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About || Read Dear DrDriving Letters and Answers
My Congressional Testimony on
Aggressive Driving Newspaper Stories on Aggressive Driving
Quoting Leon James Online Discussions of Controversial
Driving Issues Collection of Road Rage News Stories
Around the World Site Map || Search this Site
||
About Road Rage News Stories in the News from
Google (2007) Cars, Drivers, Passengers | and |
Relationships, Marriage, Romance Cats in the News, Pet Psychology, Human
Catheads, More...
Nearly 42,000 people
die every year from traffic crashes, sending
four million more to emergency rooms and hospitalizing 400,000, half
with permanent disabilities. On-the-job traffic
crashes cause 3000 deaths, 332,000 injuries and cost employers over $43
billion, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) and can reduce employee productivity by 40
percent. In addition to the
emotional toll, on-the-job traffic crashes annually
cost employers about $3.5 billion in property damage, $7.9
million in medical care and emergency service taxes, $17.5 billion for
wage premiums, $4.9 billion for workplace disruption (to hire and train
either new employees or temporary employees) and $8.5 billion in
disability and life insurance costs. |
||||||||
|
Driving psychology in
a lifelong
driver
education
program tied to licensing and renewal, is the
answer that will save most of this national and personal disaster. The
articles below outline this solution. 400 billion aggressive exchanges per year in the U.S.Here is the way we figure it: 125 million
(drivers on the road daily) X 1,000 (mini-exchanges between
drivers during two commutes per day) X .01 (1 percent
proportion of hostile or stressed exchanges) X 365 (days per
year) = about 400 billion stressful or aggressive exchanges per
year in the U.S. You can keep scrolling
or you can go directly to some of the Sections below: |
|
"Enforcement is
important, Mr. Chairman, but we really need to study the causes behind
road rage, and I'm looking forward to hearing from our witnesses this
morning on ways in which we can identify and respond to the triggers
which lead to aggressive driving. Perhaps we can incorporate some of
these ideas when we move to reauthorize ISTEA." "This committee has
been fighting and will continue to fight to provide adequate funding so
we can relieve congestion, and that certainly will have a very
significant impact on reducing the aggressive driving that we're
experiencing in this country." "This committee does
not have the capacity to change the emotions and the aggressive
feelings of people out on the highway, but we do have a responsibility
and the jurisdiction to try to change the environment which causes that
aggression, and that environment is caused largely by congestion." "In 15 years, I've
identified many detailed psychological
components of aggressive driving and have developed an
empirically-based theory of what causes aggressive driving and what behavioral
techniques can be used to measure and control it.
My research has
confirmed to some degree nearly every driver has feelings
of rage and thoughts of retaliation. For the past year, the media
has increased coverage of road rage incidents, and people are asking
questions for which scientific data are not yet available. Is
aggressive driving increasing? Are there differences or is it a
universal epidemic? What causes the increase in aggressive driving and how can it be
controlled?
I think what's on the
increase is the amount of habitual road rage we see today. I define
habitual road rage as a persistent state of hostility behind the wheel,
demonstrated by acts of aggression and a continuum of violence, and justified by
righteous indignation.
Driving and habitual road rage
have become virtually inseparable. Road rage is a habit acquired in
childhood. Children are reared in a car culture that condones irate
expression as part of the normal wear and tear of driving. Once they
enter a car, children notice that all the sudden the rules have
changed. It's okay to be mad, very upset, out of control, and use bad
language that's ordinarily not allowed.
By the time they get
their driver's license, adolescents have assimilated years of road
rage. The road rage habit can be unlearned, but it takes more
than
conventional
driver's
ed."
"the definitive
book on the aggressive driving epidemic." To read
excerpts || To order from Amazon.com |
Children's Books at Amazon.com
||
Songs About Cars
||
Articles on this
Site Free for your use
1. · My Congressional Testimony on the Psychology of Road Rage and Aggressive Driving
2. · Our Road Rage and Aggressive Driving Book -- Excerpts and Index
4. · A New Paradigm for a Global Lifelong Driver Education Curriculum
5.
· Two
concept
Papers:
Instituting a Program of
Lifelong
Traffic Safety Training
and Promoting the
Spread of Quality Driving Circles (QDC) for Post-Licensing Driver
Self-improvement Programs
6. · Lifelong Driver's Education: A New Socio-Behavioral Proposal
7. · Driving Psychology Principles
8. · Aggressive Driving is Emotionally Impaired Driving
10. · Driver Personality Survey Results: Driving With Emotional Intelligence
11. · Gender and Driving--Men vs. Women
12. · Driving Personality Makeovers
13. · Musings of a Traffic Psychologist in Traffic--Social Psychology of Driving
14. · Partnership Driving
15. · Philosophy of Driving
16. · Principles of Driving Psychology
17. · Psychology and Driving
18. · Violence and Driving--A Mental Health Issue
19. · QDC--Quality Driving Circles or Support Groups
20. · 3-Step Program for Changing Your Driving Habits
21. · Data On the Private World of the Driver (thoughts and feelings)
22. · What Drivers Complain About Arranged by Feelings, Thoughts, and Acts
23. · Common Aggressive Driving Habits and What To Do About Them
24. · Traffic Emotions Education Cards
25. · DrDriving's Rating of the Strength of Aggressive Driving Language in Legislation
26. · Common Driving Habits and What To Do About Them
27.· Cars, Drivers, Passengers and Relationships, Marriage, Romance
29. · Pedestrian Psychology and Safety
30. · Pedestrian Rage
31. · Bicycling Safety Information -- The War Against Drivers
32. · The Psychology of Air Rage Prevention With Compassionate Crowd Management Techniques
33. · Driving Informatics and Links
34. · Driving Information and Links
35. · Driving Topics and Web Links
36. · Driving Literature References
37. · Largest Collection of Road Rage and Driving Tips on the Web (1996-2007)
38. · 9 Zones of Your Driving Personality
39. · Acts of Kindness while Driving
40. · DBB Ratings--Drivers Behaving Badly Movie Ratings
41. · Distracted Driving: Cell phones, Multitasking
42. · Red Light Running
43. · Collection of Statistics, Facts, Advice, Tips
44. · Analyzing Newsgroups for Drivers--Student Reports
45. · Workshop Charts on Getting a Grip on Anger while Driving
46. · Music and Driving
47. · For Law Enforcement and Safety Officials: Aggressive Driving Questions and Answers
48. · Chart of Your Driving Personality
49. · Principles of Christian Driving Psychology
50. · Road Rage Overview
51. · Driver Personality Test
52. · Driving Vignettes
53. · Driving Cartoons
54. · DrDriving's Advice for Managing Your Own Road Rage
55. · Hawaii Road Rage and Driving Issues
56. · The New Driver Education for the Year 2000
57. · Collection of Road Rage News Stories Around the World
58. · Interview Answers on Road Rage and Other Rages for Various News Sources
59. · The Psychology of Parking Rage: Threestep Program For Prevention
60. · Driver Personality Test and Results
61. · DrDriving's Advice for AAA Members on Managing Your Own Road Rage
62. · Rage-Depression Survey Results for Age
63. · Rage-Depression Survey Results for Gender
64. · Rage-Depression Survey Results for Education
65. · Rage-Depression Survey Results for Age, Gender, Education
66. · Rage-Depression Survey Results: Notebook with Selections and Links
67. · Emotional Reactions to the September 11 Attack
68. · Pets Psychology and Rage-Depression -- Pet Loss Support, Human Catheads, More...
69. · Birds Stories The Social Psychology of a Backyard Aviary
70.
· Songs About Driving Cars
on Roads and
Highways
Teen Drivers | Elderly Drivers | Parking Rage | Truck Drivers | School Buses | Emergency Vehicles
| Police and Legislation
| Boat Rage | RoadRageous Video Course | Distracted Driving | Bicycling | Motorcyclists and Aggressiveness
|| Excerpts About Bicyclists From
Our Book || Surf Rage | Emotional Spin Cycle | Bookstore | Road Rage Book | Road Rage Articles
What Your
Car Says About You (click to
go down to that Section)
Index to Controversial
Issues
Debated
including
these topics:
Issues Part 1 -- Right Lane vs. Left Lane Feelings | Tailgating |
Social
Responsibility
Issues Part 2 -- Driving the Speed Limit | PSA Radio Spots | Car Phones
|
Automatic Pilot | DUI Counseling
Issues Part 3 -- Why I Tailgate | Coned Lane: When to Merge | Social
Responsibility
Issues Part 4 -- Road Rage | Driver Education | Driving Personality |
Stereotypes About Women Drivers
Issues Part 5 -- Merging When Lane is Coned | Continuing Driver
Education
Issues Part 6 -- Good Drivers' Association | Slay Your Driving Dragon
Issues Part 7 -- What B.A.D. Drivers Do
Issues Part 8 -- Tailgating and Aloha Spirit Driving
Issues Part 14 -- Aggressive Drivers and Road Rage | New Name
"Crashes" vs. "Accidents" |
Issues Part 15 -- Princess Diana: The Road Rage Incident of the
Century: Day 1
Issues Part 26 -- Speed limits | DUI | Crosswalks |Traffic calming
methods | .
Index to Controversial
Issues
Debated || Search
this
Site
Drivers
'don't
regret
road
rage'
Nearly two
in three drivers have engaged in road rage in the last three years and
nearly
all thought their behaviour was justified, a poll shows.
More than
10% of motorists even admitted it could be good to be a bit aggressive
on the
road.
And nearly
60% of the road ragers said they had behaved badly after being annoyed
by the
poor driving of others, the survey from Zurich Insurance found.
From: The
Press Association April 4, 2008.
http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5jAI4WQu3eiCA1bHjcqIESg7gHFCA
Best
Driver in the World Blog: http://bestdriver.blogspot.com/
Check out the solutions.
One In Six Have Been Road Rage Victims
4/19/2008
- And
nearly 300,000 have had cars damaged in road rage incidents, says
MoneyExpert.com
One in six
drivers have been victims of road rage incidents in the past 12 months,
new
research from www.moneyexpert.com
*
shows.
More than
7.4 million motorists have been involved in confrontations with other
drivers
with younger drivers the most likely to be on the receiving end of
other road
users’ anger, the independent financial comparison website says.
The survey
found that nearly 300,000 drivers had their cars damaged as a result of
road
rage confrontations – graphically illustrating the need for insurance.
According to the RAC Foundation some ten per cent of drivers have been
involved
in an accident with an uninsured driver.
Several
motor insurers such as Sainsbury’s Bank, which pays up to £1,000
compensation
if drivers are assaulted, offer cover for road rage as part of their
standard
policies while others such as women-only insurer Sheila’s Wheels
provide
counselling services.
Sean
Gardner of MoneyExpert.com, said: “Most of us will have lost our
tempers while
stuck in traffic and can sympathise with the sense of frustration felt
by other
drivers.
“But any
sympathy goes out of the window for drivers who take out their anger on
others.
Shouting and swearing at other motorists is bad enough but damaging
other
drivers’ cars is beyond the pale.
“Our study
did not thankfully find any evidence of physical assault but that is
perhaps
more down to luck than anything else. The fact that one in six of us
has
suffered from road rage is worrying. And of course many of us may be
guilty of
road rage ourselves.”
MoneyExpert.com
estimates that around one in twenty fully comprehensive car insurance
policies
have a specific allowance for personal injury caused by road rage.
However
there are often exceptions and caveats, such as whether you caused the
altercation and whether you are related to your assailant.
The most
common form of road rage reported by motorists is tailgating – driving
too
close to another car – or other forms of aggressive driving. Around
three-quarters of those who have suffered road rage in the past year
were
tailgated.
Half of
the road rage incidents reported by motorists resulted in verbal
confrontation
while four per cent saw cars being damaged.
Around 16
per cent of motorists say they have suffered road rage in the past year
– that
rises to 19 per cent of 18 to 34-year-old motorists. Drivers aged 55 or
over
are least likely to be victims.
Drivers in
the North of England are more likely to be road rage victims with 18
per cent
reporting incidents while just 12 per cent of motorists in London have
been
victims.
From: http://www.webitpr.com/release_detail.asp?ReleaseID=8303
What causes aggressive driving?
Are men and
women
equally aggressive?
By Dr.
Leon James
The frustration-aggression theory states that when people believe that they are being prevented from achieving their goal, frustration will mount, causing an increase in the probability of an aggressive response .
However, frustration does not lead to an aggressive act in all situations, but is dependent on the other person’s ability to retaliate.
Aggression intensifies when frustration is unexpected, but weakens when the cause of frustration is perceived as unintentional or legitimate. (e.g., yielding to an EM vehicle’s siren)
Another cause of aggression is the need to reciprocate after being provoked by another person. This leads to retaliation practices. The need to retaliate leads to mental venting, which is a major cause of aggressive emotions and behavior.
Certain hormones, such as testosterone, have even been shown to influence aggression. Since men generally have higher testosterone levels than women, it follows that men are generally more aggressive creatures than women. (e.g., what is called “spouse-abuse” is mostly perpetrated by mean on women)
Social norms and practices allow boys and men to express more aggressive behavior than girls and women. Overt expressions of aggressive driving such as verbal road rage and vehicular pursuit are practiced by men more than by women.
Men are more prone to explosive feelings of road rage and retaliatory fantasies because they practice violent forms of mental venting or ruminating. Boys practice war games with each other and they spend more time with video games and virtual world experiences that are warlike and violent. Girls are more focused on relationship games they enact with each other. How people drive reflects their socialization as children and their social practices as adults. Some women can be more aggressive than the average for men. Some men can be less aggressive than the average for women drivers.
Both men and women are at greater risk on the road because of their practice of ruminating about driving incidents, drivers, roads, traffic, passengers, pedestrians, bicyclists, truck drivers, traffic lights and cameras, etc. These rumination topics prepare people to ruminate more in an endless spiral of escalating ruminations.
People mentally drown in their ruminations about daily traffic.
Avoid rehearsing the thoughts that justify the ruminations.
Argue yourself out of ruminating.
Men and women ruminate about different topics and situations. (research needed)
The antidote to ruminating driving is supportive driving.
Women are more likely to like, to accept, and to practice the style of supportive driving. Men are attracted to such ruminations as:
“You can’t let them get away with this kind of behavior.”
“You have to teach them a lesson.”
“You can’t let them walk all over you. They are a menace. Somebody has got to do something.”
“I can’t just be a wimp. I’m going to show them they can mess with me.”
See related articles
here ||
The Effect of Age, Gender, and Type of Car
Driven Across the States
by Dr.
Leon James (2001)
http://www.drdriving.org/surveys/interpretations.htm
Summary:
The pattern of results thus far lead me to the following conclusions:
Aggressive
driving is made up of a syndrome
of habits
that stick together
with plenty of individual variation.
Young drivers
are
more aggressive in all driving behaviors than older
drivers; senior drivers are the least aggressive.
Men are more aggressive than women when they drive sports cars and light
trucks (S-10, Pick-up, Ram, Ranger, F-150, Silverado, Dakota, etc.);
women
are more aggressive than men when they drive SUVs and luxury cars. For
economy and family cars, it depends on the specific behavior.
There appear to be three psychological categories of vehicles people
drive: tough driving cars (sports, light trucks, SUVs), soft driving
cars
(economy, family), and special driving cars (vans, luxury). Each of
these
psychological categories has its own aggressive
driving
syndrome that
distinguishes it from the others.
It is evident that aggressive driving is a cultural norm that is generationally
transmitted as a habit imbibed in childhood when riding with
parents and
reinforced by repeated media
portrayals of drivers
behaving badly. To get us out of this, I propose a program of Lifelong
Driver
Education.
Eastbourne course will help women fight
road rage
By Emily-Ann Elliott
6/6/2008
Women
drivers are to be taught how to use everyday objects to defend
themselves
against road rage maniacs. (...)
Publicity
material for the event on June 12 states: "As part of the course,
volunteers from the audience will be invited to take part in role-play
by a
personal self-protection specialist and learn how to beat the bullies
behind
the wheel and, if diplomacy fails, how to use everyday objects normally
found
about one's person for self-protection and to ensure a rapid escape
from a
would-be attacker." (...)
Gail
Taylor, marketing manager of Eastbourne Motoring Centre, said:
"Personal
safety and security are imperative for everyone, particularly women
today.
"The menace of aggressive, inconsiderate driving on our roads seems to
be
increasing at the moment and we believe that all it takes is a little
care and
consideration to avoid situations which can escalate into the kinds of
tragic
incidents we have all heard about recently. "We want women to enjoy
their
independence and freedom and be able to travel safely and confidently
on our
roads. "We hope that, by highlighting the risks facing women drivers,
the
course will provide them with a wealth of information and practical
advice."
(...)
From: http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/generalnews/display.var.2321526.0.eastbourne_course_will_
help_women_fight_road_rage.php
See also: Gender
and
Driving--Men
vs.
Women
Driving literacy facts that every
driver needs to
know!
by Dr. Leon James
World
wide, about 1.5 million people are killed in road accidents every year
--
that's 15 million killed on the roads every decade. Road accident
research has
pointed towards driver error in the majority of cases. In the U.S.
about 42,000
traffic fatalities occur every year and about 1.5 million injuries
annually at
a total cost of 200 billion dollars -- that means in every decade we
kill
420,000 Americans on the roads, injure 15 million Americans on the
road, and
pay a whopping two trillion dollar cost in repairs, injuries,
insurance, and
economic loss. Our foreign oil dependence and domestic shortage
would be
solved if we stopped using the gas pedal emotionally in traffic every
day.
Almost all
of "driver error" can be traced to insufficient emotional
intelligence training behind the wheel. All drivers can train
themselves to
acquire emotional intelligence behind the wheel. We have proposed that
driver
education start early in elementary school when we can train young
people to
acquire respect and compassion for others in public places --
pedestrians,
drivers, passengers, road workers, law enforcement. We describe a
threestep
method for driver personality makeovers. Every individual is raised to
be an
aggressive driver and pedestrian through years of training on the back
seat of
the car driven by parents and other adults -- road rage nursery! Add up
the
years of daily television watching and video gaming involving drivers
behaving
aggressively, dangerously, and violently. By the time we start driving
we
automatically drive aggressively, have competitive feelings and
intentions
behind the wheel.
The
threestep self-modification approach can provide adult drivers with a
new
supportive driver personality style, to replace the aggressive driving
feelings, emotions, intentions, judgments, condemnations, and acts of
risk and
folly that all of us experience and tolerate on a daily basis. Driving
is the
most dangerous thing we do on a regular basis, and it has the highest
cost as
well. We can change that.
Useful statistics
on car
crashes and injuries may also be found on these Web sites:
www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov
www.safecarguide.com/exp/statistics/statistics.htm
www.car-accidents.com/pages/stats.html
www.transport-links.org/transport_links/filearea/publications/1_771_Pa3568.pdf
Best solution for traffic woes? Eliminating the
drivers
By Emily Mulhausen -
Columbia News Service |
Saturday, May 17, 2008
(...) The best way to
eliminate congestion, some
experts say, is to take the driver out of the driver's seat. "We
wouldn't
have to deal with people behind the wheel," said Dr. Jerry Schneider, a
University of Washington professor emeritus of urban planning and civil
engineering. "It would be a totally hands-off, brain-off experience."
Driverless design
concepts include Personal Rapid
Transit, which involves passenger taxi-pods on rails; automatic highway
systems
that direct driverless cars using magnetic guidelines; and dual-mode
systems
with cars that can be driven normally on smaller roads and for shorter
distances, but could go driverless on specialized electric rails, or
"guideways," for high-speed controlled travel.
"In the morning you
would drop the kids off at
school, drive to the guideway, sit back, read the paper, and
automatically get
off where you want to go," said Kirston Henderson, the president and
inventor of MegaRail Transportation Systems, a dual-mode company based
in
Texas. (...)
Indeed, increased
efficiency from higher speeds,
standardized spacing between cars and driverless driving could
dramatically
increase road capacities. A normal highway lane can carry about 2,000
cars an
hour, Schneider said, while a dual-mode "lane" could handle 15,000 or
more. Traffic congestion is a "$78 billion annual drain on the U.S.
economy in the form of 4.2 billion lost hours and 2.9 billion gallons
of wasted
fuel," says the Texas Transportation Institute in its 2007 Urban
Mobility
Report, with the average rush hour commuter losing $710 a year while
stuck in
traffic. (...)
But solutions that
focus on the physical aspects of
traffic may be overlooking the real problem.
"Congestion is often not caused by the road, but by the way drivers are
driving," said Dr.
Leon
James, a psychology professor at the University of Hawaii and a
pioneer in the small field of traffic psychology. When one driver in
traffic
makes a mistake, tailgates, or changes lanes unnecessarily, hundreds of
cars
may have to suddenly put on the brakes.
"We call it a
traffic
wave," he said. "Everything suddenly slows to a crawl, but
there's no obstruction."
That, in turn, has a psychological effect. "Congestion makes
you feel
frustrated and panicky," said James, who recommends a program of
lifelong driver's education to help deal with the cognitive problems
caused by
driving. "Many
people
are
driving
around
in
a
constant seething rage." (...)
From: http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/05/19/lifeandtimes/z3911e14ab4f1274b8825744a005df393.txt
See also a Web
site
on
traffic
waves.
Watch a a brief YouTube video called Shockwave
traffic
jams
recreated
for
first
time
Moffat: Violent Heart:
Understanding Aggressive Individuals
Traffic
accidents lead to approximately 40,000 deaths per year in the US. The
world
toll in 1999 was 1 million deaths and 40 million injuries In 2020, the
worldwide death toll from traffic accidents is expected to rise to
about 2.3
million Road accidents are the leading cause of death for males 15-44.
Pedestrians and cyclists accounted for 19.3% of all traffic fatalities
in the
US and 13 Western European nations in 1992. of all crashes: 85% are
attributed
to road user error
Directory of Topics in Driving
Informatics with Web
Links Definition of Aggressive
Driving and Road Rage Children's Books at Amazon.com
||
Songs About Cars
Brief Summary of How Driving Psychology
Explains
What
is Aggressive Driving
Aggressive
Driving is a philosophy (P), an attitude
(A), and a weakness (W).
You can remember this as AD = PAW.
Aggressive driving
as a
philosophy
Road
regulations and civility do not apply to me some of the time.
Aggressive driving as an
attitude
Driving is
a competition for who gets through first. I am more entitled than
others -- me
first. I can't be a wimp and let other motorists take advantage of me.
Aggressive
driving as
a weakness
Aggressive
driving is an emotional weakness or a lowered ability
to cope
with routine everyday exchanges with other motorists. It is a lack or
insufficiency of emotional
intelligence. It involves mental venting
to
oneself behind the wheel, and social venting
to one's co-workers, friends, or any stranger who will listen.
The PAW
syndrome of aggressive driving is part of the culture of
disrespect on
highways. It is a world wide phenomenon present in epidemic proportions in every
country
studied so far. It is a generationally
transmitted socialization habit and therefore is going to increase
and get
worse with every subsequent generation -- unless we stop it through lifelong
driver
education
programs and quality
driving
circles
for
driver self-improvement activities tied to license renewal.
DDC 4, 5th edition
includes two new
10-minute video sessions:
“Chain
of
Choices” looks at the choices that each driver makes every day.
Proper
following distance, common courtesy road rage, driver distractions are
covered along
insight
from Dr William Glasser and Dr. Leon James on why people choose
the
driving behaviors they do. View a short-clip from “Chain
of
Choices”
What
is
Speeding?
From
National
Public
Radio
--
Listen
to
this
program
now
online
Talk
of
the
Nation, June 7,
2007 · Most states are tough on drunk drivers, but it is actually
speeders who
cause the most deadly car crashes. Yet, even when they are caught, many
speeders get off easy. Guests discuss the psychology behind our desire
to speed
and why we think nothing of going above the limit. Leon
James, professor of psychology,
University of Hawaii; co-author, Road Rage and Aggressive Driving
Judith Stone, president,
Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety
Richard Retting, senior
transportation engineer, Insurance Institute of Highway Safety
From Wisconsin
Public
Radio
two
programs
on
drivers
and roads:
KHON Channel 2 FOX Television Honolulu.
Interview
on
the
evening
news
with
Tina Shelton regarding the psychology of
speeding
vs. breaking the speed limit. June 28, 2007. See the video
segment here.
How
"real" is road rage? Read a few news stories on road rage around the
world from
DrDriving's Collection Road Rage News
Stories
|| Dr. Leon James in the News
Road
Construction Rage -- see news
stories
here.
What is
Aggressive Driving? News
clip for Medics and FORSCOM military bases.
WHYY Radio
PA Voices In The Family
12/22/08
Traffic
Psychology
It's
Monday morning on the Schuylkill expressway, and it is a very loud,
frustrating
parking lot. And you... well you are speaking in a language of
expletives you
never would say outside the comfort of your car. This behavior has
become
acceptable, but most of us wouldn't dare act this way otherwise. Or
would we?
On the next Voices in the Family, Dr. Dan Gottlieb talks with
the author
of Traffic, Tom Vanderbilt about why we drive the way we do and
what it
says about us. Dr. Dan will also speak with Professor of Psychology at
the
University of Hawaii, Dr. Leon James, who specializes in traffic
psychology.
Hear Voices in the Family Mondays at noon, with a repeat broadcast
Sunday at 6
a.m.
How do you
handle it? email DrDriving@DrDriving.org
Here
are
some of the things people say.....
From: http://www.virginiadot.org/VTRC/main/online_reports/pdf/05-r6.pdf
EVALUATION
OF THE LATE MERGE WORK ZONE TRAFFIC CONTROL STRATEGY
Several alternative
lane merge strategies have been
proposed in recent years to process
vehicles through work
zone lane closures more safely
and efficiently. Among these is the late
merge. With the late
merge, drivers are instructed
to use all lanes to the merge point and then
take turns proceeding
through the work zone. Its
efficiency has been tested on only a limited
basis. The purpose of
this project was to determine
when, if at all, deployment of the late merge
was beneficial.
The late merge concept
was evaluated by comparing it
to the traditional merge using
computer simulations
and field evaluations. Computer
simulations included analysis of 2-to-1,
3-to-1, and 3-to-2
lane closure configurations to
determine its impact on throughput and the
impact of factors such
as free flow speed, demand
volume, and percentage of heavy vehicles.
Field tests were
limited to 2-to-1 lane closures, as
recommended by state transportation officials,
and examined the
impact of treatment type on vehicle
throughput, percentage of vehicles in the
closed lane, and time
in queue.
Results of the
computer simulations showed the late
merge produced a statistically
significant increase
in throughput volume for only
the 3-to-1-lane closure configuration and was
beneficial across all
factors for this type of
closure. For the 2-to-1 and 3-to-2 lane closure
configurations, the
late merge increased throughput when
the percentage of heavy vehicles was
large.
Field tests showed
similar trends with regard to
throughput. Although throughput
increased, the
increase was not statistically
significant because of the limited number of heavy
vehicles at the site.
More drivers were in the
closed lane, indicating a response to the late merge
signs. Time in queue
was also reduced, although the
reductions were not statistically significant.
The authors conclude
that the late merge should be
considered for 3-to-1 lane closure
configurations but not
until a sound methodology for
deployment has been developed and tested
in the field. For the
2-to-1 and 3-to-2
configurations, the late merge should be implemented only
when the percentage of
heavy vehicles is at least 20
percent.
From: http://www.virginiadot.org/VTRC/main/online_reports/pdf/05-r6.pdf
Evaluation
of
2004
Dynamic
Late
Merge
System (DLMS)
for the Minnesota Department of Transportation
From: http://www.dot.state.mn.us/trafficeng/workzone/2004DLMS-Evaluation.pdf
The DLMS is designed
to utilize the best aspects of
the Early and Late Merge strategies. Through the use of technology,
this DLMS
traffic control strategy can dynamically change its lane use
instructions based
on the current traffic demands. This alters the traffic control theory
from an
early merge strategy under light traffic demand to a late merge
strategy during
periods of congestion. The motivation for this approach stems from a
desire to
make the roadways safer and eliminate conditions where motorists
typically
exhibit conflicting driver behaviors. (...)
Shorten Queue Lengths
before Work Zone:
By encouraging the use
of both lanes in congested
conditions, the length of a forming queue should be greatly reduced
under the
Dynamic Late Merge System. If all drivers follow the posted
instructions, the
queue length could be reduced by half, ensuring that no vehicles would
encounter the back of a queue before first seeing the construction
advanced
warning sign.
Increase Traffic
Capacity through Work Zone:
Based on experiences
from previous studies, it is
hoped that having a single merging point at a defined location will
increase
the number of cars through the work zone. Reduce Aggressive Driving: If
no
other benefits are achieved, reducing the stress level for drivers at
the work
zone could be beneficial enough to warrant the use of the Dynamic Late
Merge
System. Recent years have seen an escalation in the number of road rage
incidents and aggressive driving behaviors around work zones. Impatient
and
antagonistic drivers have blocked other vehicles from passing or have
driven
around queues on the roadway shoulders or medians. Eliminating the
causes of
these outbursts could stabilize the behaviors of already frustrated
drivers.
(...)
The messages posted at
the three CMS locations were
the same as those of the US10 deployment during the summer of 2003:
furthest
from the taper “STOPPED TRAFFIC AHEAD” – “USE BOTH LANES,” next “USE
BOTH
LANES” (...)
The typically observed
behavior when drivers
encounter the advanced warning signs of a construction zone lane
closure is for
drivers to move out of the closed (discontinuous) lane to the lane
continuing
through the construction zone. Some drivers have even been observed to
brake
radically in order to join the end of a queue forming in the continuous
lane
after seeing the first static advanced-warning sign. These early
merging
behaviors result in a long single lane queue; a scenario with many
dangerous
driving conditions. (...) The two advanced warning CMS farthest from
the taper
alert drivers to the stopped traffic ahead and instruct them to
continue using
both lanes.
Debating
the
Issue
From: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=14656717
Quote: The usual signs are there for advance warning of lane
closure so
get over as soon as you can.
No they
are not. They are there so you know which lane is closed and know which
way you
have to merge and how far.
Quote: The signs you
link too are irrelevant to this
topic
They are
100% relevant as it is people doing as those signs advise doing what
the OP was
complaining about.
Quote: They are 100%
relevant as it is people doing
as those signs advise doing what the OP was complaining about.
It is also obvious
that using all the road space
available and letting everyone merge smoothly at the merge point is
more
efficient and reduces the length of the queue.
For your information
the sequence of traffic
management signs at those works were as follows:
"WHEN QUEUING USE BOTH
LANES"
Diagram
7072 "800 yds"
"WHEN QUEUING USE BOTH LANES"
7072 "600 yds"
7072 "400 yds"
"MERGE IN TURN"
7072 "200 yds"
So it's fairly obvious
from those signs that what
they expect people to do when there is heavy traffic is to use both
lanes up to
the point just before the 200 yds sign where they are told to merge in
turn. Do
you think those sign would be there if they wanted people to merge at
the 800
yds sign?
Quote: What's the
point of merging at 800 yds when
there is still 800 yds of road ahead of you? It sounds like common
sense to me.
It gets more traffic through.
So everyone is at
fault then really, moving across
too soon causes the arrogant drivers to become impatient, and steam
along the
almost empty lane at 70mph to overtake a few people.
Quote: No, only
the idiots who move across too
soon causing stop-start traffic three times longer than necessary are
at fault.
Quote: I never
drive down the hard shoulder to
jump ahead in a queue, since it's illegal. But at impending roadworks,
I will
happily admit that I drive down the outside lane and merge further up.
There is
nothing illegal about it. I do not do it aggressively, nor do I brag
about it.
I simply put my indicator on and wait for someone to let me in - since
someone
always will. Or I move into a big enough gap if there is one. I fail to
see the
point in queueing for something, when it's perfectly legal to do what I
just
described. As someone already said, people are too English about it!
I get annoyed when
there are roadworks with a sign
indicating that a lane is closing so many yards up the road. The
traffic flow
is slowed right down by some berk 400 yards from the cones trying to
cut in 20
cars from the roadworks, only because he/she is scared to upset
someone. Damn
drive to were the road actually closes then merge in turn.....some
roadworks
even put signs up telling you to do so! Then you get the big lorry in
the
closing lane picking a car next to it and matching its
speed......allowing 400
yards plus of empty road ahead of it, jeez. Should be a fixed penalty
fine for
NOT merging in turn and using the whole road in roadworks/lane closure
situations. At least the govt should make it clear/official that its an
offence
or add it to the highway code
I AM ONE OF THEM. I AM
A BAD MERGER.
From:
http://www.reetsyburger.com/2007/10/lets-go-all-wayto-merge-point.html
I have aggressively straddled two lanes with my car in order to block
late
merges in construction zones. I get pissed when people fly by me in the
other
lane AFTER I've already merged.
I have shook my fist fiercely at people who refuse to merge with
everyone else
a 1/2 mile before the merge zone....those a*&holes!!!
LO AND BEHOLD. I was WRONG. And some people I met from California and
Pennsylvania were laughing at me as they tried to explain that people
in
Minnesota and Wisconsin simply don't know how to merge. They blamed it
on Minnesota
nice....We see a sign that says the lane is going to end, and we
move over
immediately cuz it's the polite thing to do. RIGHT?
WRONG. I am changing my ways, henceforth, even though I know the early
mergers
are going to get pissed.
From
the Minnesota Department of Transportation
"ST. PAUL, Minn. — Fifteen percent of drivers admitted to straddling
lanes
in order to block late merges in construction zones, according to a
recent
study conducted by the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
To address the more than 2,700 crashes and 18 fatalities occurring in
highway
construction zones last year, Mn/DOT commissioned a study to better
understand
the behaviors and attitudes that trigger driving decisions in merging
situations as drivers enter a work zone.
'Our goal is to increase safety in work zones by reducing the confusion
and
frustration drivers often experience when merging,' said William
Servatius,
Mn/DOT's Office of Construction. 'Many times crashes occur due to
aggressive
driving, abrupt lane changes or sudden stops, so we want to help
drivers make
good choices while traveling through our work zones.'
In an attempt to minimize the problems discovered in the research,
Mn/DOT also
conducted a month-long field study on Highway 10 in Anoka to assess a
new
Dynamic Late Merge System, a traffic control strategy to improve
merging at
lane closures.
'The fully automated system using remote traffic microwave sensors and
a
Doppler radar provides instructions to drivers via changeable message
signs on
when to merge and how to merge according to the current state of
traffic,' said
Craig Mittelstadt, Mn/DOT's workzone safety specialist. 'For example,
if
traffic is heavy, the system will instruct motorists to use both lanes
and take
turns once they've reached the defined merge point just before the lane
closure.'
This strategy often referred to as the 'zipper' improves traffic flow,
reduces
conflicts and hopefully will decrease the number of crashes when
traffic demand
exceeds the capacity of a single lane closure.
'Basically, we want drivers to know that under normal traffic speeds,
they
should try to merge early to avoid unsafe merging maneuvers; however,
when
traffic is congested, drivers should use both lanes all the way to the
definite
merge point,' said Servatius.
'We can't
completely rid the roads from congestion in a workzone, but data from
the study
revealed this method shortened queue lengths by 35 percent and reduced
lane
changing conflicts,' said Mittelstadt. 'We also hope for a decline in
crashes
and aggressive driving behavior.'
Minnesota is one of the first states to use the Dynamic Late Merge
System and
plans are to continue this research in the upcoming construction season.
'People have been trying for years to research the proper way to merge,
but
there are so many factors to consider,' said Servatius. 'It's difficult
to say
what's the right way - instead we're looking for the best way.'
Here
is what looks to me a sensible solution (says Dr. Leon James).
It is
electronic signage dynamically adjusted to the flow of traffic. From
ADDCO
Smart Traffic Solutions (TM) at http://www.cotrip.org/its/ITS%20Guidelines%20Web%20New%20Format%202-05/Web%20Solutions%20Packages/ITS%20Solution%20Packages%20-%20Web%20Copy/Work%20Zone%20Safety/SMART%20Lane%20Merge.pdf
Please read their description of Dynamic Message Signs and how they
work.
From: http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2008/06/welcome_to_the_morning_joust.html
Can't
we all just merge? The raging battle of I-690
by Hart
Seely
(...)
Still, at some point, everybody has to merge. The state seeks to get it
done
early on, far before the point of bottleneck. And as drivers on the
left are
passing, scorning many chances to slide into the traffic and instead
going all
the way to the front, their counterparts on the right are boiling over.
They
were there first. "Basically, what they're thinking is, it's wrong to
pass
me. It's unfair," said Dr. Leon James, co-author of the 2000 book
"Road Rage and Aggressive Driving." "They are reacting
emotionally when they see a car passing by. They sit there and rehearse
in
their minds all the ways that they are being treated unfairly by these
rude
drivers. The more their line slows down, the more the idea is
reinforced."
Our Road
Warrior Ride shotgun with reporter Hart Seely and experience the
heartache and
adrenaline rush as driver is pitted against driver and three lanes are
forced
to become one. Click below to watch the video.
Watch the
video here
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2008/06/welcome_to_the_morning_joust.html
(This is
an excellent example of self-witnessing behind the wheel. The video
brings out
the actual dilemma as drivers experience it in the merge dilemma)
A few comments by readers of the Post
Standard:
Posted
by
CNYexpert
on 06/08/08
The
obvious answer - one I'm amazed has eluded the DOT for all this time -
is not
to announce that one lane will be 'ending'. Just put up signs that both
lanes
will merge into one. Use cones to merge everybody to the middle, then
steer the
one column wherever you want it. As long as nobody thinks they are in
the lane
that will continue to exist while others are in a lane about to vanish,
everybody will just keep driving and merge one-to-one (with a few
exceptions
for the truly selfish). They have done this on the 690E-481N connection
a few
times, and traffic slows down but with no stoppage and no murderous
road rage.
Other
states do it that way and laugh at our problems.
++++++++++++
Posted
by
freqflyer
on 06/08/08
Here in
the Washington DC area we have major traffic. We use the *merge at the
end of
the lane* rule, it works perfectly.
+++++++++++++
Posted
by
FairmntBob
on 06/08/08
There is no logic to the merge later to keep the line down theory. The bottleneck is the one lane, and only one lane can go through it. The sooner the merging is out of the way, the smoother the one lane of traffic can go through the one lane available, without extra stopping and going for merging. A single lane of 50 cars takes the same (or less, if there is last second jockeying) time as two lanes of 25 cars. It just looks longer. As to the line backing up farther back if the merging is early, that's a good thing because people can see the line and take an exit to avoid the mess!
People going up farther are simply cutting ahead in the line... if you
can't
see that you aren't paying attention!
+++++++++++++++++
August 3, 2008
The
Urge to Merge
From: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/03/magazine/03traffic-t.html?_r=1&oref=login&fta=y&pagewanted=print
By CYNTHIA GORNEY
HERE IS THE CALDECOTT
TUNNEL PROBLEM. If there’s
another person with you right now, you may end up raising your voices
as you
consider it. I’m just warning, is all. The last time I brought up the
Caldecott
Tunnel Problem among friends, two people who had been a happy couple
for a long
time started arguing, and then they looked at each other as if
something new
and disturbing were presenting itself, and when I got up to go, one of
them was
pounding the table and yelling at her beloved, “But that is so wrong!”
(...)
This is the point at
which the North American
driving populace, as you know, cleaves into two camps.
Two-thirds of us,
according to calculations I have
made while brooding inordinately about this inside my Subaru, are
lineuppers,
slowing rapidly from 70 to 30 or 20 or whatever and taking our places —
courteously and patiently, as our mothers taught us to do, respecting
the broad
tenets of social justice and the primacy of fairness to all persons on
the
road, regardless of income or ethnicity or car model or perceived level
of
personal importance — where was I? Oh. Sorry. Taking our places at the
end of
the line, I was saying, the long two-lane line that has formed to the
right,
creeping toward the mouth of our tunnel bore. There is still some empty
lane
space beside us on the left, true, where the cones are gradually
closing those
left lanes down. But people are already lined up. If we passed them on
the left
to get in farther ahead, we would be cutting the line.
One third of us, on
the other hand, zoom on by. For
purposes of this problem, I shall call these sidezoomers. (When I
raised the
Caldecott Tunnel Problem with my father, who is 83, he startled me by
suggesting a longer label that included more bad words than I believe I
have
ever heard him use at one time.) Sidezoomers have a variety of
strategies, each
exaggerated by the configuration of the Caldecott but replicated in
bottlenecks
across the land: there are the ones who zoom by a few dozen cars,
angling in
when they see a plausible opening; and there are the ones who zoom all
the way
up, to the very top of the cone-off funnel, at which point they thrust
their
aggressive little self-entitled fenders toward the lineup and nudge
themselves
in. And there are those who opt for frontage-road sidezooming, which
requires maneuvering
into the far-right highway lane in order to get off at a certain
pretunnel exit
that dumps cars onto a surface street alongside Highway 24. They zip
along that
street and get back on 24 at the next entrance, slipping in ahead of
the
bumper-to-bumper highway lineup they just bypassed. So now they’re
cutting the
line, too, but from the right.
And that very last
exit lane before the tunnel, also
on the right? You can’t get back onto the highway once you’ve exited
there, but
if you’re a sidezoomer you can slide into the empty exit-only lane,
still on
the highway but pretending you’re leaving, and then you drive and drive
right
past all the lineuppers until whoops, now at the last minute you’ve
changed
your mind and you’re not exiting at all; you’re sneaking back into the
line.
(...)
So I started
consulting professionals on my own:
traffic engineers, the highway police, queuing theorists. The learning
curve,
it must be said, was robust. I hadn’t known queuing had theories. But
of course
it does, mathematicians and business-operations people have to work
them out,
the heart-attack patient gets in ahead of the sprained ankle and nobody
has a
problem with that, and anybody who has been to Europe intuitively
understands
what one engineer meant when in midsentence he said to me, “perfect
England,”
meaning culturally mandated compulsive queuing, and, “perfect Italy,”
meaning
culturally mandated compulsive nonqueuing. I learned about the father
of modern
queuing theory, an early 1900s Dane whose specific who-goes-first
challenge was
the new Copenhagen telephone system, which required callers,
disembodied but
queued nonetheless, to be moved along in a way both maximally efficient
and
acceptable to all. I learned some of the ways a crush of traffic is and
is not
like a crush of opera fans outside Lincoln
Center
— the speed factor, the isolating qualities of an auto’s steel bubble,
the
coarsening effect of no-eye-contact anonymity. I learned that Officer
Sam
Morgan, of the California Highway Patrol, occasionally uses the term
“cranial-rectal inversion” when referring to drivers of especially poor
judgment, which was one of the most satisfactory things I learned all
summer,
come to think of it. I asked each professional the same questions:
1. If you were inside
your personal vehicle,
approaching a bottleneck that offered you the options of lineup or
sidezoom,
which option would you select?
2. For practical
purposes — maximum vehicle flow,
minimal hang-up — who’s right?
A University of
Washington
engineer named Bill Beaty, who was one of the first traffic scholars I
located,
has come up with his own bottleneck-behavior labels: Cheaters and
Vigilantes.
He disapproves of both. When I acknowledged belonging to the choleric
wing of
the vigilante order, he was unyielding but sympathetic. “That’s just
human,” he
said. Beaty is a proponent of the third-way prescription, which I’ll
get to in
a minute; he’s an electrical engineer, not formally trained in traffic
flow but
so interested in it that for a decade he has kept up a link-filled Web
page, amasci.com/amateur/traffic/links.html,
connecting
to
scores
of
diagrams
and
scholarly papers and discussion groups, a
whole subuniverse of people preoccupied with the physics and psychology
of
traffic. (You can click from Beaty’s page to a comic Italian animated
traffic
short, a German traffic-flow simulator that twitches and rotates and a
live-cam
shot of one nasty section of Seattle’s I-5.)
(...)
Nearly every time I
asked one of the traffic people
to assume the role of the great vehicle arranger in the sky,
remote-controlling
each of us bottleneck drivers as if we were so many video-game
characters, the
reply went as follows:
FIRST, EVERYBODY
REMAINS UNRUFFLED, without abrupt
changes of lane or speed, as the lane-drop comes into view. Everybody
takes
three deep, cleansing breaths — all right, the experts didn’t say that,
but
they meant to — and considers both the imminent needs of everybody else
and the
system as a smoothly functioning whole.
Then everybody begins
to slow, not too much, all in
concert. All cars remain in their lanes, using all the real estate. (On
the
question of frontage roads and exit-only lanes, the experts waffled;
those are
arguably part of the real estate, they agreed, but they are meant for a
different purpose, and this scenario relies upon everybody buying into
the same
rules. So no frontage-roading or fake-exit-laning, unless there’s a
sign
specifically instructing otherwise.) People in the narrowing left lanes
refrain
from shooting ahead, while people in the right through lanes — this is
hard to
swallow, for those of us inclined toward vigilantism, but crucial —
leave big
spaces in front of their cars for the merging that is about to
commence. We
resist the freeze-out-the-sidezoomer urge. We prepare to invite them
in.
Finally, at clearly
marked or somehow mutually
agreed upon places, everybody starts conducting beautiful “zipper
merges.”
That’s the technical term — one-two, one-two or one-two-three,
one-two-three —
as indicated by the roadway configuration. The process has now worked
at its
ideal efficiency/equitability ratio: if all have behaved correctly, the
tunnel
passage has been both benign and, relatively speaking, quick. Personal
sacrifice has been called for, to be sure. The former sidezoomers have
sacrificed the pleasure of high-speed bypass, also known as I Beat Out
the
Stupid Sheep Just Now, Ha Ha (less truculent rendition: I Want to Get
Home More
Than I Care About Strangers Whose Faces I Can’t Even See). The former
lineuppers
have sacrificed the pleasure of self-congratulatory umbrage, also known
as
Hmph, Good Thing Society Has People Like Me. Together we have all
ascended to
the traffic decorum of the army ants, who as Vanderbilt observes are
among the
earth’s most accomplished commuters, managing to get from one place to
another
in large groups without cutting each other off, deciding their time is
more
valuable than everybody else’s, or — apparently this is the fast-lane
domination method for certain traveling land crickets — eating anybody
who gets
in the way.
(...)
Cynthia Gorney teaches
at the Graduate School of
Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley. Her most recent
article
for the magazine was about Spanish-Language advertising.
Inquiry into Violence
Associated with Motor Vehicle Use
Government
of Australia Final Report April 2005
Key concepts: Road Violence, Road Hostility and Selfish
Driving.
Selfish
driving involves
time urgent or self-oriented driving behavior, which is committed at
the
expense of other drivers in general, but which is not specifically
targeted at
particular individuals.
The Committee
came to the conclusion that road violence is not caused by any single
factor.
Rather, an act of road violence is the result of the complex interplay
of a
number of factors. In the Committee’s view, road violence is no
different from
other forms of violence even though the involvement of motor vehicles
can
increase the potential for physical harm. The model shown on page 186
(Figure
10.1) of the Final Report explains the Committee’s understanding of the
interaction of the various factors involved. In any road violence
incident
there will be a chain of events starting with a triggering event.
Person
related and situational factors play a role in the interpretation of
the
triggering event that in turn play a role in how an individual will
react to the
trigger that may result in a road violence incident taking place.
The
Committee believes that this model can assist in analyzing the
effectiveness of
strategies and initiatives relating to violence associated with
motor vehicle
use.
See the full report here: Inquiry
into
Violence
Associated
with
Motor
Vehicle
Use
These stunts, which can earn a driver a seven-day vehicle impound and
license
suspension as easily as a street race, can include:
1.
Doing
a "wheelie" on a motorcycle
2.
Doing
donuts
3.
Passing
another vehicle and remaining in the oncoming lane longer than
necessary to
complete the pass
4.
Driving
a vehicle with someone in the trunk
5.
Not
having the driver sit in the driver's seat
6.
Preventing
other people from passing
7.
Interfering
with other vehicles by cutting them off or causing them to stop or slow
down in
circumstances where they would not normally do so
8.
Intentionally
driving close to another vehicle, pedestrian or fixed object (this
includes
tailgating)
9.
Turning
left in front of oncoming traffic as soon as the light for both
directions
changes to green
10.
Driving
a motor vehicle at a rate of speed that is 50 km/h or more over the
speed
limit.
From: http://www.miltoncanadianchampion.com/opinions/article/177452
Younger
drivers with the longest commutes are most likely to react to an
aggressive or
rude driver. Those with the longest drives are the most likely to make
an
obscene gesture.
- Men and women react
the same ways when it comes to road rage.
- Road-rage inducing
behaviors that commuters see every day include talking on the cell
phone (88 percent), driving too fast (59 percent) and tailgating (56
percent).
- Eating and/or
drinking, a common road rage trigger, is seen by 49 percent of drivers
daily. Motorists in Baltimore, New York and Tampa (57 percent) see this
daily.
- The most text-message
happy drivers are in Denver, Houston, Miami and Phoenix, although
overall 38 percent of commuters see texting every day.
- Twenty nine percent of
those surveyed say they see drivers multi-tasking by putting on makeup,
shaving or reading while driving. They say they see it most often in
Tampa (40 percent) and least often in Cincinnati (20 percent).
To get the
survey results, Prince Market Research, an independent marketing
research
company, conducted 2,512 interviews between Feb. 4 and March 23. The
survey has
a margin of error of 2 percent.
From: http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1403674
State
takes on aggressive driving to change habits
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_569279.html
By Mike Cronin TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday,
May
25,
2008
Local and
state law enforcement, health department and nonprofit officials have
created
Smooth Operator, a $2 million state-funded program that seeks to
modify bad behavior on
roadways and save lives.
"Sixty-five
percent of traffic fatalities in the state are due to aggressive
driving,"
said Jay Ofsanik, a PennDOT spokesman. (…)
Pennsylvania's
approach is part of a nationwide movement toward attempting to define
and
prevent aggressive driving. State and federal officials don't agree on
what
defines aggressive driving, but generally agree it's a combination of
driving
behaviors that include speeding, weaving, passing improperly and
tailgating.
Smooth
Operator went statewide last year, said David Pritt, a
PennDOT spokesman. Seven
Western Pennsylvania counties receive an annual share of $740,000 to
pay for
police to work overtime several two-week periods a year and
specifically look
for aggressive drivers. The next period is scheduled for June 23-July
6. The
most recent was April 6-20. (…)
Aggressive
driving is
a habit, Pritt said. "It's different than road rage," Pritt said.
"Aggressive driving is being done on a daily basis. Road rage, like
shouting profanities at another driver, is a description of what
occurred
during an incident."
Thirteen
states have aggressive driving laws, said Matt Sundeen, a
transportation
analyst with the Denver-based National Conference of State
Legislatures.
Georgia and Indiana levy the harshest penalties, where people convicted
face
fines up to $5,000 and jail time of up to one year.
In
Pennsylvania, an aggressive driving bill introduced in October by state
Rep.
Anthony Melio, a Bucks County Democrat, remains in committee. If
passed, the
law would levy a $300 fine on drivers who endanger a person or property
by
violating two or more traffic rules, such as passing and disobeying
traffic
signals. (…)
Neighboring
Ohio and West Virginia do not have aggressive
driving laws.
Officials there, as in Pennsylvania, try to change driving habits
through
stricter application of existing laws or education.
U.S. Rep.
Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., supports an education
campaign
to
battle
aggressive
driving.
"Laws
alone have a limited effect in changing human behavior," said Rahall,
vice
chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Speaking
from experience, Leon
James, a University of Hawaii professor who specializes in traffic
psychology,
said perhaps the best way to reduce aggressive driving is through
personal
responsibility.
Twenty-six years
ago,
his wife and his wife's grandmother told James that his driving
bothered them.
So James started carrying a tape recorder to record his
thoughts while
he drove.
"I
learned you have to have an attitude of latitude," James said. "You
have to be more tolerant of what other people do. Be less critical and
judgmental. Because what they do, you do."
Road
rules
How to respond
to
an aggressive driver:
• Do not make eye
contact.
• Do not "argue with
your car."
• Yield to the other
driver in a dispute over who
has the right-of-way.
• Let tailgaters pass
you.
• Watch for tailgaters
to pull in front of you too
quickly.
• Always think: "What
can I do to make this
situation safer?"
How to stop driving aggressively:
• Try to change one
thing every day.
• Do not race another
driver.
• Give yourself enough
time to get to a destination.
• Don't tailgate.
• Go with the flow and
speed of traffic.
• Don't get in the car
to drive when angry.
Sources: J.J. Miller,
AAA safety adviser; Leon
James, University of
Hawaii professor who specializes in traffic psychology
Calif.
cell
phone
laws
at
a
glance
Jun
29,
2008
By
The
Associated
Press,
AP
From:
http://www.examiner.com/a-1464769~Calif__cell_phone_laws_at_a_glance.html
Here is an
overview of the two cell phone laws that take effect Tuesday in California:
- Drivers
under 18 are prohibited from using a wireless telephone, pager, laptop
or any
other electronic communication or mobile service device while driving.
They
cannot talk on a cell phone, even with a hands-free device, nor can
they
text-message. They will be allowed to make calls in an emergency.
- Drivers
18 and over must use a hands-free device when using their cell phone
while driving.
Text-messaging is not specifically banned for adults, but the California Highway Patrol said
they can
be cited for negligence under existing laws.
There is
no grace period for violators. Beginning Tuesday, anyone seen driving
while
holding a cell phone to their ear will be subject to base fines of $20
for the
first ticket and $50 for subsequent tickets, plus additional fees that
will
more than triple the fine.
The California Department
of Motor
Vehicles will not assign a violation point to motorists' driving
records.
Drivers of
all ages - with or without a hands-free device - can use their cell
phones in
an emergency.
See also: Distracted
Driving
Original: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/08/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/08copsli.html?ref=nyregionspecial2
The New York Times By STEWART AIN
Published: June 8, 2008
Stopping
Aggressive Drivers From on High
(...) The
Long Beach police have begun cracking down on speeders and reckless
drivers
with a novel approach — stationing an officer in a utility-truck bucket
25 feet
in the air.
The
officer radios information on traffic violators he spots to three
officers on
the ground. Instead of pursuing the violators in a police car, the
officers
stop all traffic and then “surgically extricate” them from the traffic,
Lieutenant Tangney said.(...)
There were
24 fewer accidents during the first three months of this year even
though the
project did not begin until February. That was a 10 percent drop
compared with
the same period a year ago, Lieutenant Tangney said. At the same time,
he said,
the department’s 45 patrol officers have issued about 400 more traffic
summonses,
a 20 percent increase. (...)
Aggressive driving,
rapid acceleration and braking
can affect fuel mileage. By avoiding such behavior, you can see savings
up to
30 percent. That could be a savings of more than $1 per gallon. See original
article
here
From: http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=508227
Hypermiling:
the
new
way
to
save
money on the road
Rob Barrett finds driving a new kind of challenge. That's because the
Eden
Prairie dad is coasting along using a new driving trend: hypermiling.
"You take a two thousand pound car, you accelerate to 60 miles per
hours.
That's like a thousand joules of energy," Barrett said. "You just
throw it all away by putting on the brakes."
Instead, Barrett -- like other hypermilers across the country -- rely
on a
technique of coasting and little accelerating. They also use the
standby
techniques of driving the speed limit and keeping their tires inflated
to the
right pressure. The trend is getting traction, especially with rising
gas
prices. "It's only going to go up and it's not going down. If I can use
half as much it's just great," he said.
Barrett estimates he's gone from 27 miles per gallon... to 40, using
his 1999
Acura Integra, not a hybrid. That's 50 percent better gas mileage,
which is
saving him money.
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypermiler
Fuel
economy-maximizing behaviors
From Wikipedia, the
free encyclopedia
Various terms describe
drivers using unusual driving
techniques to maximize fuel efficiency. A few of these are:
·
Hypermilers
are drivers who exceed the United States
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated fuel efficiency on
their
vehicles by modifying their driving habits. The term 'hypermiler'
originated
from hybrid vehicle driving clubs and Wayne
Gerdes in
particular.[1]
As people began comparing fuel
efficiency, they noticed that by using certain driving techniques,
they
could greatly improve their mileage. With the aid of real time mileage
displays, drivers were able to refine these driving techniques and
greatly
exceed the EPA rating for their vehicle. Decades before the word
'hypermiler'
was used, the techniques were used in events such as Mobil
Economy Run dating to 1936. [2]
Gas rationing
during World
War II forced some drivers to adopt these techniques, but they
largely fell
out of favor with the population after the war. Hypermiler Wayne Gerdes
can get
59 MPG in a Honda Accord and 30 MPG in an Acura
MDX.[3]
·
Ecodriving
is a term used in Europe to name initiatives which support energy
efficient use
of vehicles. The campaigns include training courses with hands on
training -
fuel gauges etc.[citation needed]
Techniques used
to maximize fuel economy (continued)
From: http://www.wlwt.com/news/15971868/detail.html
(...) He said he would drive below the speed limit whenever he could do
so
without holding up traffic, and Engels said he doesn’t mind taking a
curious
turn or two on his way to a destination. (...) Engels is a hypermiler –
a
growing number of drivers who modify their driving habits to exceed EPA
fuel
efficiency standards for their vehicles.” (...)
Engels owns a hybrid
car that he customized with
aerodynamic hubcaps and an internal radio antenna to cut down on drag,
but he
said anyone can benefit from hypermiling. (...) “Actually, the people
that have
regular cars can turn out better percentage performance than the
hybrids do,”
he said. (...) In addition to well-known fuel-saving techniques – such
as
maintaining proper tire pressure and keeping windows rolled up and air
conditioners turned off – hypermilers try to keep their vehicles in
constant
motion. (...)
Hypermilers
driven
to
maximize
gas
mileage
Tuesday,
July 8, 2008
By IAN
HAMILTON / The Dallas Morning
News
ihamilton@dallasnews.com
Chuck
Thomas regularly putters along on the highway at 50 mph in his Honda
Insight,
swerves into turns rather than hitting the brakes, and, when nobody is
looking,
jumps from the car and pushes it into a parking space.
Video http://www.dallasnews.com/video/index.html?nvid=261252
All just
to save a little gas.
Mr. Thomas
of Lewisville belongs to an emerging subculture born of the ability to
track
gas mileage via a dashboard gauge. Hypermilers use a variety of
techniques to
maximize fuel efficiency: airing the tires up to or beyond the
recommended
pressure, forgoing air conditioning, coasting whenever possible
(sometimes with
the engine off), timing their arrivals at intersections to hit green
lights and
traveling around 50 mph on the highway.
Since he
began hypermiling, Mr. Thomas has been squeezing 85 to 90 mpg out of
his hybrid
Insight, a car rated at 53 mpg.
"Fanatic
is what the lazy call the dedicated," notes Mr. Thomas at the bottom of
his posts at CleanMPG.com, a Web site devoted to the hypermiling
community and
its fuel-efficient techniques.
Hypermilers
cite several reasons for maximizing mileage, including protecting the
environment, saving money, having fun while driving, and even
decreasing
American dependence on foreign oil.
"Hypermiling
is a little addictive," said Reid Stewart, an attorney from Irving who
started when he bought a BMW with a gas mileage gauge. "It becomes a
competition with yourself to see how well you can do."
The mpg
gauge is built into virtually every hybrid car and in many newer
gas-powered
vehicles. Most vehicles without the gauge can have one installed for
about
$150. It reveals immediately how various conditions, driving habits and
even
vehicle modifications impact gas mileage.
Depending
on the vehicle, optimal speed on the highway is around 47 to 53 mph,
according
to well-known hypermiler and Illinois resident Wayne Gerdes.
For Mr.
Stewart, the revelation came during a business trip. He was not in a
rush, so
instead of speeding along at 75 or 80 mph, he drove around 60 mph. He
boosted
gas mileage by 20 percent.
"Then
I really started paying attention to the gauge," Mr. Stewart said.
He
researched techniques and began to hypermile in the BMW. But he
realized he
wasn't using the sports car the way it was intended and traded it for a
Honda
Insight. Now he gets around 100 mpg, double the car's rated fuel
economy. He
saves substantially on gas and no longer drives aggressively.
"What
I notice is that I'm arriving at work a lot more relaxed," he said.
Not
everyone agrees that hypermiling is a great idea. Critics suggest it’s
rude,
dangerous and a hindrance to normal traffic.
Lt.
Charles Epperson with the Dallas Police Department’s traffic division
said it
is potentially hazardous to drive so far under the speed limit.
"I'd
rather see a car going down the road at the posted speed limit than
going 15 to
20 miles under the limit. It could cause a pretty massive bottleneck,"
Lt.
Epperson said.
Mr. Gerdes
said standard hypermiling practices should not aggravate other drivers
or
impede traffic. In fact, he said, hypermilers can even help regular
drivers
save gas.
He
explained that hypermilers build a large buffer between themselves and
the next
vehicle that collapses when stop-and-go traffic comes to a standstill.
If the
timing is right, traffic will be moving again by the time the car
coasts
through the buffer. This practice sets a constant traffic flow that can
improve
the fuel economy of the vehicles around them, he said.
And, he
said, the same is true about approaching red lights. Hypermilers are
practiced
in timing light changes so they can coast through green lights rather
than
stopping and starting at red ones. Other drivers slowed by hypermilers
on the
way to a red light will benefit, he said.
"If I
can hold the whole conga line back to help the entire line save fuel so
they
catch a green light, I'll do it," Mr. Gerdes said.
Jake
Fisher, senior automotive engineer at the Consumer Reports auto test
division,
said most hypermiling techniques are safe and beneficial, but some
drivers may
go too far and endanger others.
On a
Consumer Reports blog, Mr. Fisher described an episode in which he was
following a Honda Insight whose driver was hypermiling. After picking
up speed
going down a hill, the driver used the momentum to carry the car
uphill,
slowing with gravity on the way up. The driver maintained a slow speed
as the
two cars approached an intersection. The Insight missed the green but
coasted
through the red light anyway.
"You
can't be driving for sport, whether it's street racing or trying to get
the
best gas mileage," Mr. Fisher said in an interview with The Dallas
Morning
News. "Only a very small minority of them are taking [the techniques]
to
an extreme.”
Drafting,
which is driving behind another vehicle to take advantage of decreased
wind
resistance, is another way to increase gas mileage.
In 2007,
Discovery Channel's Mythbusters TV show demonstrated that driving 50
feet
behind a big rig at 55 mph improved gas mileage by about 20 percent.
The practice,
widely discussed on hypermiler forums, is generally dismissed as overly
dangerous. The hosts of the show drew the same conclusion.
Texas
Department of Public Safety Trooper Lonny Haschel said vehicles should
drive
with at least 2 seconds of stopping time between them.
"You're
trying to save gas but you're going to maybe end up paying that money
back in
hospital bills," Trooper Haschel said.
The most
dedicated hypermilers are relatively few and mostly hybrid early
adopters.
Hybrids, with their part-electric and part-gasoline engine, come
standard with
the mpg gauge and benefit most from hypermiling techniques.
Still, Mr.
Gerdes maintains 48.5 mpg in his Honda Accord and 38.5 mpg in his Ford
Ranger.
Both figures are drastic improvements from the rated economy of the
gas-powered
vehicles.
Hypermilers
do sacrifice travel time for the sake of gas mileage. In a televised
event, Mr.
Gerdes and a reporter each drove from Chicago to New York in a hybrid
Toyota
Prius. According to Mr. Gerdes, the reporter made it in 13 hours at 39
mpg. Mr.
Gerdes needed 15½ hours, but he did it on one tank of gas at 71 mpg.
"There's
a thousand reasons to choose to be a hypermiler," Mr. Gerdes said.
"There's only one reason not to, and that's: 'I've got to be there
first.'"
KEYS TO
BETTER GAS MILEAGE
Digital
mileage gauge: This device hooks into the vehicle's computer and gives
instant
feedback on fuel consumption, allowing drivers to see what practices
burn
excess fuel. It costs about $150.
Tires:
Filling tires to the recommended or maximum pressure can have a big
impact on
fuel economy. While there is less friction in a highly pressurized
tire, it
also can make the ride bumpier.
Speed:
Varying speeds can be ideal for gas mileage, but driving more than 60
mph
always decreases fuel economy substantially. Every 5 mph over 60 mph
reduces
fuel economy by the equivalent of 30 cents per gallon.
Weight:
Keep the car as light as possible. Every 100 pounds off the vehicle can
increase fuel economy by 1 percent to 2 percent.
Gas and
brake pedals: Only use the pedals when absolutely necessary, which
means
keeping an eye on the road ahead and planning your drives accordingly.
Don’t
accelerate toward a stop sign. Coming to a complete stop nets 0 miles
per
gallon, so setting a pace in a traffic crunch and timing green lights
can go a
long way toward helping gas mileage.
Sources:
fueleconomy.gov and hypermiling expert Wayne Gerdes
'Hypermiling' tricks save gas but stir
up some criticism
From: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/traffic/bal-te.hypermiling11jun11,0,4192306.story
By Liz F.
Kay and Josh Mitchell | Baltimore Sun reporters June 11, 2008
(...)
Estimates of potential savings vary, but one expert says the driver of
a
nonhybrid vehicle could improve his fuel economy 50 percent by applying
basic
tips. (...) Other hypermilers stress the environmental benefits. But
some auto
experts question the safety of advanced hypermiling techniques such as
"drafting" - closely following tractor-trailers to cut down on the
flow of air against a vehicle.
Leon James, a
University of
Hawaii professor who has written about the psychology of
driving,
said hypermiling can become a form of aggressive driving if, for
example,
drivers practice it in the fast lane, forcing others to drive around
them, or
if they coast through stop signs.
"If
you were behind someone who's practicing certain features of
hypermiling, you
get very annoyed," James said. "Hypermiling can be a selfish thing to
do."
Ed Kriston
of AAA said that the automobile group encourages gentle driving to save
gas but
discourages aggressive types of hypermiling. "Some of the things they
do
are very dangerous," he said. He pointed to drivers going below the
speed
limit on highways such as Interstate 795, where the limit is typically
higher
than those posted on most highways. (...)
The
biggest factor in getting better gas mileage is driving at a moderate
speed -
55 mph instead of 65 or 75 mph - the publication reported. When the
Toyota
Camry's cruising speed was increased from 55 to 65 mph, the car's fuel
economy
dropped from 40 mpg to 35, it reported. Other techniques include
keeping tires
properly inflated and avoiding frequent bursts of acceleration, sudden
braking,
the use of premium fuel and driving on a cold engine.
(...)
Hypermilers also use their air conditioning more efficiently, Gerdes said. He cools his car
before he
starts the engine by opening windows and doors. (...)
"I
don't go so slow that it would be annoying," said Semmes, a founder of
the
Mount Washington Green Club. He also shifts into neutral when going
downhill
and tries to get behind big trucks, although, he said, "I'm afraid to
get
too close, so I'm not sure it makes a difference." Semmes is motivated
by
his concern for the environment, but he also hypermiles, he said,
"because
it's cool." Other drivers gave various reasons for starting to slow
down.
(...)
Other drivers said the potential savings on gas wouldn't compensate for
time
lost by driving slower. "That's what old people do," said Carl
Henninger, 27, another Costco customer. "It would definitely make a
difference, but I'm not going to change my life for 50 cents a gallon."
(...)
Hypermiling
tips
•Do not idle excessively.
•Keep tires properly inflated.
•Avoid speeding.
•Warm up the engine before driving.
•Remove cargo or cargo racks to reduce weight and air resistance.
Sources: Consumer
Reports, hypermiling.com
AAA
Advises Hypermilers to Steer Clear of Dangerous Techniques
From:
http://www.localnews8.com/Global/story.asp?S=8547090&nav=menu554_2
Updated:
June 24, 2008
(...) They are referring to the measures drivers take
to conserve
fuel called "hypermilling." AAA defines it as trying to exceed a
vehicle's fuel efficiency rating by drastically modifying driving and
maintenance habits.
"The
goals of hypermiling are positive, such as eliminating
aggressive driving and saving energy," said Marshall L. Doney, AAA
Automotive vice president. "Unfortunately, some motorists have taken
their
desire to improve fuel economy to extremes with techniques that put
themselves,
as well as their fellow motorists, in danger."
Hypermiling
includes
cutting
off
the
vehicle's
engine or putting it in
neutral to coast on a roadway, tailgating or drafting larger vehicles,
rolling
through stop signs and driving at erratic and unsafe speeds. AAA says
such
actions put drivers at risk because loss of power to steering and
brakes limit
how they will react to quickly changing traffic conditions.
Doney
says these extreme driving behaviors are dangerous, and some are
illegal. There are, he says, several safe and legal techniques
motorists can
use to conserve fuel, such as smooth and easy acceleration and braking,
maintaining a steady speed, using cruise control and looking ahead to
anticipate
changing traffic conditions.
Hypermiling,
the
term
given
to
a
range of techniques whose goal is to cut
costs, may also include how motorists maintain their vehicles to obtain
optimal
fuel economy. That can include keeping tires properly inflated, which
can
improve mileage by two to three percent, according to the U.S.
Department of
Energy.
AAA
notes some drivers have taken this advice too far by over-inflating
their tires, which the Rubber Manufacturer's Association says can make
them
more susceptible to road hazard damage and result in premature wear to
the
center portion of the tread. Over-inflation can also cause handling
issues
because less tire surface is making contact with the road.
Using
the recommended grade of motor oil is also helpful in improving
fuel economy. However, some hypermilers opt to use the lowest 'weight'
oil
which has the lowest kinematic viscosity. Engineers say using too light
of oil
can cause major damage to a vehicle's engine. (...)
"We
recommend that motorists avoid jackrabbit starts and lead-foot
braking that are proven fuel wasters," said AAA Idaho spokesman Dave
Carlson. "Don't go overboard on hypermiling techniques that can hurt
you
or damage your vehicle."
When Hypermiling
Is Considered Aggressive Driving
By Dr. Leon James
6/08
Email: letters@DrDriving.org
People can be motivated to join the practice of hypermiling for many
good
reasons and motives.
For
example:
- they want to stop
wasting expensive gas
- they want to reduce
contributing to pollution
- they want to help the
nation to become less dependent on foreign oil
- they drive slower to
be less dangerous
- it gives them more
alone time in their car
- they altruistically
desire to have others get ahead of them
- they want to be able
to enjoy the scenery more
- they want to be good
driver role models to their children
- there is a police car
behind them
- and still other good
reasons
These are
all good and legitimate reasons for joining the group of hypermilers.
Now here
are some cautionary things that hypermilers should be aware of and make
them
into part of their practice. These are recommendations I have on the
basis of
the driving psychology principle that aggressive driving consists of
imposing a
level of risk on others that they are not prepared to handle.
Part of
the proper practice of hypermiling on public roads and parking lots, is
to
always take into account what is the effect of their practice on other
drivers.
We are almost never alone in public places, The way we walk and drive
has an
immediate and unavoidable impact on another pedestrian or motorist.
This is
obvious to everybody.
The
problem is that we can fabricate a justification for ignoring this
obvious
reality.
We all
need to ask ourselves some questions and especially, to practice
self-witnessing
in public places. We need to teach ourselves the skill of monitoring
how our
actions in public impact others. Take for instance the motorist we call
“the
left lane bandit.” Drivers will occupy the passing lane when there is
plenty
room and opportunity to move over into the right lane. They might
think, “It’s
OK. No one is behind me.” But then, they are not as vigilant as they
should be
for safety and courtesy. They don’t check their rear view mirror every
minute.
So when a car comes up behind them, the left lane bandits don’t see it,
or they
see it, but don’t care. They think, “Let them pass me in the right
lane. There
is plenty room. Besides, I am going at speed limit.”
Here you
can see that drivers have the habit of spontaneously fabricating
justifications
for maintaining the aggressive behavior. It is aggressive to block the
passing
lane, whatever speed one is travelling, as long as one can move over
safely,
and someone is behind wanting to go through. Not to move over is
aggressive.
Drivers know this instinctively, but if they fabricate a justification,
they
can keep themselves from moving over. The reason that not to move over
is
aggressive, is that it forces others to take more risks for themselves
and
others. It also causes them to react emotionally, unless they already
trained
themselves to handle traffic emotions appropriately. Drivers who react
emotionally to the behavior of left lane bandits, tend to execute the
passing
on the right in a flurry of counter-aggressive moves. They do it faster
than is
safe. They waste a lot more gas. They become a danger to other
motorists. They
continue venting for minutes afterward, losing their focus and
concentration.
All this is the consequence of the fabricated justification of left
lane
bandits. Aggressive driving that promotes more aggressive driving on
the road.
Now let us
look at what the hypermilers sometimes do, and what they need to avoid
doing in
order to practice safe and acceptable hypermiling on public roads.
There are
two categories of hypermiling strategies. One category involves doing
something to
the car that does not affect other drivers. These include
strategies
relating to:
- engine oil types
and amounts
- tire pressure
- cargo / load
- towing
- running electrical
accessories
- maintenance schedule
- fuel consumption
display
- others
The second
category involves doing something to one’s driving style, which always
impacts
directly on other motorists. These include strategies relating to:
- speed and speed
variation techniques
- acceleration and
deceleration pattern
- using a gradual
stepped up speed technique (“Warm up
P&G”)
- avoiding hilly terrain
- idling and warming up
the engine
- coasting
- following close in an
attempt to benefit from the “Draft-Assisted
FAS” of a car ahead of you
- others
If you Google or Yahoo hypermiling or hypermilers, you will find sites,
blogs,
and discussions that warn against driving style strategies that are
aggressive
or illegal, and those that are enthusiastic about any hypermiling
technique
that can improve one’s fuel economy (FE). This is the danger zone of
the
hypermiling practice that is spreading across the land. Current
hypermilers,
and all who join their ranks, can be practicing both types of driving
styles
without realizing it.
As an expert on driving psychology, I strongly recommend to all
hypermiling
practitioners to monitor their driving techniques to observe how they
impact
other drivers. The practice of hypermiling must contain two components:
the
motivation to improve fuel economy, and the motivation to avoid
aggressive
driving techniques. Both motives must be present.
Aggressive driving techniques by hypermilers include anything they do
which
impacts other motorists by increasing the risk to which they are
exposed by the
hypermiler.
Here are
some examples from the description
of
hypermilers. These techniques will often affect other motorists, so
that
hypermilers must monitor how their driving strategy affects the risk on
other
motorists.
- Pulse and Glide (P&G)
(e.g.,
accelerating
to
40
mph,
easing off to 25 mph, accelerating back
to 40, etc.)
- riding in the wake of
a large trailer truck at highway speeds (in FAS). It's not safe, DON'T
DO IT. We
only
mention
it
here because it is part of some hypermilers'
arsenal of tricks.
- driving with minimal
brakes, but it must be done with a good dose of common sense--it's
really not a good idea to take a 25 MPH curve at 50 trying to save gas
- looking far down the
road to anticipate traffic stoppages, sharp curves and signal changes
and begin to decelerate or coast beforehand
- driving very close to
the outside edge of the road in order to keep the vehicle's tires out
of the slight depressions (ruts) worn into the road surface by the
constant pounding of daily traffic
- when parking, locating
a spot that is on a bit of a slope, and then using gravity to help get
the vehicle moving from standstill
- etc.
These
techniques can be aggressive and annoying. Driving in a way that annoys
other
motorists is to contribute to a risk hazard. For instance, “ridge
riding” involves the practice of driving very close to the outside
edge of
the road in order to keep the vehicle's tires out of the slight
depressions (ruts)
worn into the road surface by the constant pounding of daily traffic.
This may
seem innocuous when you’re alone on the road, but if you’re driving in
traffic
drivers behind you have to readjust to seeing your car slightly off
center,
which is not what they normally expect. It reduces predictability and
introduces some confusion.
Here are
two recent email messages I received from hypermiling enthusiasts:
I've been reading
through your site, and I feel it
is very good. My nature is to try to agree with people and to delve
into the
reasons why they say what they do.
One example from your
writings involves letting a
person in who is trying to merge with traffic. An inexperienced
hypermiler
might be intent on maintaining exactly 57.3 mph or some other speed in
order to
maximize their mpg. Yes, I would consider this a form of "aggressive"
driving and would not condone it. I try to pick up merging traffic as
soon as
possible. If they are not moving in my windshield, I know we are on a
collision
course, so I will adjust my speed (usually slower for hypermiling) in
order to
let them in without conflict. I don't expect a wave of appreciation as
it
happens so early, they would not perceive that I did let them in. It
will
actually improve my mileage as hypermiling adjustments must be very
subtle or
it ruins my mpg. Far better to make a relaxed adjustment early than an
abrupt
one later.
Our concern as
hypermilers is that we are being
portrayed in the media as crazy drafters (we don't condone drafting
closer than
3 or 4 seconds) or selfish people who don't care if we block traffic in
order
to get the best mpg. The reality is that we get the best mpg when we
become a
part of the traffic flow in a way that the fewest number of people have
to make
abrupt changes.
Yesterday, I took a 15
mile ride around town
pretending a hostile reporter was in the right seat and would report
everything
I did to inconvenience others. I found that I never needed to go slowly
to
enhance my mpg at a time when it would inconvenience others. In order
to be a
good hypermiler in the city, it's imperative to get in those spaces
between the
packs that form at lights. If someone from the trailing pack is
catching me,
that means I'm going too slowly to get a green light at the next
intersection
and I speed up.
This type of driving is new to many people and mistakes will be made. Hopefully, you will become accepted among hypermilers as a source of information that can help us out. I'll do my best to understand your point of view. Meanwhile, I'd suggest you give the slow acceleration, constant speed, anticipating lights way of driving which forces intent concentration on traffic patterns in all directions and then perhaps, you will understand our point of view.
Sincerely,
Gary Thaller (“Gershon”)
And the
second message:
Dr. James,
This week, the
Baltimore Sun had two hypermiling
articles...the first one was clearly anti-hypermiling. After visiting www.drdriving.org and a
second read,
I strongly suspect your quote in the article was taken out of context
to
promote the reporter's bias.
The quote was:
"hypermiling can be a form of
aggressive driving". This can be true, but the vast majority of
hypermilers are working hard to also be courteous while driving -
something we
promote at www.cleanmpg.com .
There were
many things in that article dissing hypermiling. Numerous article over
hype the
rare practice of drafting semis...I suspect this is partially due to
reporters
copying earlier articles on the topic (which it was mentioned), it's an
attention-getter, and simply a dislike for non-aggressive driving. In
general,
I have found a number of speeders angered by the mere fact someone is
going
under the speed limit. For instance - I leave before rush hour in
Dallas going
50 in a 60 with three lanes. I'll be in the rightmost lane, but someone
going
so fast they obviously never behind me will blast their horn. In rush
hour I'd
adjust, BTW.
At www.cleanmpg.com,
we do promote defensive driving
and to do what we can to pursue better fuel economy with annoying
drivers
behind us.
Sincerely,
Chuck Thomas aka Delta Flyer at www.cleanmpg.com
Dr. James,
Thank you for your reply. To briefly describe what hypermilers are
doing.
The community of hypermilers I know and converse with at
www.cleanmpg.com do
whatever we can do to stay out of the way of faster drivers while
attempting to
go farther. Tactics include avoiding rush hour, choosing less congested
roads
when available, driving on the rightmost lane, on freeways taking the
access
road between intersections, putting the emergency flashers on as a
would be
tailgater is approaching (a tremendous stress reducer!), allowing
others to
pass whenever possible. In heavy traffic situations, I will speed up if
necessary.
If a hypermiler fails to do what was just described, then he would be
inconsiderate and probably the variation of an aggressive driver as
quoted in
the Baltimore Sun. The basic issue with that article's general tone to
all but
the careful reads made it seem like you said "hypermilers are
inconsiderate drivers" when you actually said "hypermilers could be
inconsiderate/selfish drivers". Again, I apologize for being a bit too
quick. Yes, a hypermiler could poke in the fast lane or HOV lane, go
20mph
slower than the traffic immediately around them, roll through stop
signs, hold
up traffic. All of those actions are inconsiderate and are discouraged
at www.cleanmpg.com.
Beyond the article, I have found both on the road and whenever netizens
can
comment to any hypermiling article that aggressive drivers simply hate
hypermilers - strong statement, but google one up and it will be
obvious.
Several personal theories. One is speeders probably feel more secure in
packs -
if the 90% of drivers speeding start to observe the postings, the
remaining
speeders are going to be much easier to pullover. Guilt is another pet
theory.
I liken this to the "sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll" dudes giving the
preacher's kid a hard time because the mere presence of a clean cut
person
makes them uncomfortable....got stories of hybrid drivers getting
hostile looks
at the gas station from others filling up gas guzzlers, occasionally
taking it
to the freeway as road rage.
Finally, some read politics into hypermiling and hybrids to an absurd
degree...if you took that "your ride reflects your
politics/religion/orientation" - I'd definitely be driving a one ton
pickup truck, but I chose my Honda Insight for pragmatism and economics
instead.
Sincerely,
Chuck Thomas
Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 19:52:05 -0700 (PDT)
From: Gershon ben Franja <gershon_ben_franja@yahoo.com>
Subject: bumper stickers
Leon,
I am reading your site a lot, which is a good thing. In the past couple
of
weeks, I've noticed a big change in traffic patterns. Hypermilers are
common in
the right lane. Probably most of them don't know the term, but people
are
slowing well before red lights. This is making traffic much smoother in
the
city as it avoids what I call the "bump and go" at a red light.
Instead of everyone coming to a stop at the light, people are coasting,
so when
it changes they are able to go through. It seems to be much more
efficient.
Nobody seems to tailgate those slowing early. In fact, people seem to
recognize
that keeping about 2 -4 second spacing will make it better for them.
So, I
think hypermiling is a good thing for the city.
I've also noticed a LOT of people turning off their engines at lights.
There is
no problem with anyone getting started in time. So that's a good thing.
The
interstate is a different story. Most of the problems seem to be caused
by
trucks that can't accelerate to pass and don't want to waste gas by
slowing.
This is creating more bottlenecks around trucks. It's not so much the
truck, as
it is the person behind the truck who waits until they are right upon
it before
wanting to pass. Now people in the left lane are hesitant to pass
because the
stuck person might pull out.
There is also more traffic on the interstate as people spend more time
there
with the average speed being slower. In time, I think this issue will
work
itself out as people get used to it. Country roads are empty. Last
night I rode
my bike 35 miles on a mountain road and didn't see a single vehicle
coming the
opposite direction. Sometimes we will have different opinions on
things. I saw
this quote from you:
"Leon James, a noted
expert
on driving psychology and road rage, says people who act on their road
rage
tend to express their emotional territoriality more than others,
something that
could easily translate to the purchase of "overt" vehicle adornments.
"Anything you put on your car is aggressive because it forces other
people
to look at it," says James, a professor at the University of Hawaii.
"Drivers aren't out on the road to read your message."
Nobody can force me to
do anything. If I am not in a
place where I can read a bumper sticker, I don't read it. I think
billboards
are the same way. Anyway, not a big deal, but the funniest one I saw
was
"The closer you get, the slower I go." I think we'd agree this one is
aggressive. On tailgating. In my car, I've found a very effective way
of
dealing with tailgaters. I find that if I slow ever so slightly to
where they
would hardly notice and then accelerate about 5 mph they pretty much
stay back.
I seldom get tailgated as I find people tend to mimic the spacing the
car ahead
of them has. If I don't tailgate, I don't get tailgated.
Gershon
Quoting
Comments on Hypermiling from readers on various sites (6-11-08):
(…) It’s not acceptable to go five under because most people are on the
road to
get somewhere, not to extend their fuel range. The hypermilers become
moving
roadblocks. They have noble intentions, but they’re practically
off-base. I
would suggest that instead of playing the high-mileage game with their
cars,
they might just try riding the train or the bus. (…)
Posted
by
Brandon
You are most definitely right that going slow is not socially
acceptable. Cars
moving quickly don’t force anyone to speed up, however cars going
slowly force
everyone behind them to go slow. If you insist on going slow then use
surface
streets, and if you go too slow for surface streets use residential
streets.
Posted
by
Mike
B
Getting up to the speed of traffic in a timely manner is basic human
decency.
If you pull out of a driveway or turn from an intersecting street and
proceed
to coast along 15 mph under the limit, forcing cars behind you to jump
on their
brakes, you’re causing traffic snarls — not to mention potential
accidents. If
even 10% of the cars on the road insist on coasting around well under
the speed
of traffic, we’re all going to spend so much time idling in traffic
jams that
all energy-saving measures are moot.
When I get trapped behind one of these people, I often can’t even
change lanes
safely, because cars will be approaching from behind so quickly that I
can’t
see them until they’re already dangerously close. I want to be okay
with people
driving under the speed limit, but I can’t figure out how to
accommodate them
without endangering myself.
Posted
by
EAS
Hypermiling might be fine, but when you become a moving roadblock and
are doing
less than the speed limit, plus coasting you incite roadrage in the
people
behind you. Take that guy in the large SUV that now is pissed and wants
to pass
you. You may be getting 60 mpg’s out of your Prius by coasting and
driving 5
mph under, but when he gets a chance to pass you he’s gonna floor that
beast
and eeek out maybe 8 mpg’s. So what you’re conserving in gas he’s
consuming.
The end result: All that hypermiling you just did was for nothing.
At least obey the speed limits and don’t go pissing off those large
SUV’s. And
if you’re gonna do it on the interstate get ALL the way over to the
right hand
lane!!!
Posted
by
Capt.
Concernicus
I really do wish, though, that those who are driving below the speed
limit would
move to the right rather than sitting out in a left or middle lane.
They really
just don’t seem to get that they are causing danger by messing up the
traffic
flow as others try to get around them. They *also* seem oblivious to
the fact
that cars bunching up behind them isn’t particularly safe, either.
Posted
by
jen
l
To posters 2 and 3, they are proof that it is not socially acceptable.
The
problem (for them) is that it is perfectly legal. It’s true that most
people
“are on the road to get somewhere,” but that does not somehow mean that
they
have the right to force other people to get there at the same speed.
There is
nothing wrong with driving 5 under the speed limit when the only
minimum speed
limits I have ever seen on a highway are 20 below.
This is the same type of argument given by people who try to run
cyclists off
the road in town. a Bicycle has every right to drive in the road at 15
mph,
even if someone behind them is trying to “get somewhere”.
Posted
by
Kwali
Before deciding what to make of “hypermiling”, I actually spent time on
the web
site, and discovered that they do NOT condone drafting other vehicles
and/or
coasting with the engine off. It appears from their blogs that a just a
few try
it, but most stick with safer techniques. What I see is mostly sensible
things
like keeping the car tuned up, not exceeding the speed limit, and
avoiding
jackrabbit starts/stops. Therefore, I conclude that these folks are
making our
roads safer, and not more hazardous.
Posted
by
Kenneth
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The New
Practice of Hypermiling –
The Philosophy Behind the Hypermiling Driving Style
and
The War
Between Hypermilers and Non-Hypermilers
By Dr.
Leon James
DrDriving.org July 2008
If you
observe motorists at traffic lights you notice that a hypermiling
driving style is being practiced by
more and more drivers. They coast towards the intersection, slowing
down
earlier, gradually decreasing speed, instead of the usual way, which is
to
approach the intersection at the rate of travel, then more or less
abruptly,
putting on the brakes. This usual technique uses up more gas. Any time
you
apply the brakes, you are “wasting” gas – this is the central
motivating idea
of the hypermiler’s philosophy of driving. It’s an attitude that leads
more
drivers to shut off their engine while “sitting” at a red light.
One practitioner
recently wrote to me in an email: “Hypermiling changes a person
psychologically
into being more relaxed while driving.”
To
hypermilers, doing hypermiling has become a special driving identity.
“Yesterday, I was
watching traffic approaching a red
light. Out of maybe 50 cars that I watched, only 2 didn't slow down
early. I
was also sitting at a red light and noticed several people had their
engines
shut off. I saw an elderly grandmother type do a perfect coast to a
light last
week. She seemed to be an expert.”
As this
comment illustrates, hypermilers admire each other’s “expertise” in the
skills
of fuel-efficiency-conscious
driving. A well documented hypermiling practitioner’s
Web site has replied to
recent news stories reporting criticisms by safety officials of
hypermiling
strategies.
You can
see the article here: http://www.cleanmpg.com/cmps_index.php?page=AAA
Quoting:
“CleanMPG stresses that beginning Hypermilers should add only one new
method at
a time, if necessary testing at low speeds in an empty parking lot or
on a
deserted back road, and should never try anything they feel will be
unsafe. In
Hypermiling , the driver exercises the same discretion required in all
driving.
Going 65mph may be deemed “safe” on a highway with a 65mph limit, but
not in a
mall parking lot, or for that matter on the same highway in rain or
snow.
Hypermilers drive more safely than today's average US driver because
(a) they
do not drive at speeds above the posted speed limits, (b) they focus
intently
on the road and traffic conditions around them, and (c) they keep to
the right
hand lane.”
Now this
is what I would call good hypermiling
practices.
Others
include:
(1) smooth and gentle
acceleration and braking
(2) maintaining a
steady speed
(3) using cruise
control
(4) looking ahead to
anticipate changing traffic
conditions.
The
article also mentions techniques that I would call bad
hypermiling practices, such as,
(1) not keeping to the
right
(2) rolling through
stop signs and red lights
(3) drafting or
tailgating
The CleanMPG Website
article
defends good hypermiling practices: “Over the past few years, reporters
from
respected institutions such as CBS, ABC, Dan Rather Reports, and other
regional
as well as local news outlets have gone on "ride-a-longs" or
Hypermiling Clinics with various CleanMPG members to experience
Hypermiling
firsthand. None of them stated either in person or in their reports
that they
found the methods hazardous but all witnessed respective fuel economy
increases
of as much as 100%!”
Gary
Thaller (“Gershon”) wrote to me in an email:
“Perhaps
if you are going to be giving interviews on hypermilers, you should try
to
become one. Then you will see the psychological changes it brings about
for
you. They may be different than for others. You may see it as a way of
toning
down aggressive riding by substituting a different form of
competiveness. For
example: One might smirk when they catch a racer at the next lght.
Another
might not care or even notice. The external actions are the same, but
the
intrinsic motivation is different.
If one
stereotypes the type of people who become hypermilers, it gives a
perception of
a limitation to those who can start doing it. For example: To run in
the
Olympics, one needs a certain level of
ability. But as is seen in the NYC Marathon every year, even a very
handicapped
person can be a runner. One may not have the desire to implement all
the
techniques in the way an Olympic runner does, but they can still
hypermile at
the level they are capable of doing.
There is a
buffet of techniques. I'd suggest a person pick one, say coasting to
lights
instead of keeping speed up and braking late. Try it until it seems
natural and
then try another one.”
As you can
see, hypermiling has become a new social community of
practice on the roads and streets of America. They
have their own new standards of “good driving.” Drivers who “waste” gas
are not
considered good drivers. New fuel efficiency standards have become an
important
measure of driving excellence. It’s not enough any more to merely meet
fuel
efficiency standards recommended by the vehicle manufacturer. Those are
set too
low, way too low, according to hypermiling standards.
Now
From the Perspective of the Drivers Behind the Hypermilers
Not hypermiling is also a social practice in the driving
community on the roads.
Before the
great gas price hikes, when gas was esteemed “affordable,” hypermiling
was not
known as a community of practice. And yet, as an illustration, I know
that my
wife was taught to drive by her father in the 1960s and he taught her
that the
gas pedal should not be used more than is necessary, like a “led foot,”
and
that coasting was a good and smart thing to do whenever possible.
Meanwhile
the generation of drivers around did not get or heed this message. With
gas
cheap and car maintenance affordable, a new driving practice evolved,
which can
be called the emotional
use of the gas pedal. It became an
unconscious thing to do for all “normal average” drivers. I have
observed that drivers
today commonly use the gas pedal to reduce traffic frustrations.
Many
motorists love to hear the roar of their own engines, and love to
experience
the thrill of acceleration, straight ahead, or around the bend. It
feels like a
great relief. This relief is an emotional relief. The good feeling is
attached
to the foot. We begin to love that pedal. We play footsie with it. We
press it,
and the mechanical monster whirls, roars, and bounces in a faithful
dependable
response. We are in love with it. It is possessing power in a world in
which we
have but little, and in which we get tossed around. But the gas pedal
gives us
power, for a nice change. The gas pedal puts us in charge of things, of
how the
vehicle is to move and locomote, and even fly (for brief miliseconds
anyway).
I observed
that when drivers encounter a “left lane bandit” who just refuses to
move over,
even when being tailgated, they drive around the car in the right lane,
as they
have no other choice, but they do so by flooring the gas pedal, or
using it
more than is required for passing. This fuel inefficient maneuver is an
emotional defense mechanism, to relieve the negative and explosive
traffic
emotions occasioned in us by the inconsiderateness of the
passive-aggressive
driving style of the left lane bandit. We feel inner road rage, and
this
dangerous traffic emotion is released in a less harmful manner than
gesturing,
yelling, or cutting off. The emotional use of the gas pedal may save
the
rageful driver from something much worse and unsafe.
Another
common instance of the emotional use of the gas pedal is to accelerate
and
decelerate abruptly whenever some blockage to forward motion is
experienced –
slower moving vehicle, slow moving pedestrians, traffic lights, stop
signs, on
ramps, construction zones, coned merge areas, back-ups, -- and now
hypermilers.
More on
the emotional use of the gas pedal in a Section earlier above...
Hypermilers and
non-hypermilers have
evolved into two road user communities that are in conflict with each
other
behaviorally, emotionally, politically, socially, and morally.
Their driving
values clash. Their driving attitudes
do not fit together smoothly. Their traffic thoughts are contrastive.
Their
driving goals are dissimilar. Their vehicular behaviors are mutually
antagonistic.
How is the
non-hypermiling driver behind the hypermiler driver, going to
experience the
vehicle mediated contact?
I have
been studying traffic emotions and traffic thoughts for three decades.
I can
predict that the war between hypermilers and non-hypermilers is going
to heat
up in the entire range of the driving community – motorists, safety
officials,
government agencies, advocacy groups, online discussion groups, blogs,
and Web
sites. We don’t want to follow in the footsteps of the terrible war
between motorists
and bicylcists.
Right now
there is still the possibility of a resolution, of peace, between these
two
groups gearing up for highway warfare. Hypermilers and non-hypermilers
need to
develop a feeling of mutual respect. Non-hypermilers can admire the
tenacity
and expertise with which hypermilers perform their fuel efficiency
strategies.
This requires strong motivation for persisting and being good at it.
Americans
can admire that. Non-hypermilers can learn some of the techniques used
by
hypermilers. It’s a good thing if we drive with less acceleration and
more
situational awareness. Crashes at lower speeds are far easier to
recover from.
Distracted driving is lethal to thousands every year. Hypermilers
prompt us to
stay more focused on the driving task itself. It remains the main thing
to do
when driving, instead of dividing attention by multi-tasking with
things not
directly relevant to driving.
But for
non-hypermilers to learn to respect and appreciate hypermilers, they
need to
experience hypermilers as considerate. This is critical. In the online
culture
of hypermiling, I found little emphasis or awareness of strategies,
techniques,
and driving styles that monitor and moderate the effect hypermiling has
on the
other motorists. This is then a psychological problem between the two
camps on
the road. For the sake of peace and safety, hypermiling communities
need to
step up their practices in the area of driver to driver influences.
How one
driver acts impacts on hundreds of other drivers. We all know this, but
few of
us have made it into a focus area for observation while we are on the
road and
in parking lots. Situational awareness
must include
conditions, vehicles and drivers.
One of the
safest ways to drive is in convoys, with vehicles around you that
travel at the
same speed, and maintain a relatively safe four-second interval between
cars.
This style of driving makes events predictable, so that mistakes are
avoidable
or correctable, as long as the driver is focused and not distracted by
other
in-car activities.
What is
Your mental driving economy?
What things do you keep track of when driving?
What is your situational awareness?
Do you
Practice the Emotional Use of the Gas Pedal?
1. When
the light turns red on me just as I get there, I feel depressed for a
few
seconds.
2. When I
just make the light, I feel elated.
3. When a
slower driver blocks my way, I get enraged with impatience and
disapproval.
4. When
the slower driver blocks the passing lane, I feel outrage and
condemnation.
5. When I
get to work in less time than my average, I feel elated and competent.
6. When
the lane I am in is slower than the other lane, I feel like I am being
cheated
or that I have chosen the wrong lane.
7. When
...
Let me know what else you do as a driver that pertains to how you keep
track of
other drivers in relation to you. Why do you do that? Email DrDriving
See also
this news interview: starbulletin.com/2000/11/10/features/story1.html
For
comments, email Dr. Leon James letters@drdriving.org
Date: Fri,
11 Jul 2008
From:
gershon_ben_franja@yahoo.com
Leon, I
think many of your concerns are based on what you feel hypermiling is
rather
than what it actually is. Slow starts: The most efficient load factor
to
accelerate on an engine is 50 to 80% of capacity. A hypermiling start
done
correctly may actually be a bit faster than traffic around us.
Pulse and
glide: This is something unique to the hybrids. It really doesn't work
on a
regular car. A variation does work. Getting up to speed going uphill
and
pushing in the clutch going downhill in places you can maintain speed.
A person
behind me would never notice what I'm doing.
Left lane
hogs: Yes, people do this, but this is not hypermiling. It's a lack of
consideration. Being polite to other drivers is a huge part of
hypermiling.
Coasting:
If I can't maintain speed coasting, it's more efficient to use a light
touch on
the gas pedal and maintain speed. If I'm coasting to a light, people
seldom
come closer to me here. Coasting to lights seems to be the norm here.
It's rare
to see cars more than 2 or 3 deep at the busiest red light. Just a
month ago,
they were 10 deep. I get a chuckle when I plan to start a coast a bit
later due
to approaching traffic from the rear and they slow down before I do.
However,
if I'm on a 2 lane road doing the speed limit and someone wants to go
faster,
legally, I can't exceed the speed limit. It's something the speeder is
going to
have to deal with. Surprisingly, I'm more often the one being held up
than the
one holding up traffic. I simply adjust my technique a little and it's
no big
deal. On the use of the word "convoy." Perhaps a third word could be
chosen as the word convoy may also have a negative connotation due to
the
movie. It hints at aggression. It's something I see mostly on the
interstate
where a homogenous streem of traffic forms in the right lane with
people
content to maintain whatever the stream does. It's usually led by a
Swift truck
(whose speed is governed at 64 mph) or one of the other usually led by
a Swift
truck (whose speed is governed at 64 mph) or one of the other carriers
that
govern the speed.
When I
started riding the bike, I noticed that if I did 65 in the right lane,
traffic
was much smoother than it was at 75. People realized they have to pass
me
sooner and move left. Since they are going 75, they get by me quickly
and don't
clog things up. The traffic pattern becomes more hazardous if I do 75
in the
right lane. However, if I do 60, then people overtake too quickly, slow
down,
and then possibly get blocked by the person behind them creating a
mess.
So, I am
against going 15 below the speed limit unless traffic is already moving
at that
speed due to congestion.
I'd really
like to see any terminology relating to war not used. I don't see any
war on
the roads here. I see people just trying to get someplace, some driving
differently than others. To me, it's more like a complex video game
than a war.
Other traffic is simply part of the terrain I need to navigate through
in the
safest way possible while still saving gas. However, if you personally
consider
that there is a war going on, you will find there is a war going on. I
prefer
to feel I'm at peace with those around me, and I find people around me
act
peacefully.
Gershon
Date: Mon, 14 Jul 2008
From: Gershon ben Franja gershon_ben_franja@yahoo.com
Subject: Hypermiling videos
Leon, You said in a
previous post that hypermilers
need to examine their effects on traffic around them. Yesterday, I rode
the
bike to Ft. Collins and back a distance of about 370 miles round trip
on the
interstate. I video'ed the whole thing and made shorter videos of the
more
interesting parts. The first video is an area of moderate traffic with
2 lanes.
of traffic. The speed limit was 75. I was doing 65 through most of the
video
following a truck pulling a 5th wheeler about 5 or 6 seconds behind me.
This is
a good distance as I can see ahead far enough to avoid an obstacle that
might
pass under the vehicle ahead of me. It also gives a vehicle to the left
a place
to go through for an exit. Notice how smoothly the traffic flows
throughout the
whole video. There isn't any severe tailgating and no weaving. Here is
the
video:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=q8AT339vUhc
The second video is through Denver with multiple lanes. The speedlimit
was 55
or 60,
depending on where I was. I maintained 55 in the right lane when able
or one
over from
the right lane if the right lane was exit only.
Notice the right lane was the only lane doing the speed limit. All the
lanes to
my left
were braking the law. However, traffic was moving smoothly. Each
vehicle tended
to pick
the lane that was going their speed and staying in it.
The video is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWlxtNjR0G4
You made this statement on your webpage:
"Hypermilers and non-hypermilers have evolved into two road user
communities that are
in conflict with each other behaviorally, emotionally, politically,
socially,
and
morally.
Their driving values clash. Their driving attitudes do not fit together
smoothly. Their
traffic thoughts are contrastive. Their driving goals are dissimilar.
Their
vehicular
behaviors are mutually antagonistic."
I don't see just two communities here. I see one for each lane and
various
subcommunities in each lane. However, I don't see any conflict
whatsoever. I
didn't see
a single incident of road rage yesterday although I did see one glaring
error.
But it
was just that, a mistake.
The videos together run about 18 minutes. If you have any comments,
please
include the
time on the video.
Now, consider what might happen if the faster traffic became
hypermilers. They
would
move right and the right lane would fill up. When following distances
got too
close,
people would slow down, and some would move to the second lane which
would also
go
slower than before.
However, this would leave more
room in the lanes further to the
left for people to go faster.
"Hypermilers and non-hypermilers have evolved into two road user
communities that are
in conflict with each other behaviorally, emotionally, politically,
socially,
and
morally."
Their driving values clash. Their driving attitudes do not fit together
smoothly. Their
traffic thoughts are contrastive. Their driving goals are dissimilar.
Their
vehicular
behaviors are mutually antagonistic."
I'd perhaps change the statement a bit. Hypermilers and others seem to
have two
different goals. One likes to go slow, one likes to go faster.
Surprisingly,
the needs
of both are being met. As the hypermilers move right and maintain a
steady
speed in the
left, resisting the urge to pass to gain a small advantage, others are
given
more space
to go faster. Instead of a war, it seems to be a mutually beneficial
relationship.
Selected
Google Results for Hypermiling 6/08
Hypermiling Becoming More
Popular as Gas Prices Rise : TreeHugger
It's
really no surprise that the combination of
various gas-saving techniques known collectively as 'hypermiling'
are
getting
more
attention
these
days with ...
www.treehugger.com/files/2008/05/hypermiling-mpg-fuel-economy-gas-prices.php
COPING WITH GAS PRICES
Canada.com, Canada - 3 hours
ago
To accomplish the latter, many drivers are adopting a set of techniques
collectively known as "hypermiling," or ecodriving. Hypermiling, a
term coined by ...
How some are trying to ease the pain The
Gazette
(Montreal)
Gas prices skyrocket overnight across Canada Canada.com
all 22 news articles »
100 - count 'em -
suggestions for hypermiling - AutoblogGreen
... Even veteran hypermilers will probably find something worth
remembering in
this list of 100 ways to increase a vehicle's miles per gallon. ...
www.autobloggreen.com/2008/03/11/100-count-em-suggestions-for-hypermiling/
Helping the
consumer
overcome the rising price of fuel
CJAD, Canada - Jun 8,
2008
Driving less is hardly an option for some people, so they're turning to
a set
of techniques known as HYPERMILING, or ecodriving. Basic hypermiling
practices
...
Fuel economy-maximizing behaviors -
Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia
Hypermilers are drivers who exceed the United States Environmental
Protection
Agency (EPA) estimated fuel efficiency on their vehicles by drastically
...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypermiler
The Ultimate
Guide to Hypermiling: 100 Driving and Car Tips
and ...
Hypermiling, or driving your car in a manner that maximizes mileage,
has become
more popular among drivers worldwide, as concerns over ...
www.gasolinecreditcards.com/.../04/the-ultimate-guide-to-hypermiling-100-driving-and-car-tips-and-resources/
How to Become a Hypermiler - Instructables - DIY, How
To, ride ...
The best way to save on fuel is to not use it at all - ride a bike, use
mass
transportation, etc. However, there is a rather large subset of the
popul...
www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Become-a-Hypermiler/
Want to improve your car's gas mileage? Try 'hypermiling'
ABC15.com
(KNXV-TV), AZ - May 27,
2008
The cost of a gallon of gas has increased and so too has the popularity
of
so-called hypermiling. Hypermiling is essentially driving your car as
efficiently ...
Beat High Gas Prices By Hypermiling MyFox
Phoenix
all 3 news articles »
Hypermilers take extreme measures to stretch fuel
CTV.ca, Canada - May 18,
2008
The elder statesman of a group of fuel misers known as hypermilers,
Gerdes is
obsessed with fuel consumption. He is driven, so to speak, by the urge
to go
...
CleanMPG,
An authoritative source on fuel economy and hypermiling
This discussion forum is dedicated to increasing fuel economy, mileage
( MPG ),
and lowering emissions of whatever automobile you own and drive.
www.cleanmpg.com/
Hypermiling - The new menace on the road?:
Consumer Reports Cars
Blog
In fact, sites like Hypermiling.com and cleanmpg.com promote many safe
and
effective ways to maximize fuel economy. But you should always be
courteous to
...
blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2008/05/hypermiling.html
This is a forum dedicated to discuss Hypermiling techniques, tips, and
ideas to
increase Gas Mileage (MPG), Gas Savers, and Fuel Economy regardless of
what ...
www.hypermilingforum.com/
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From:
http://editorial.autos.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=445065
Whether
you like it or not, your vehicle choice oftentimes speaks volumes about
who you
are.
(...)
Matter
Over Mind
For more than 20
years, Dr. Leon
James at the
University of Hawaii has researched and taught the psychology of
driving. In
our car culture, James says, drivers idealize their rides and even lend
them
human qualities. Under hypnosis, drivers will refer to their car as if
it were
a friend or lover. In everyday life, owners name their cars and talk to
them.
And whether the car is
racy or outdoorsy, owners
seek attributes that mirror their self-image. "People construct an
ideal
in their mind of the perfect car, and those attributes are transferred
to its
driver as well," James said, noting how negatively we associate the
drivers of dilapidated or dirty cars. Some of us get so offended we'll
deliver
a hand-scrawled scolding, strangely written from the car's point of
view: Wash
Me. (...)
See this
article on DrDriving: Moving
Relationships Befriending the Automobile to Relieve Anxiety Jameson
M.
Wetmore http://www.drdriving.org/misc/anthropomorph.html
Excerpts:
"Interacting
with an automobile as though it were human opens up a way of
conceptualizing
its "incomprehensible" mechanical problems and offers a method of
communicating with an automobile that is understandable to people who
are more
comfortable with human interactions. This relationship, in turn, is
occasionally used as a way to calm a person when the driving situation
appears
dangerous. Thinking of the driving process as a team effort helps give
the
driver the confidence that often results when more than one person is
working
together toward the same goal. Conceiving of an automobile as a
friendly
companion is a method many people use to assimilate the sometimes
troubling
technology into their everyday lives. (...)
In this
paper I will argue that anthropomorphism is a method some people have
used in
similar negotiations with their automobiles. Even though the automobile
has
attained closure in the United States as the predominant method of
vehicular
travel, individuals who use them must still assimilate them on a
personal
level. Because automobiles are a source of anxiety for many people,
this is not
always a simple process. Not all automobiles are the flawless, shiny
objects
that are sometimes discussed in automotive histories. They are just as
often a
ten-year-old hand-me-down station wagon that doesn’t always start when
it
rains. Cars have the potential to break down at inopportune times,
perhaps
leaving the driver in a dangerous place or causing him or her to be
late for an
important occasion. In addition they are sometimes dangerous to use.
Car
crashes claim the lives of tens of thousands of Americans each year.
When these
fears are overwhelming, it can be difficult for a person to use an
automobile.
Conceiving of a car as a companion can help mediate these concerns and
make it
easier for a person to use. The ability for individuals to use a car
with
relatively little stress helps give automobiles the predominant place
they hold
in American culture today. (...)
One man I
interviewed addressed the difference between cars that are liked and
those that
are disliked when he reflected on the one car he had not named: "I
wanted
to name it, but it had no personality. It was a 78 Brown VW Dasher.
Nothing
stuck. It never had enough personality. My girlfriend at the time
proposed
‘Maxime,’ but I didn’t have enough affection for it, so it didn’t
deserve a
name." (...)
The
personalities these people developed for their automobiles were quite
varied.
Some spoke of their cars as sprightly and fun while others regarded
their cars
as slothful or weak. But most of their descriptions revolved around
their car’s
reliability. Sometimes this was an explicit part of their vision, at
other
times implicit, but it was always an integral part of their vision of
their
car’s human characteristics. Quite often, the owner’s conception of
their car’s
personality was expressed in terms of its quirks and idiosyncrasies.
These
traits, whether the result of miles and miles of use or a manufacturing
mistake, were explained as the primary way an owner can see his or her
car
interacting with him or her.
For
instance, in a 1918 journal, MIT Professor Walter James reflected on
his
experiences with "Lisize="3ie," his Model T: "In these
chronicles I have remarked that the Ford is inclined to have a mind of
its own,
and to exhibit that mind at most unpleasant times and in most
unexpected ways,
stopping dead without apparent reason, standing still in the face of
all kinds
of persuasion and abuse, then, when good and ready, starting off
again."
All of the car’s idiosyncrasies are described as a manifestation of it
being
"Lisize="3ie" and having a personality. (...)
Nearly all
of the people interviewed attributed a specific gender to their
automobile.
This was often an intricate part of the personality they envisioned
their car
as having. They often displayed this attribution in the gender specific
name
they gave their automobile and also by referring to their car as
"him" or "her." In most cases this attribution was a
conscious act and in describing the personality of their car, many of
the
interviewees made references to what they themselves termed "gender
stereotypes."
One
family, for instance, has given all their cars masculine names except
one. Why?
"Because the older cars were all masculine. They had speed and power,
so
they were masculine." In the early 80s, the mother of the otherwise
all-male family argued that women were underrepresented in the family
and they
needed to give a car a female name. Their next purchase was a white
Chevrolet
Citation compact they named "Cindy." The car’s "check
engine" light kept coming on and they kept taking it to the dealer for
service.
The dealer found nothing wrong with the car, but they decided it was
not worth
the hassle, so they returned the car and purchased another. They
discovered
later that the car’s engine exploded a month after they returned it. As
the
mother of the family tells the story, her husband and son "decided that
females were too temperamental" and they did not want to give another
car
a feminine name. When asked if their outlook had changed in fifteen
years, they
said that the mother was interested in purchasing a Cavalier, another
compact
Chevrolet, with a sunroof. The husband argued that "we can have a
female
name for that, or a wimpy male name." The wife questioned if this would
ever happen, arguing that her husband likes V8s, and she did not
believe they would
give a feminine name to a car with such a powerful engine. (...)
Continues
here: http://www.drdriving.org/misc/anthropomorph.html
Your Car's
Personality Reveals a
Secret
Who knew? Cars may be
inanimate objects, but they
have personalities. The characteristics you give your car--from gender
to a
name--reveal a secret about you, specifically your propensity for road
rage.
Colorado
State University psychology professor Jacob Benfield says knowing the
personality of drivers' cars is a better indicator of how aggressive
they will
be on the road than knowing the drivers' own personalities, reports The
Washington Post.
In this
survey of 204 college students, all of whom owned a car, Benfield
assessed the
degree to which the students gave their cars human characteristics. The
results
were similar to previous research:
- About 50 percent
thought of their car as masculine or feminine.
- About 25 percent named
their cars.
Each
student took a personality test that measured his or her propensity
toward road
rage and aggressive driving. Then they took the same test again, but
this time,
they were given these instructions: "Imagine that your vehicle had a
personality. Now rate the following items based on the vehicle's
personality."
The
results? The students who thought of their vehicles as being male or
female
"scored significantly higher than non-gender-vehicle drivers on verbal
aggression, physical aggression, use of vehicle, driving anger and
pejorative
labeling/verbally aggressive thinking," Benfield and his colleagues
report
in the journal Personality and Individual Differences.
This is
where it gets really interesting: The personalities of the drivers and
the cars
were not the same. In fact, "the perceived personality of the car
sometimes was a better predictor of aggressive driving tendencies than
the
owner's personality," writes Post reporter Ricard Morin.
Example:
People who think of their car as friendly are more likely to be polite
drivers,
even if they are not particularly friendly people themselves. "If
people
perceive their Corolla to be a jerk, they might drive more aggressively
than if
they thought their Mustang had a nice personality," Benfield told the
Post. Naming the car had no effect on road rage tendencies.
--From the
Editors at Netscape
The
above is from: http://channels.isp.netscape.com/atplay/package.jsp?name=fte/carpersonality/carpersonality&floc=wn-nx
People
Love Angry-Faced Cars
By Jeremy
Hsu, Staff Writer
posted: 06 October 2008 10:42 am ET
If a Toyota Prius just looks too friendly for your tastes, you’re
not alone.
People readily see faces and traits in cars, and a new study suggests
that they
prefer cars to appear dominant, masculine and angry.
The finding rests on the propensity we have to actually see faces or
human
characteristics in everything from cars to clouds, a phenomenon called
pareidolia. But now researchers hope to better understand what goes on
in the
brain when people see faces in objects versus humans faces, as well as
help
automakers design more appealing cars.
(...)
(...) For this, Thorstensen enlisted his own group of experts that
included
Sonja Windhager, an anthropologist at the University of Vienna. They
asked 20
males and 20 females to rate 38 passenger car models which came out
between
2004 and 2006.
Study participants assessed cars based on a system known as geometric
morphometrics (GM), which allowed the men and women to rate certain
traits on a
sliding scale (such as "infancy" to "adulthood"). The traits
represented maturity, sex, attitudes, emotions, and personality — all
things
that people infer from human faces at a single glance.
After rating car traits, participants then answered the question of
whether
they saw a human face, animal face or no face at all on the cars. They
drew
facial features such as eyes, nose and mouth on the car images whenever
they
did see faces.
Lastly, the study participants answered whether they liked a car or
not. The
study restricted car choices to passenger cars, because hulking SUVs
would have
skewed the results.
People overwhelmingly preferred cars that rated highest on "power"
traits." High "power" cars like the BMW 5 Series tended to be
lower or wider, and have slit-like or angled headlights with a wider
air intake.
The participants also largely agreed on which cars had which traits,
such as
arrogant, afraid and agreeable. A few traits such as disgusted,
extroverted and
sad caused more disagreement.
(...)
The
above is from: http://www.livescience.com/strangenews/081006-car-face.html
National
Safety Council (NSC): Fatal accidents increasing
By William
Atkins Tuesday, 12 June 2007 According to a June 7, 2007 NSC report,
the number
of fatal, preventable accidents in the United States is increasing
after a
decreasing trend for over twenty years.
Specifically,
the number of human deaths from preventable, fatal accidents has risen
over 20%
between 1996 and 2005. In 2005, approximately 113,000 people in the
United
States were killed accidentally.
The
all-time record high is 116,385 accidental deaths in 1969, which the
report
says could easily be exceeded, if the percentage trend continues,
within a few
more years.
The
all-time record low occurred in 1992, at about 99,440 people dead from
preventable accidents. The decreasing trend in fatal, preventable
accidents
occurred between 1969 and 1992. That good trend is related to the
initial
installation and use of seat belts and air bags, home smoke detectors,
and
better drunk-drinking laws.
Accidents
are the leading cause of death in the United States for all people aged
one to
41 years. Overall,
in all age groups, accidental deaths are fifth on the list of
preventable
fatalities—with heart disease, cancer, stroke, and chronic lower
respiratory
diseases being in the top four.
The number
one activity involved within accidental fatalities include motor
vehicles,
especially, activities such as speeding, general distractions,
multitasking,
using cell phones, and not wearing seat belts.
The number
two activity involved with accidental fatalities includes the ingestion
of
illegal drugs, prescription drugs, and over-the-counter drugs. The NSC
report
states that overdoses from all types of drugs are the fastest-rising
cause of
accidental deaths.
Falls,
choking, and drowning, in that order, are the third, fourth, and fifth
leading
causes of accidental fatalities in the United States.
These five
categories of accidental fatalities account for about 83% of all U.S.
accidental deaths. The state of Massachusetts has the lowest death rate
from
preventable, fatal accidents. Unfortunately, New Mexico has the highest
death
rate.
The
website of the National Safety Council is http://www.nsc.org/. The NSC
has
tracked statistics of preventable, fatal accidents since the 1920s. Its
results
are published in the Journal of Safety Research.
Territorial Markings as a Predictor of Driver Aggression and Road Rage
Journal of Applied Social Psychology Volume 38 Issue 6 Page 1664-1688,
June
2008 To cite this article: William J. Szlemko, Jacob A. Benfield, Paul
A. Bell,
Jerry L. Deffenbacher, Lucy Troup (2008) Territorial Markings as a
Predictor of
Driver Aggression and Road Rage. Journal of Applied Social
Psychology 38
(6) , 1664–1688.
Aggressive driving has received substantial media coverage during the past decade. We report 3 studies testing a territorial explanation of aggressive driving. Altman (1975) described attachment to, personalization of, and defense of primary territories (e.g., home) as being greater than for public territories (e.g., sunbathing spot on a beach). Aggressive driving may occur when social norms for defending a primary territory (i.e., one's automobile) become confused with less aggressive norms for defending a public territory (i.e., the road). Both number of territory markers (e.g., bumper stickers, decals) and attachment to the vehicle were significant predictors of aggressive driving. Mere presence of a territory marker predicts increased use of the vehicle to express anger and decreased use of adaptive/constructive expressions.
The
above is from: http://micro189.lib3.hawaii.edu:2191/doi/full/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2008.00364.x
From: http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5gW4gPjZd2EpVnRcxWJABi8wKiGmw
Parents
'behind road rage rise'
6-28-08
Young drivers aping their parents' bad behaviour behind the wheel could
be the
cause of a rise in road rage incidents, according to a survey.
Road rage
is most likely to occur among inexperienced motorists aged 18-29, with
61% of
this group admitting to personality changes while driving, the survey
from
insurance company Norwich Union found.
Two-in-five
young drivers blame their parents for their erratic driving behaviour,
saying
they inherited
their
road
rage
tendencies from seeing their mother and father at the
wheel, the
survey also showed.
From: http://www.radioiowa.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=A6D531B5-E515-99D9-619A6133950CBD9C
High gas
prices may help keep traffic deaths down
By Matt
Kelley
Finally, a
silver lining is appearing in the dark cloud of high gasoline prices.
The
number of traffic deaths statewide is down significantly from a year
ago, which
Triple-A-Iowa's Rose White attributes, in part, to the rising cost of
filling
our gas tanks.
"With
many motorists curtailing their driving to conserve gasoline and
vehicles
traveling at reduced speeds on the interstate to maximize fuel
efficiency, high
fuel costs may be a factor in helping to drive fewer deaths on the
roadways," White says. "We also believe teens may be driving fewer
miles since they have fewer dollars to spend on their gas."
Iowa has
seen 145 traffic deaths this year, compared to 166 on this date a year
ago.
White says it's becoming clear, more people are trying to save fuel by
driving
less -- and by driving smarter. "Some people may be avoiding those
aggressive driving behaviors, such as hard braking and fast
acceleration that
waste fuel and that frequently contribute to car accidents." White
says.
"It certainly is interesting that we have this double-digit drop (in
highway deaths) and that may actually be a result of high fuel prices."
The number
of motorcycling fatalities has also fallen this year, with 17 recorded
statewide so far in 2008, compared to 21 on this date a year ago. She
says fuel
consumption rates are dropping as gas prices rise -- and more people
are riding
mass transit as well.
Driving
slower on the interstate can help save gas, White says, but how do you
know the
ideal speed for your car? Most owner's manuals will list the optimum
speed for
maximum fuel efficiency, and White says for most vehicles, it's between
55 and
65 miles an hour. Triple-A says the statewide average for a gallon of
unleaded
gas is $3.93, which is 14-cents below the national average.
Drivers
with
bumper
stickers
likely
to
be aggressive: study
Misty
Harris
,
Canwest
News
Service
Published: Wednesday,
June
18,
2008
The next
time you think about tailgating someone, check their vehicle for bumper
stickers, window decals and vanity plates.
A new
study shows these kinds of "territory markers" indicate whether a
driver will respond to offensive behaviour with forgiveness or the
finger.
Researchers
from Colorado State University report that personalized items on an
automobile
- everything from dashboard decor to Support Our Troops stickers -
predict road
rage better than vehicle value, condition, or similar clues to
aggression
behind the wheel. What surprised study authors most, however, was the
fact the
content of the items had no bearing on levels of hostility. (...)
Leon James,
a noted
expert on driving psychology and road rage, says people who act on
their road
rage tend to express their emotional territoriality more than others,
something
that could easily translate to the purchase of "overt" vehicle
adornments.
"Anything
you put on your car is aggressive because it forces other people to
look at
it," says James, a professor at the University of Hawaii. "Drivers
aren't out on the road to read your message."
The
above is from: http://www.canada.com/topics/news/cns_writers/story.html?id=ae5b9f9d-1293-49dd-bc1d-6bc29c189776&k=55380
Monitor Your Mental
Driving Economy
What
Causes Driving Stress and the Emotional Use of the Gas Pedal?
Emotional
Territoriality in Driving – What Is It?
Driving involves traffic emotions, traffic thoughts,
and
traffic actions.
These are three
independent systems of the driver
that need to be trained to work together efficiently. All drivers
improve with
experience. But this is usually true only about one sector of their
traffic
actions -- handling the vehicle. The majority of drivers do not improve
in
their traffic emotions and traffic thoughts.
Emotional
territoriality
refers to all the things that the driver cares about and reacts to
emotionally.
For instance, some
drivers care about how other
motorists take care of their car, whether it obviously needs a wash, or
repair
in a dent, or engine maintenance. This traffic emotion is an extension
of the
territory of things they care about. Other drivers hardly notice
anything about
other cars, but they always notice when another driver forgets to turn
off the
signal, and they have an emotional reaction to it, which is sometimes
expressed
facially and verbally, for example “Look at that idiot. His signal is
still
blinking!”, which may be accompanied by shaking the head in disbelief,
or in
disapproval. Overtly aggressive drivers may go even further in the
expression
of their disdain by yelling at the driver while passing the car.
The yelling and the
shaking of the head are traffic
actions that result from the cooperation of their traffic emotions and
their
traffic thoughts. Understanding this cooperation is the key to managing
our
traffic experience, and improving it so that driving becomes less
risky, more
efficient, less stressful, more peaceful, more supportive, and even
enjoyable
and productive.
We need to practice
monitoring our mental
driving
economy.
This refers to how we keep
track of what’s happening around us in traffic. Every moment of
driving
consists of a loop that we repeat as we drive: Noticing where the other
cars
are; appraising how you need to adjust to that – like when to
slow down or when
to pick up; and executing the decision.
Noticing-Appraising-Executing.
This
is
the
driver’s
loop.
Drivers
feel overwhelmed by traffic emotions. This causes driving stress and
the emotional
use
of
the
gas
pedal. Both involve costs in higher risk and unhappiness. Drivers
can learn
to better manage their traffic emotions by monitoring their mental
driving
economy. This will give them an indication of their emotional
territoriality. What are the things they notice about other cars
and
motorists? How do they react emotionally? What are their traffic
thoughts in
connection with these
emotions?
Knowing their traffic
thoughts and traffic emotions,
will allow drivers to intervene in the process. The goal is to shrink one’s emotional
territoriality, to stop extending their emotions to traffic events
that do
not impact them directly. It involves shrinking one’s emotional
territoriality
by practicing an attitude of latitude. We can notice another driver
speeding
past us without reacting emotionally. We can experience the sudden
fright when
someone cuts us off and we have to break quickly. We can’t help the
emotional
reaction, but we can do something to cut it short. We have the choice
of
choosing traffic thoughts that exasperate and intensify our disapproval
of the
other driver, or, we can choose traffic calming thoughts. We are in
charge of
our thoughts much more than of our emotions, and by controlling our
traffic
thoughts, we control our traffic emotions.
To achieve effective
driver
self-management, we need to know what we care about emotionally as
we notice things around us. We need to monitor the traffic thoughts
that go
along with the traffic emotions. For instance, you’re looking for a
parking
space and notice one right next to a larger car that is not perfectly
aligned.
You’re annoyed. You feel outraged that you have to either squeeze in,
or look
for a better stall. If the driver would show up at this point you might
glare
at the person, or even verbally express hostility. When you think about
this
scenario from a manager’s perspective who is responsible for a fleet of
drivers, you would not rank high with such traffic emotions, thoughts,
and
actions.
See also
by Leon James: Emotional
Use of the Gas Pedal || Musings in Traffic
|| Emotional
Spin
Cycle || Self-monitoring
Inventory || Drivers
Behaving
Badly
on
TV || Children
and
Road
Rage || More
articles...
Interview
Answers on
Road Rage and Other Rages for Various News Sources by Dr. Leon James
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search terms
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Songs About Driving
Cars on
Roads and Highways
From our
book on Road
Rage and
Aggressive Driving
What
principles are safest for children as passengers, pedestrians, and
cyclists
1.
To
become more aware of habits of thinking
while walking or riding.
2.
To
develop objective
judgment
about strangers' behavior.
3.
To
develop emotional
intelligence as drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.
4.
To
critically analyze
driving incidents (scenario
analysis) by focusing on identifying choice-points (how to prevent
or break
the chain of errors that leads to catastrophe).
5.
To
acknowledge the human
rights of all drivers.
6.
To
acknowledge passengers'
rights
(their convenience, comfort, and safety).
7.
To
acknowledge pedestrian
rights (why they must have the right of way).
8.
To
acknowledge the
rights of bicycle riders and how to behave near them.
9.
To
acknowledge the
rights of truck
drivers, the need for truck deliveries, and how to behave near them.
10.
To
practice group
discussions on the importance of civility in public behavior
(respecting
mutual rights, inalienable rights, fairness, character, community,
etc.)
11.
To be
able to defend the ideal of social
responsibility in public places
12.
To
recognize the benefits and rewards of being supportive
and
positive.
13.
To
practice self-witnessing
activities as passengers
14.
To
practice self-witnessing
activities as pedestrians and other road uses
The Highway
Safety Act of 1996 authorizes the U.S. Department of Transportation
(DOT),
through its separate agencies of the National Highway and Traffic
Safety
Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHA), to
fund
traffic improvement programs implemented by state and local
governments,
including funding safety improvements in the areas of occupant
protection,
emergency medical services, police traffic services, roadway safety,
impaired
driving, speed control, motorcycle safety, traffic records, and
pedestrian and
bicycle safety.
Bicycle
advocacy groups want more restrictions on the movement of cars, which
drivers
oppose. Controversy surrounding the issue is inevitable since the
parties
involved protect contrary interests, and because it is amounts to speed
control, traffic calming tends to set opposing lines between
neighborhood
constituencies
Motorists
in transit vs. local residents
Drivers vs. bicyclists ·
Drivers vs. pedestrians Bicyclists vs. pedestrians ·
Private vs. commercial drivers 4-wheel drivers vs. truckers
Authorities set speed limits according to traffic engineering studies.
They
find that the best way to ascertain the appropriate speed limit for a
stretch
of road, is to survey the speed of free flowing traffic, and to set the
speed
limit at the 85th percentile. This is the speed exceeded by 15 percent
of the
vehicles. This practice minimizes accident risk and maximizes motorist
compliance. The NMA argues that instead of following this approach,
current
speed limits are based on political considerations (...).
Safety:
Aggressive driving targeted by new technology
08 Apr 08 15:01
Military
personnel are among the first in the UK to benefit from a new
technology that
measures aggressive driver inputs and flags them up on the dash, writes
Nick
Gibbs.
Designed to alert drivers to unsafe maneuvers, the gadget from US-based
GreenRoad Technologies measures g-forces and compares them with a
safe-driving
benchmark. Sophisticated software can then recognize 120 different
driver
actions and will judge whether they're dangerous or not. If a danger is
recognized, a red light appears in the driver's peripheral vision.
Traffic
taking
a
toll
on
psychic
health, experts say
From: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-trafficpsychone8-2008jun08,0,6960850.story
By Christopher Goffard, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer June 8, 2008
(...) For Leon
James,
a professor of psychology at the University of Hawaii, a lifetime's
academic
pursuit began 25 years ago when his wife told him his driving scared
her. She
pointed out that he switched lanes before he looked, took curves too
fast and
raged against other drivers.
The rebuke stung his pride but got him thinking -- and led to his
pioneering
role in the small academic field of the psychology of driving. He began
by
asking his students to carry voice recorders
to monitor
their responses on the road, and learned that they were no
strangers to
rage -- particularly when cut off, tailgated or stuck behind slow cars
in the
fast lane. James said studies have found little correlation between motorists'
personalities inside and outside of the car. Road rage can
overtake
those who are models of agreeability at home or at the office.
"People tell me, 'I'm amazed at myself. I'm not an aggressive person.
I'm
not this way. Why do I feel this way?' " James said. He has concluded
that
asphalt aggression is not an anger-management problem but one of
socialization
-- people absorb their driving mores in the back seat at
an early
age, watching grown-ups curse, pound the steering wheel and cut
each other
off.
Even as kids learn self-control on the playground, he said, they are
taught the
opposite on the road. "What we need is traffic
emotions
education starting in kindergarten," he said. "You can't
just act the way you want."
Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2008
Dr James,
I'm not sure if you've heard anything about this stunt, but I came
across it
and wanted to
inform you (just in case). It has left many people injured and
some dead.
If you just look
up "Ghost Ride the Whip" you will find more information on its
origins.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOiWaTSypt4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cGyeYtvb4M&feature=related
Aloha,
W.W.
|
The
principal objectives of the RoadRageous Video Course
are: 1.
to
raise
awareness
of
the
behavior
of aggressive driving 2.
to modify
aggressive driving behavior 3.
to
provide
information
on
alternative
methods
for dealing with
impatience, frustration, anger and intolerance on the roads. It is
being used with ORDINARY DRIVERS, NEW DRIVERS, ELDERLY DRIVERS,
PROFESSIONAL
DRIVERS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, MILITARY PERSONNEL, TRAFFIC COURTS, DRIVER
EDUCATION
SCHOOLS, and INDIVIDUAL HOME STUDY (video by mail or online) See clips
or register: RoadRageous
Video
Course
at
AIPS || Clips
(Real Player)
"the
definitive book on the aggressive driving epidemic." To read
excerpts || To order from
Amazon.com Search
this
Site
|| Songs About Cars Site Map || Pets Psychology and
Rage-Depression -- Pet Loss Support, Human Catheads, More...
The following
is excerpted from: ROAD RAGE
CHECKLIST: YOUR RANGE OF HOSTILITY
The
following twenty steps are arranged along a continuum of escalating
degrees of
hostility, beginning with relatively milder forms of aggressiveness
(step 1)
and going all the way to extreme violence (step 20). How far down the
uncivilized path do you allow yourself to go? The majority of drivers
we tested
go as far as step 13. 1.
Mentally condemning another driver How far
down did you go on the continuum? The checklist is divided into five
equal
zones of intensity of aggressiveness. Unfriendly
Zone: Items 1 to 3 -- mental and verbal acts of unkindness toward other
drivers
Hostile
Zone: Items 4 to 7 -- visibly communicating displeasure or resentment
with the
desire to punish or retaliate Violent
Zone: Items 8 to 11 -- carrying out an act of hostility either in
fantasy or in
deed Lesser
Mayhem Zone: Items 12 to 16 -- epic road rage contained within personal
limits Major
Mayhem Zone: Items 17 to 20 -- unrestrained epic road rage; the stuff
of
violent media headlines. The
above is excerpted from: See also Congressional
Testimony
by Dr. Leon James Search
this
Site
|| Children's
Books
at
Amazon.com
Leon
James, professor of psychology and coauthor of Road Rage and
Aggressive
Driving: Steering Clear of Highway Warfare, says such impulses are
neither
uncommon nor significant. "It's very similar to other behaviors that
don't
have to do with cars, like throwing yourself down a cliff. People don't
like to
look over the edge, because they suddenly feel, Oh, no, I want to jump.
They
don't really want to do it; they're just toying with the idea. For
people who
are worried about it, I recommend making funny animal noises -- like a
bear or
lion or kitty cat -- and bingo! You're out of the whole thing." Even so,
adds James, "If it happens frequently, that's a different story. It
should
only happen once in a while."
01/07/2008
- News In Brief What's driving
motorists to 'road rage' Inconsiderate and slow
drivers, as
well as congestion are fuelling road rage among Britain's motorsists. Research
by Norwich Union found that road rage was most likely to occur among
inexperienced young drivers aged 18-29, with three in five (61%)
admitting to a
personality changes behind the wheel. The study
found that reckless driving (82%), slow motorists (69%) and traffic
jams (49%)
toped the list of main road rage triggers. And while one in five (22%)
drivers
simply shrugged off any confrontation, over half of UK drivers (52%)
reacted
differently to how they would normally by swearing, shouting, making
rude
gestures, and flashing their lights. Interestingly,
almost 40% of young drivers blamed their parents for their erratic
driving
behaviour, saying they inherited their road rage tendencies from seeing
them
behind the wheel. Norwich Union's
Nigel Bartram said: "With more and more congestion on UK roads and
driving
becoming an increasingly stressful experience, it's no wonder road rage
is more
widespread than ever. "However
our research shows how important it is for drivers to try and keep
their cool
when on the roads - not only will it help make their children better
drivers,
it will also make their journey easier and less stressful, not to
mention
safer."
THE
AGGRESSIVE DRIVING SYNDROME
Our
research shows that the aggressiveness syndrome is made of the
following 16
driver behaviors. Ask yourself how many of these apply to you on a
regular
basis: 1.
feeling
stress 2.
swearing 3.
acting in
a hostile manner 4.
speeding 5.
yelling at
other drivers 6.
honking at
other drivers 7.
making
insulting gestures 8.
tailgating 9.
cutting
someone off 10.
expressing road rage
behavior 11.
feeling enraged 12.
indulging in
violent fantasies 13.
feeling competitive
with other drivers 14.
rushing all the time 15.
feeling the
desire to drive dangerously 16.
feeling less calm and
level headed behind the wheel These 16
driving behaviors define the aggressive driver syndrome. They are all
significantly intercorrelated. This means that if you do one of them
regularly,
you will also do many of the other 15 on a regular basis. See
also: What
Drivers
Complain
About
Arranged
by
Feelings,
Thoughts, and Acts Do you
swear behind the wheel? There are
large differences in driver swearing behavior when you compare age
groups.
Young drivers (15 to 24) admit to swearing the most (66% do it), but as
they
get older (25 to 54), they tend to reduce somewhat (60%), and finally,
when
drivers enter the senior category of motorists (55 to 94 -- in this
sample),
they greatly reduce their swearing (42%). Still, these data show that
swearing
is a cultural driving norm related to age, and a strong one. Six out of
ten
young drivers admit to swearing and cuss at other drivers, and 4 out of
10
senior drivers do so. Obviously, we need to examine this lack of
civility
between drivers. Do you switch lanes
without signaling? Do drivers
of different age groups vary in their lane hopping behavior, depending
on the
type of car they drive? The answer is Yes, as usual: Regardless of the
type of
car they drive, young people outdo older people in illegal lane
switching.
There is a high cost for this recklessness since crash fatalities are
one of
the main causes of death for this age group. The tragedy of it is
compounded by
the fact that our culture raises these youngsters by providing them
with an
ideology of driving aggressiveness and hostility as portrayed in the
public
media--see my report here. The good news is that cultural habits can be
retrained by a new cultural focus as I argue in my congressional
testimony,
namely, Lifelong Driver's Ed from K through 12 and after that, Quality Driving
Circles or
QDCs that are neighborhood-based or related to the workplace (see our new proposal
here). Search
this
Site
|| Songs About Driving
Cars on
Roads and Highways Do you tailgate
dangerously?
There are
as you might expect, age
differences as well as gender differences. Among young drivers, 19%
admit
to tailgating dangerously, which is about one in five. This is more
than middle
aged drivers (15%) and senior drivers (6%). This age pattern recurs in
many
aggressive driving behaviors: as we get older, we drive less
aggressively.
Women admit to as much tailgating as men (15%), in general, but once
again
there are significant influences attributable to the type of car they
drive, as
show in this table: You can
see that those drive the "soft" cars (family and economy) tailgate
less than those who drive the "hard" cars (sports and SUV) with a
ratio of two to one. This holds true for both men and women. However,
with SUV
drivers we see a reversal between the genders: more female SUV drivers
tailgate
dangerously, by their own admission, than male drivers of SUVs.
What Motorists Are
Saying about Anger and Road Rage
in Their Lives
^^^ Anger
is a natural emotion, and is rather self-protective at times. Anger can
be
maladaptive, and during those times we need to check ourselves, or wait
to
overtly react. It is healthy to have the ability to get angry, but it
is
unhealthy to let anger rule or overcome your life to the point that the
only
thing you can see or feel is anger. Our moods need to have some
balance, and
controlling anger when it is inappropriate is important. Knowing the
difference
between inappropriate anger and appropriate anger is an important
exploration.
For instance, if you want your job, you cannot yell at your boss
because you
are angry at him, but instead sit calmly and explain your feelings if
possible.
I am rarely enraged, except when someone i love is hurt. I get
depressed oftentimes,
but not to the point of feeling hopeless. A little depression can lead
to
self-exploration, which can be good (reevaluating things, etc.) Again,
if
emotions are out of control, no matter what emotion it is, that is not
healthy.
For
explanations see
this
article. See
also: Cars, Drivers, Passengers |and|
Relationships, Marriage, Romance See
also: Pets Psychology and
Rage-Depression -- Pet Loss, Human Catheads, More... See
also: Songs
About
Cars Road rage parents
likely to snap at kids Lara
Hertel , Reuters Life Published: Tuesday,
June
24,
2008 TORONTO -
Parents who succumb to fits of road rage are also more likely to blow a
fuse at
their children's sporting events, according to U.S. research. University
of Maryland researcher Jay Goldstein said these type-A individuals were
more
prone to erupt in anger in many situations -- from being cut off in
traffic to
an unfavourable referee call -- because their ego takes it personally. "Taking
things personally is a strong trigger for anger," Goldstein told
Reuters.
(...) Reports of
so-called "sideline rage" are often in the media, most recently when
a lacrosse league in Winnipeg, this month temporarily barred spectators
from
games following a string of complaints about abusive parents. Loud,
interfering parents have prompted several youth sporting teams in North
America
to implement "Silent Saturdays," which bars cheering or yelling
during games. To see
which parents were most involved, Goldstein surveyed 340 parents
attending
their children's soccer game and asked them to rate factors such as
stress,
pressure and levels of anger. (...) Those
identified as "control-oriented" more often viewed the actions on the
field as a personal affront, and reported more feelings of aggression
than
parents identified as "autonomy-oriented," or less affected by
external factors. (...) Even
parents who usually don't take things personally admitted to feeling
angry
during their children's game, although they were able to control their
reactions longer than those who were "control-oriented." © The Windsor Star 2008 The Great
Rubbernecking Debate
An urge to gawk fuels
trouble Rubbernecking
drivers create problems, and it's getting worse, area road officials
say. By MIKE
BRASSFIELD (...) Rubbernecking
is not a new phenomenon. According to H.L. Mencken's classic book The
American
Language, the word entered the American vernacular as part of a wave of
compound words invented during the late 1800s and early 1900s: Joyride,
highbrow, skyscraper, pinhead. Rubberneck.
So why do
we do it?
To a
certain extent, it's natural, experts say. Humans are a curious species
and
drawn to the unusual. Drivers are trained to survey the terrain around
them. "That's
the driver's job -- to cover all the visual field, to the side and in
front.
Drivers are supposed to do that," said Leon James, a University of
Hawaii
psychology professor who's considered one of the nation's top experts
on
traffic habits. "The
problem is slowing down while you're looking at an accident," James
said.
He suggests drivers train themselves to look without holding up traffic
--
maintain your speed, keep a safe following distance and take quick
glances
while passing a crash scene. When a
driver stops or slows drastically to rubberneck, experts say it causes
a
"backward traveling traffic wave" -- the next driver must stop and
the next and the next, potentially affecting thousands of vehicles.
From the
air it resembles an accordion, with gaps closing until the cars are
bumper-to-bumper.
When that
first vehicle takes off again, the reverse happens. Reopening those
gaps takes
a few seconds per car and, when multiplied by thousands of cars, leads
to
traffic jams. "These
traffic waves have been observed to go as much as 25 miles behind one
little
slowdown," James said. "Long after you get home, the traffic wave you
created is still slowing down people on the highway." That's why
sometimes, after being stuck in traffic for an hour, you never even get
to see
the reason why. It's all been cleared away by the time you get there.
(...)
Interview with Leon
James and Diane Nahl
Chatelaine
Magazine Shandley McMurray December 2000
Could you
classify this as a road rage incident? Yes. A
chase took place, someone got out and beat on the car and used their
car to
block, police were called.
How would
you define road rage? Road rage
is the inability to let go of the desire to punish or retaliate. It is
an
emotionally impaired state of anger leading to aggressive behavior in
words,
gestures, assault, or battery.
How could
she have avoided this? Could she have avoided this? You said
she drove for 5 mins. before realizing she was being followed by a
hostile car.
After inadvertently cutting someone off one must be vigilant and alert
to the
consequences. And in that case she could have called 911 sooner (rather
than
calling a friend). Also, how could she have prevented inadvertently
cutting
someone off--this is important because it's a frequent source of road
rage
duels. Late at night one must be especially vigilant, and especially
for women
driving alone in a sports car--all of these are social signs of
vulnerability
on our highways that require increased prudence. Because being in a
rush is so
fundamental to our society's dynamic, inadvertently cutting someone off
has
become routine and not unusual, hence a very large pet peeve of the
driving
public.
How can
women drivers avoid being the victims of road rage? Besides
the above, women drivers need to practice being more alert and
conscious of
other drivers. We are not alone out there, driving is a group activity
and all
of us need to treat it as such.
Can you
name 10 ways that women drivers can avoid being road ragers or
aggressive
drivers themselves? (or what are the top 10 ways to dispel road rage?)
Dr. James
and Dr. Nahl: 1.
Slowly
count to ten. While you force yourself to count slowly, your adrenaline
goes
down to normal levels. Take deep breaths as you do this. 2.
Forgive
and forget Think about the people who are waiting for you to arrive and
how you
don't want to disappoint them. Tell yourself it's just not worth the
hassle. 3.
Make funny
noises Laughter not only interrupts your negative thinking, it unloads
the
stress. Try animal sounds or any nonsense noise--really get into it. 4.
Use the
Castanza Technique When you're in a bad mood, act the opposite of what
you feel
like. It worked for George on Seinfeld--remember that episode? 5.
Act as-if
Do your courtesy waves and put on a pleasant face. The way you drive is
contagious. You're influencing others' behavior, not by retaliating,
but by
peacemaking. 6.
Shrink
your emotional territory Develop an attitude of latitude. Think of
positive
reasons why drivers do things that annoy you. Perhaps they're sick or
confused.
Maybe they're rushing to the bathroom. Maybe they just got some bad
news.
Maybe... 7.
Come out swinging
positive Don't be rude to the rude. Seize control by defusing anger.
Apologize,
don't argue, be sympathetic. Don't challenge anything. Go out of your
way to
appear friendly and peaceful. 8.
Drive with
emotional intelligence It's intelligent to choose positive
explanations, rather
than negative because they are less disturbing, more community
oriented, less
alienating, and ultimately more satisfying than the "you stupid
clown" approach. 9.
Commit to
Lifelong Driver Self-improvement Keep a Driving Log or Diary and make
appropriate entries after each trip. Or, you can record yourself while
driving,
speaking your thoughts aloud. What a revelation when you listen to it
later!
It's a wake-up call to a driving personality makeover.
See Traffic
Emotions
Education (TEE Cards) || See DrDriving's Collection
of Tips
and Advice
We review
various gender
issues in
driving differences between men and women on our site.
Why did
you write your book "Road Rage And
Aggressive
Driving"? We wanted
to improve our relationship, and later to teach our students a useful
method to
improve their driving personalities, and now we want to help people on
a wider
scale to gain self-control over their traffic emotions and stress for a
safer,
happier, healthier life. What did
you hope you would achieve by writing this book?
What we
learned by recording the thoughts and feelings of many drivers in
traffic made
us realize that we're in the midst of a public health crisis on the
roads, and
that people are ill equipped to cope with the complexity and intensity
of
driving today. For today's generation of drivers, both men and women,
young and
old, professional and inexperienced, it has become normal and common to
drive
aggressively but calling it something else--assertive, excellent,
precision,
effective, defensive, careful. This is a symptom of the definition gap
we
discovered that exists between most drivers' definition of what is
aggressive
and law enforcement's definition of what is aggressive driving.
The reason
that aggressive driving is now the norm in society is that we as
toddlers in
the back seat, absorbed our parents' driving emotions and attitudes,
including
how fast they usually drive, what they say out loud to or about other
drivers,
how they handle distractions inside the car, who they blame after an
incident,
and their ongoing feelings in the vehicle.
We
discovered that people can acquire self-control behind the wheel by
overcoming
misconceptions acquired in childhood and using simple strategies to
diffuse
dangerous situations or to avoid them altogether. Our book enables
drivers to
re-educate themselves to cope with the increasing complexity of
driving,
including emotional complexity, technological complexity, and
situational
complexity. Our hope is that people will learn Driving Psychology,
practice
safer behavior on the road so that the crash and fatality statistics
will be
dramatically reduced within a generation. We created driving psychology
because
it teaches drivers of all ages and experience how to engineer their own
driving
personality makeover. Since we begin our long driving careers as
adolescents
rigged for road rage and aggressive driving, people need technical
skills in
self-science to change long habits.
How long
have you been interested in this topic? Since
1981, when we got married and Leon began to drive Diane and her
grandmother,
who was a vocal commentator on Leon's driving (this is portrayed in the
Preface). Subsequently we designed instruction
for
our
college
students who learned to engineer their own driving
personality makeovers.
Do you
think this topic is of more concern to women than men? If so, why? We get
more from women. They are usually concerned about a spouse whose
aggressive
driving has become very dangerous and frightening to their children.
Women
spend more time driving children and have more opportunity to pass on
their
driving habits to their children. We devote chapter 7 to Children and
Road Rage
with exercises they can do in the car to teach children to become
emotionally
intelligent passengers and future drivers. A basic tenet of driving
psychology
is that driver education begins as toddlers. We recommend that mothers
take
time to engage the children in critical thinking about routine traffic
and
driving issues.
Back to
Interview
Answers || Back to
DrDriving
|| List
of
Interviews || Children's
Books
at
Amazon.com
From: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080703/OPINION/807030319/1004/NEWS01
Know all
your limits when it comes to driving
By Sarah
Longwell • July 3, 2008 Thanks to more than
two decades of "Don't Drive
Drunk" campaigns, nearly 170 million Americans who enjoy alcoholic
beverages do so responsibly. The legal limit is 0.08 BAC (blood alcohol
concentration) in all 50 states. Over the holiday weekend, that means
friends
and family can feel free to enjoy beer, wine or spirits and still drive
home,
as long as they enjoy in moderation. But safe "limits" for
driving aren't
confined to drinks. Many drivers don't realize that it's just as
important to
remain "under the limit" of other influences (speed, distractions and
fatigue) when climbing behind the wheel. Since drunk driving is such a
widely
recognized risk, many researchers use its legal 0.08 threshold as a
standard
against which other driving behaviors are compared.
Take
speed, for instance.
You
probably know that speeding is
dangerous. But would you have guessed that speeding just six miles per
hour
(mph) over the limit is as risky as driving with a 0.08 BAC? Well, it
is. A
group of researchers determined comparable BAC levels for various
degrees of
speeding and also found that, for example, the danger of driving 13 mph
over
the limit is akin to having a BAC of 0.21 percent -- the equivalent of
almost
eight drinks in one hour for the average man.
With speed ranking as
the No. 1 cause of fatalities
and collisions on U.S. highways, its limit is a crucial one.
Unlike speed, there
are few legal restrictions on a
different threat: distracted
driving. Whether it's putting on makeup, chatting on the phone or
one of
countless other distractions, these behaviors impact a driver's
reaction time
in a manner much like drunk driving. Researchers at the University of
Utah
discovered that mobile phones impair drivers even more than a 0.08 BAC.
Though most of us
would never drive drunk, we don't
think twice about multitasking behind the wheel. More than 80 percent
of
drivers admit to blatantly hazardous behavior while navigating traffic,
such as
changing clothes, painting fingernails and even shaving. Experts
estimate that
one million people each day chat on their mobile or send text messages
while
driving. And for dangerous activities like that, there's no safe limit. How many times have
you climbed behind the wheel
when you'd rather be climbing into bed?
The
National Sleep Foundation reports that
"drowsy driving is as dangerous as drunk driving." But even though
sleep deprivation impairs a driver as much as a 0.08 BAC, three out of
every
five adult drivers have driven while drowsy, according to a 2005 poll.
More
than a third reported actually falling asleep at the wheel. In addition to eight
hours of shuteye, you'll want
to remember a few other "limits" for safe driving this Independence
Day. Psychology researchers
warn against DWA (driving
while angry). "Emotionally
impaired
driving" significantly impacts perception and judgment. In
fact, "high-anger" drivers are three to four times more likely to
engage in aggressive driving behavior than level-headed folks. And
reckless
driving heightens the likelihood of causing a wreck.
Millions of drivers
have heard the dangers of
driving drunk. And now, safety officials must also educate the public
of the
importance of other "limits" for the roadway. So for 2008, just
remember: "Know Your
Limit."
published:
Sunday June 22, 2008 Paul
Messam, Gleaner Writer
From: http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20080622/auto/auto4.html How often
have we heard the old adage 'prevention is better than cure'? Well, it
is not
only better but less expensive. It makes sense and saves cents when we
prevent
road accidents or collisions. Human
behaviour is governed by stated or unconscious motivations which are
manifested
through our actions. Like animals, we like our space and may respond
aggressively to overcrowding, even on the road. Psychologist
Dr Leon James
says that
driving fosters a feeling of power on the roads. It's as if drivers are
in a
short race to win at all costs. There are some drivers who get feelings
of
superiority from driving aggressively. But,
aggressive driving is dangerous, disastrous and deadly, to say the
least. Refusal to
give way
According
to the book, Driving Instruction, one sign of an aggressive driver is
his
absolute refusal to give way to others, even when the other driver has
the
right of way. Paula
Davis, an experienced auto mechanic who was trained in California, is
of the
view that some Jamaican drivers are very erratic. "First,
they are always in a rush and, second, they are not paying enough
attention to
the roads while driving," says Davis.
According
to her, drivers need to learn to make a distinction between careless,
carefree
drivers and those who exhibit rage on the road. There are
motorists who speed because they are in a hurry or simply impatient. "These
drivers make full use of bad judgment and, therefore, engage themselves
in
risky behaviour." There are
others who refuse to yield to others and so seek to dominate the space
which
they occupy.
Reckless
drivers
Horace
Edwards, audit supervisor of London, England, describes many of our
drivers as
reckless. "They
have a disregard for the lives of other drivers, there is a total lack
of road
etiquette, they break red lights to name a few." He
proposes a proper data base
system to monitor tickets, backed up by the use of traffic light cameras
to impound the vehicles of those persons who have a very bad police
driving
record. Take special
note of the following drivers.
The Speeder He drives
like a maniac - fast and reckless. This driver operates as if all
others
drivers are stupid and cannot drive.
The Tailgater He is
almost as dangerous as the speeder. He follows close to the motor
vehicle ahead, often at high speeds. He generally wears an
angry and
indignant expression.
The Road Hog He
disgustingly drives in the middle of the road to prevent anyone from
passing.
The Creeper He is the
driver who firmly believes that driving very slowly, even on highways,
is the
only sane way to drive. The creeper usually obstructs traffic.
The Yakker This
driver talks continually to passengers. This is bad enough, but he
feels that
what he is saying is so important that he must constantly witness his
audience's reaction.
The Weaver One who
careens from lane to lane, passing other cars
right and left in a frantic and disdainful effort to get ahead of
everybody.
The Cutter-inner He likes
to pass at high speeds. He is always the one that whizzes by and then
cuts in
on you sharply.
Defensive Driver Unlike
others, this driver reads the road, stresses consideration for others,
thinks
before he acts, has the ability to grasp the entire situation, has
wisdom to
judge accurately. He has
admirable traits of self control, follows the two-second rule, follows
the
rules of the road, and acts in a way that protects other road users. This
driver drives to prevent accidents in spite of the incorrect actions of
other
drivers or the presence of adverse driving conditions. Dr Persaud
points out that when a driver is under high stress, he is most likely
to make
errors. "Pent
up emotions often lead to road rage," he says. Dr Persaud
says that positive emotions such as love, laughter, peace of mind all
contribute towards defensive and safer driving practices. The above
is From: http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20080622/auto/auto4.html
From: http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/05/16/common.driving.mistakes/
Pushing buttons Car companies and
their suppliers jump through
lawyers' hoops when developing central information consoles that can
include
satellite navigation, stereo controls and climate gauges. And with good
reason.
Tweaking these devices
while driving is a leading
cause of accidents and near misses, according to Drive for Life, the
National
Safe Driving Test and Initiative. Most new consoles won't allow you to
plug directions
into a sat-nav while the car is in gear, but almost all allow you to
play with
the stereo. Try to do this when stationary, at traffic lights if you
must.
(...) Aggressive driving is
a factor in about 56 percent
of fatal crashes, says the latest study on driving habits from the
Surface
Transportation Policy Partnership. Though subject to
debate, the study has classified
aggressive driving as "speeding, tailgating, failing to yield, weaving
in
and out of traffic, passing on the right, making improper and unsafe
lane
changes and running stop signs and red lights." The group says that
most
drivers admit to making the same mistakes they hate to see other
drivers
commit. As a group, teenagers
are more likely than most to
take their eyes off the road to concentrate on mobile devices,
including cell
phones, iPods and instant messaging gadgets. They are also the age
group most likely to impress
their friends both with the latest in gadgetry and by taking risks
behind the
wheel. The National Safety Council points out that traffic crashes are
the
leading cause of fatalities in teens, accounting for 44 percent of
deaths.
(...) Driving while
upset || Turn signals ||
Pushing the wrong pedal || Speeding and tailgating ||
Buckle
up || Driving while tired From: http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/05/16/common.driving.mistakes/
According
to Natural Resources Canada, speedy and aggressive driving burns
excessive fuel
and money and only saves a matter of minutes. If someone
told you you could save two minutes of time by burning 39 per cent more
fuel
would you still do it? Would it be worth it? With
gasoline prices at over a dollar per litre and with the growing concern
for the
environment, does it really make sense to speed and drive aggressively? Reducing
your speed from 120km/hour to 100km/hr can save drivers up to 20 per
cent in
fuel costs while aggressive driving (rapid acceleration and braking)
can cost
up to 39 per cent more in fuel use and cost (as well as increasing the
wear and
tear on the vehicle). From: http://www.canada.com/surreynow/news/story.html?id=d400cfa9-9e59-4831-8794-79671a29ed78
Woman
shoots motorcycle driver in apparent road rage case Updated:
June 19, 2008
Jeffersonville
-
A
woman
accused
of
shooting a man during a case of road
rage and then calling for help may not face charges. The confrontation
happened
at a busy intersection in the southern Indiana community of
Jeffersonville. Witnesses
say
an
aggressive
motorcycle
driver
blocked an SUV from going
around. When the two stopped, the motorcycle driver jumped off his
bike. The
driver of the SUV, Yolanda Parrish, hit the man with the vehicle door,
picked
up a gun and then shot him in the chest. Witnesses say Parrish and her
15-year-old son then stood over the man cursing before making this call
to 911. Dispatcher: "You need to put the gun down on the passenger side floor of the car."
The
motorcycle driver is in a medically-induced coma but he is expected
to survive. Police say Parrish acted in self-defense. The prosecutor
will
decide if she'll face charges.
The
above is from: http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=8525058&nav=9Tai
Lollipop
ladies get spy cameras to video abusive drivers
Lollipop
ladies in Warwickshire are being given Robocop-style head cameras
after
reporting a rise in the number of attacks against them.
The
cameras are designed to capture motorists hurling abuse at the school
crossing
patrollers, who for decades have been guiding schoolchildren safely
across
Britain’s busy roads.
Evidence
collected by the miniature two-inch lenses attached to their hat brims
will be
used to prosecute those who fail to stop, abuse or threaten crossing
guides.
The move
by Warwickshire County Council, believed to be the first of its kind in
the UK,
is the latest spy technology to be used against motorists.
Lollipop
ladies in Nuneaton, where the pilot scheme is being tested, are
confident the
£900 cameras will save lives. The move is also said to have caught the
eye of
other local authorities nationwide. Lollipop
lady Val Atkins, a 63 year-old married mother-of-four, from Nuneaton,
hopes
even the visual presence of the camera, will be enough to slow
motorists down. She said:
"People just keep driving at us and drive round us – it’s quite scary
because we are in danger.
"We
really welcome these head cameras because the level of abuse is quite
bad –
only this morning I had a lorry driver giving me a load of verbals. "Hopefully
people will begin to realise that this is very dangerous and must be
stopped
and I sincerely hope the cameras will do this."
Another
lollipop lady Beverley Kingston, 41, from Nuneaton, who is also
trialling the
cameras, said people had threatened to run her over and hit her with a
pole. She said:
"I have had all sorts of abuse – people say they are going to run me
over,
they call me all sorts of names and stick their fingers up at me. "Basically
they just tell me to shift out the way.
"We
get what we call drive throughs all the time when motorists fail to
stop. "I
have had children in the middle of the road and motorists still just
drive
around them.
"These
cameras will make people slow down, take us more seriously, it will
make our
jobs safer and it could save children’s lives." Warwickshire
County Council is purchasing two CCTV cameras to use on patrols of one
of the
busiest roads in Nuneaton where staffing has been doubled recently due
to a
number of near misses when drivers have ignored wardens. The small
surveillance kit records constantly but has to wiped clear at the end
of every
day – it will be shared between 30 lollipop ladies across Warwickshire.
The lens
will record in the direction the lollipop lady is facing, enabling them
to film
individual drivers and vehicle registration numbers which will be
reported to
the police. Bonnie
Landborough, school crossing patrols supervisor for Warwickshire County
Council, said: "People have been coming in and out of side roads, shops
and garages and basically getting impatient. "Drivers
have been very unhelpful and very dangerous – they are driving on when
the
lollipop lady is still there.
"The
lollipop stick means stop, by law it is the equivalent of a red light."
Those
caught flouting the law, failing to stop for a school crossing patrol
face the
prospect of a £1,000 fine and three penalty points on their licence. County
road safety officer Stan Milewski said: "It is the first time that this
technology has ever been used for lollipop ladies, but we want to send
a
message to motorists that we will not tolerate drive throughs and road
rage." The
initiative follows an estimated 1,400 lollipop rage incidents reported
to
councils nationwide last year. Councillor David Sparks, chairman of the
Local
Government Association’s transport board, said: "It’s unbelievable that
we
have to take this action, but the lives of children are at risk from
increasing
numbers of drivers who are so selfish that they are willing to put
lives at
risk by refusing to stop for 30 seconds at a school crossing.
"Councils
will do everything in their power to stamp this out. Abuse and
intimidation of
lollipop men and women who are carrying out a vital service to the
community
will also not be tolerated. "Motorists
need to be made aware that they are committing a criminal offence and
we hope
this new technology will prove an effective deterrent.
Passenger
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Songs
About Driving Cars on Roads and Highways
Useful Outside Links Summary Table on
Aggressive Driving Laws www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/enforce/speedlaws501/summtable_aggressive.htm Survey of the States
Speeding Laws
www.vcorps.army.mil/Safety/driving/AggressiveDriving.ppt#23 Safe Senior Citizen
Driving Interview
Answers on
Road Rage and Other Rages for Various News Sources by Dr. Leon James
More Topics on this
Site Search
this
Site
|| Children's
Books
at
Amazon.com
1.
Road Rage
-- What
is it? Who has it? Why is it happening now? How do we avoid it?
2.
Aggressive
Driving
-- How does the law define it? What do people consider to be
aggressive
driving? How widespread is it? What are the top aggressive driving
behaviors?
Which cities have the highest rate of aggressive driving? How do you
deal with
it? Who is an aggressive driver? How do I assess myself on it? What do
I do
about it? Aggressiveness in relation to type of vehicle, gender,
geographic
area.
3.
Stress
and
Driving -- Why is driving stressful? Does it have health
effects? How
do I reduce my stress in traffic?
4.
Driving
Angry
-- Why do drivers get angry? What triggers anger? Is venting anger
helpful? Who
gets most angry? How can you reduce anger behind the wheel?
5.
Congestion
and
Frustration -- Is congestion ever going to improve? Which
cities have
the most congestion? How does it affect our quality of life? What's the
best
way to handle it.
6.
Music
and
Driving
-- Why do drivers like to listen to music? Does it have an effect on
their
driving? Is some music more calming than others? Is some type of music
too
exciting for driving?
7.
Men and
Women
Drivers
-- Do they drive differently? How do crash and fatality statistics
differ for
men and women? Why do women drivers have a bad reputation among men?
8.
Distracted
Driving-- How big is this problem? What does it include? How
does it
happen? How do I assess my tendency to drive distracted?
9.
Emergency
Vehicles -- How big a problem is ambulance chasing? Who is
doing it and
why? What's being done about it? Why don't drivers get out of the way
of
emergency vehicles? The EMS perspective.
10.
Rushing
--
Why are we in a hurry all the time? How does rushing affect other
drivers? Is
it aggressive to drive in a hurry?
11.
Drunk
Driving
-- How does the law define it and what are the penalties? Designated
drivers.
Breath analyzers and BAC levels. Sobriety check points. MADD.
12.
Driving Emotionally Impaired -- When do our emotions
interfere
with our
driving? How do we avoid it and regain control?
13.
Driving and
Cell Phone
Use -- How dangerous is it? Should it be illegal? Can we
train
ourselves to use it safely?
14.
Driving
Drowsy
-- Is it a big problem? How do I avoid it? What are the signs? How
dangerous is
it compared to drunk driving?
15.
Teen
Driving
--
Why is their crash rate so high? When should they get their permit?
What impact
does peer pressure have? How do cruising and partying in the car
contribute to
teen crash and fatality rates? Underage drinking. SADD. What is
graduated
licensing? How can parents help? Scenario analysis to build critical
thinking
about driving (There are always new cases to analyze from the media and
the
courts). What courses are available? Distance education courses.
16.
Older
Drivers
-- Is there an age at which one should give up driving? What are the
symptoms?
Is it fair to impose restrictions? How can older drivers compensate for
declining physical ability?
17.
Drivers
and
Bicyclists -- Is there a war between them? Who is affected?
What groups
are involved in activism?
18.
Traffic
Calming
-- What is it? Why install road bumps and traffic circles when cars are
just
going through an area? Benefits and opposition.
19.
Ramp Meters
--
Why are they needed? Are there going to be more of them? How can
drivers adapt
to them? What public agencies can do to reduce anxiety and frustration.
20.
Intelligent
Highways and
Cars -- What are they? Do they exist now? What's planned for the
immediate
future? Will it make a big difference?
21.
Mobile
Computing
--
What communications equipment are being placed in cars? How do people
use them?
Is there a safety problem? Are there laws about it? Should there be
more
required training?
22.
Rubbernecking
--
How does it hinder traffic? What are traffic
waves? How can you minimize them?
23.
Drivers
and
Passengers -- Is there a battle between them? Do passengers
have
rights? What is bad and good passenger behavior? What are a driver's
responsibilities towards passengers?
24.
Speed Limit
Enforcement
--The Great Speed Limit Debate on the Web. What organized groups are
there
against speed limits? What is a Speedtrap Registry? How effective are
they?
What's their thesis?
25.
Partnership
Driving -- Enlist your passengers to help you become a better
driver.
How to proceed. Benefits.
26.
SUVs
-- How do people feel driving them? Why do people buy them? How do
people in smaller
cars feel around SUVs? What impact has the tire recall had?
27.
Driver
Support
Groups
-- What are QDCs (Quality Driving Circles)? How do they work? Who
should be in
them? What are their benefits?
28.
Driving
Around
Trucks -- What is the "No Zone"? How do truckers feel about
4-wheelers? Why do people complain about large trucks? Are they
dangerous to
the public?
29.
Driving
Informatics
-- The new information field covering the many new areas in society
that have
become connected to cars--DMV databases, travel, communications,
computing, law
enforcement, insurance, consumer groups, sales, advertising, automotive
medicine, traffic psychology, driver education, dashboard dining, anger
management, the Web, e-mail, e-commerce, entertainment industry, road
management, traffic calming, speedtrap registries, and others.
30.
Children in
the Car
--
Driver education begins when we ride in cars driven by adults. How to
avoid
teaching them to become aggressive drivers when they grow up. Helpful
activities with children in cars.
31.
Safety
and
Driver
Education -- The new curriculum for lifelong driver
education K through 12. Road rage against children. Children's road
rage. Critical
thinking. Affective education.
32.
Aggressive
Driving
Initiatives
by Police -- What are they? Who funds them? How do
they
operate? How are they trained for it? How do they combine education
with
enforcement?
33.
Dashboard
Dining
--Who eats in cars, how often? What new fast food products make it
easier or
safer to eat while driving? What are the concerns.
34.
Photo Radar
--
Red light running--why people do it. How does photo-radar work?
Automatic
ticketing by mail. Benefits and concerns.
35.
Training
Our
Traffic
Emotions -- What are traffic emotions? Why do we need
to
identify our irrational driving rules? How can we become emotionally
intelligent drivers? What is the Threestep Program for driver
self-improvement
training? Critical thinking for emotional challenges--how to be
prepared. What
is the driver's prime directive.
36.
Traffic
Stops
-- How should the driver behave? What not to do. Law enforcement
perspective.
Public's perspective. The use of video cameras.
37.
Driver's
Diary
-- Keeping a log of your mistakes. Recording yourself thinking aloud.
Other
self-witnessing methods suitable for changing your driving personality.
38.
Traffic
Violator
Schools -- Who gets to take it. Typical curriculum and new
aggressive
driving components. Benefits and incentive programs.
39. Songs About Cars
--
Popular song lyrics spiritually explained.
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