Woman's wild tirade at 'traumatised' L-plate driver caught on video
It was the first time behind the wheel for the shocked 16-year-old driver who copped an onslaught of abuse from the woman.
A learner driver on her very first lesson was on the receiving end of a wild, foul-mouthed outburst from another motorist who got out of her car to scream and throw a traffic cone at the 16-year-old's car.
Aleyna Helvaci said she was "in shock" when the woman began her "wild" tirade on Sunday at the corner of Albany Highway and Leichardt Street in Victoria Park, Adelaide.
The 16-year-old was in the car with her driving instructor and mother Susan with her L-plates clearly displayed when she stalled at a busy intersection. While trying to correct her driving blunder, she was startled by a "really loud horn" from a car behind her which quickly escalated into a full-blown road rage attack.
Without warning, a woman emerged from the passenger seat of a black BMW, screaming abuse and profanities at the young driver while storming down the footpath toward the car. The woman goes to launch her handbag in the direction of Aleyna's vehicle but decides on a large traffic cone instead. She picks up the cone and launches it at the back of Aleyna'a car while the male driver continues to honk the horn.
'Heart was thumping'
"My heart was thumping so hard," the 16-year-old told 7 News. Her mother Susan filmed the outburst before reporting it to the police.
Susan originally shared the video on TikTok which now appears to have been deleted. The ordeal prompted sympathy from people on social media towards the young driver.
"I hope your daughter is ok. I would have burst out crying," one revealed in the comments. Susan admitted her daughter is "traumatised" but said she'll be ok.
Road rage a major concern for young drivers
According to South Australia's Royal Automobile Association (RAA) road rage is a major concern among teenagers on Aussie roads.
A survey of more than 2800 students in 2021 found that more than a quarter (26 per cent) with a learner or provisional licence had already been victims of road rage. It was past experiences such as these that made them worried about driving in case they were targeted again. Meanwhile, most respondents (82 per cent) had witnessed a road rage incident as a passenger.
Aleyna and her family are now urging other drivers to be more patient with learners. But it hasn't turned her off driving completely. "It is all about building confidence in the end so this is all part of the experience," she told 7 News.
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