity.
Our brains trigger a fight-or-flight response. Adrenaline spikes. Cortisol surges. Heart rate increases. And because we’re sealed inside a steel box, separated from the person who annoyed us, we feel emboldened. We shout. We gesture. We mutter dark thoughts into the windscreen.
There’s also something called the “fundamental attribution error”. When someone else makes a mistake, we assume they’re incompetent or malicious. When we make one, we blame circumstances – tiredness, distraction, bad signage.
Add modern life into the mix – work deadlines, financial pressure, family demands, social media noise – and the car becomes the pressure valve where it all escapes. But honking doesn’t fix stress. Nor does shouting through closed windows. It simply raises blood pressure and frightens your passengers.
Fasting and Driving: The Science
During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset. During Lent, many Christians give up food, drink or certain comforts. Fasting, done properly and healthily, has spiritual benefits – but it also has physiological effects.
When you go without food and drink for hours, blood sugar levels fall. Lower glucose can lead to fatigue, dizziness and slower reaction times. Dehydration, even when mild, has been shown in research to impair concentration and cognitive performance. Sleep patterns also shift during Ramadan, particularly due to early Suhoor meals and late-night prayers, increasing the risk of drowsy driving.
Some studies in predominantly Muslim countries have observed increases in traffic accidents during Ramadan – particularly in the hours before Iftar, when people are rushing home to break their fast. One analysis recorded a 14 per cent rise in daily accidents and a 19 per cent rise in injuries during the period studied.
The keyword there is rushing. Remember that fasting doesn’t cause anger. Impatience does.
Lent and Ramadan: Different Paths, Similar Lessons
What fascinates me is how similar the underlying lessons are. Both Lent and Ramadan teach:
• Control your appetite – not just for food, but for impulses.
• Reflect on your actions – examine habits honestly.
• Show compassion – especially when others falter.
• Give back – through charity, kindness and restraint.
Restraint is not weakness. It is discipline under pressure. And if there is anywhere modern Britain needs discipline under pressure, it is on the Great Western Road at 5pm in the rain.
A 40-Day Driving Challenge
So here’s the proposal, if you’re Christian, perhaps this year you swap chocolate for calm driving. If you’re Muslim, add “no road rage” to your fast. If you’re neither, join in anyway — we all share the same roads.
Imagine what would happen if millions of drivers:
- Took one extra breath at a red light.
- Let someone merge without theatrics.
- Smiled instead of scowled.
- Chose patience over performance.
The ripple effect would be enormous. Calmer drivers create calmer passengers. Calmer passengers create calmer families. Calmer families create calmer communities.
Discipline Beyond the Dashboard
Faith traditions endure because they address something timeless about human nature. We are creatures of appetite – for food, status, validation, speed, and sometimes the last word.
The car magnifies all of that. It gives us power, anonymity, and velocity. But what if it became a space of reflection instead? What if the traffic jam became a reminder to practise patience?
What if fasting wasn’t only about what we put in our mouths, but about what we release from our tempers?
A Wake-Up Call for UK Drivers
This isn’t about lecturing. It’s about opportunity. Lent and Ramadan beginning together is a rare and wonderful convergence – a moment where two great faith communities, alongside everyone else on Britain’s roads, can quietly choose a better standard.
Safer driving doesn’t begin with new legislation. It begins with self-control. And perhaps this season of restraint is the perfect time to start.
And if this resonates with you, share it.
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