Ever notice when you're driving down the road how everyone is driving at the wrong speed -- everyone driving slower than you is an Idiot, and everyone driving faster than you is a Maniac. I always felt this was a good description of the situation. By the way, I would put a more declarative statement of the 9 principles early on in the home page, in addition to the numerous links to each. Nice page.

I work in a multi-media laboratory in the Stanford University, School of Medicine. I am looking for suggestions for a training I am giving as part of my practicum this quarter. Part of the presentation is to teach truck drivers ways to deal with "road rage." In particular, simple suggestions that with help them change their cognitions about other driver's behaviors and coping skills they can use when feeling stressed.

Any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance

Leon

My discovery that aggressiveness is universal and cultural helped me understand road rage. You may want to check the information I give in this file. I've been in touch with a group in Washington DC calling itself CASAD--Citizens Against Speeding and Aggressive Driving. I'm wondering if you know of them (my contact person is Dr. Philip Branton, a pathologist). I also serve on the Governor's Task Force on Impaired Drivers (Hawaii) and I'm scheduled to testify by teleconference to the House Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure (my contact person is Mike Robinson who works for the Committee Chairman). The hearings are on Congested Commutes and Aggressive Drivers. Do you know this committee's work? Is it related to your work? Do you have any background information to tell me I should be aware of? I would appreciate it.

I believe that a lot of information I have on drivers might be relevant to your program. Perhaps you can give me more detail on what your current perspective is. If you want to see some of my work and my student reports, you might like to check out these two sources: Overview of Traffic Psychology Quality Driving Circles Let me know if this is of interest to you. My idea for the federal government's involvement in the problem of aggressive drivers is to designate top intersection areas with thousands of automobiles per hour measures (etc.), then to create a road-driver-car ecosystem that would be monitored on a permanent basis. My skills come in where you're trying to measure the driver variables in the road-driver-car ecosystem. I propose that we need five approaches to data gathering and treatment solutions.

We need to know for instance whether or not a road area is increasing in aggressiveness or stress relative to itself, and how it compares in average and range to other locales. These data can be used to plan treatment, to guide agencies, and to reward locales that show improvements or levels above certain set standards with moneys for improvements and further relief in the road-driver-car ecosystem. Here are the methods for gathering data and administering treatments:

1) spotters -- these are designated and trained volunteers who stand at certain spots and record incidences they observe, keeping track with a checklist form.

2) police reports -- no need for me to go into this for now.

3) self-witnessing reports -- this is what I've researched for 15 years. Volunteers would tape record themselves in traffic and later analyze the data using checklists for the presence or absence of certain emotions, and their intensity. These data would be a measure of the level of aggressiveness or stress drivers regularly experience, and the nature of these emotions and thoughts, so they may be dealt with on a public basis.

4) QDCs or Quality Driving Circles -- groups of drivers meeting together regularly, discussing their driving situation and influencing and learning from each other. They would be a funnel into which the traffic data from the self-witnessing reports would be channeled-- a sort of community grass roots organization specifically associated with the road area in question.

5) CARR--Children Against Road Rage. This is an organization that I'm currently developing and is a proposal in my forthcoming book with Diane Nahl called Road Rage: Emotional Intelligence for Drivers . Since aggressive driving is a culturally transmitted and sanctioned habit, we need to start with children to avoid breeding another generation of aggressive and violent drivers and pedestrians. I have evidence that children also have road rage against drivers!! and can behave very aggressively as pedestrians. Later they get a driver's license and drive aggressively. Well let me know if these ideas are of interest to you. I'm looking forward to hearing from you and understanding your perspective better. Leon James (aka "DrDriving")

I'm wondering if it would be possible for you to ask your senior drivers to list the type of actions by aggressive drivers that most disturbs them, for example: --tailgating ----honking ----verbal insults ----etc. Not much research exists on this and you can help gather some of it. Perhaps other chapters might want to participate. I'll be testifying at the Transportation Infrastructure hearings in the House Subcommittee in Washington--let me know if you have ideas or if AARP has ideas on how we should try to protect older drivers. Is there someone in AARP I can discuss this with, do you know?

By the way, one of the things aggressive drivers most complain about senior drivers is their not getting out of the way, especially in the passing lanes. They need to learn what behavior makes other drivers mad. If you get some data, we would be better able to teach them how to reduce those behaviors that make other drivers mad.

DrDriving

The Seniors complain most about 'Tailgating' and about being cut off by rude drivers. As we talk in class, some Seniors feel that they are being set upon because they, the senior, will not exceed the speed limit. The Seniors feel they can't afford the traffic ticket nor the increase in Insurance cost that most companies assess when you start getting tickets.

Seniors as a whole, are Law bidding and feel that others should be also. The article by Daniel Keegan titled "informal vs. Formal Traffic Laws" and posted on the 'Village' part of U.S. News and World Report home page gives a very good insight on driving at the speed limit.I hope to utilize this article with the other 22 Instructors within my area Newsletter. Olly

As a subscriber to USN&WR, I was very happy to see someone...you...quoted so often in the article on "Road Rage". Congratulations!! I hope this gets some publicity with UH admin. The article didn't mention the tinted windows that are so prevalent on cars now. I think this is a factor....people behind dark windows...you never can see them...they feel even safer in doing whatever they want on the road.

DrDriving

I wanted to share with you an incident of why it's bad to respond to aggression with hostility. I was driving down a residential street, and a sport-utility vehicle passed me, going much too fast. I yelled at him to slow down. He pulled in front of me, causing me to stop. I was terrified -- "What if he has a gun?" He started yelling at me. The only thing that saved me was that a car was coming from the opposite direction, and he was blocking traffic. After that, I started noticing when I was getting angry with other drivers, and if I observed myself feeling hostile, I would chant a sort of mantra, "Be mellow...be mellow." It has really helped me avoid becoming infuriated with other drivers' behavior. Thanks for listening.

Thanks for writing.
DrDriving Who says: Drive with Aloha Spirit!

Could tolls be the answer? In looking at this issue, we include links to sites with varying viewpoints so readers can learn more. A link to your site is included. Please visit the article at http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/outhigh.htm and consider adding a reciprocal link to U.S. News Online. Thank you for your visit and consideration, and for providing such a useful online resource.

U.S. News Online
http://www.usnews.com

Also, I am taking on a life time project - I want bikes accountable for their actions since, especially here in Madtown, bikes are being used more and more for daily commuting (they are VEHICLES, TOO). I WANT THEM PLATED. They come zooming up from behind ON THE SIDEWALK and don't bother to say "on your left", though that is partly irrelevant as it is ILLEGAL TO RIDE A BIKE IN A BUSINESS AREA: DOWNTOWN MADISON. The way I see it is that I would rather be pissed at a stupid car driver. At least if they screw up and there is an accident, you hit car first, not stupid biker. Thanks for letting me vent. Keep up the good work!

Several said they same behavior is exhibited on sidewalks, people rush and bump into each other with apology. Over 500 people a year die in traffic accidents. Rental cars are more often than not returned before schedule because visiting drivers find driving too harrowing. There don't seem to be too many cultural differences in the world about driving!

Are you in your car? Did someone just cut you off? Are they following too close? What should you do? Slam on the breaks and teach the tailgater a lesson? shout an obscenity? Here's what DrDriving advises: Let discourteous drivers do what they want. That's right. Don't make eye contact. Don't make gestures. Just get out of their way. DrDriving is also known as University of Hawaii Psychology Professor Leon James, author of the book Inner Power at the Wheel.  .

James says there's a tendency to feel outrage when unsafe drivers trample on our rights. But you are not being a wimp when you allow aggressive motorists to have their way. On the contrary, you win by demonstrating superior morality and intelligence. Remember, says DrDriving, you can't change that bad driver's behavior. So work on your own instead. Listen to tomorrow's University Report for more peaceful driving tips.

Are you often angry at all those drivers who ruin your daily commute? DrDriving says your poor mood may be your own fault. DrDriving is University of Hawaii Psychology Professor Leon James, an expert on motorist mentality. James says irritated drivers who routinely see others on the road as "idiots" are making the mistake of fantasizing about the other drivers' intentions. Truth is, you can't know why that other driver just cut you off.

So instead of attributing a negative intention to other drivers say to yourself, "I don't know why those drivers felt pressured to do that, so I'll give them the space they need." Or, "That driver wasn't paying attention. That happens to me too, so I'll be lenient." For more tips on maintaining your sanity on the road, visit DrDriving's web site.

Are you a kindly Dr. Jekyll who turns into an aggressive Mr. Hyde behind the wheel of your car? DrDriving can help. DrDriving is University of Hawaii Psychology Professor Leon James. He's developed a three-step program to help angry and impatient drivers regain control of themselves. The first step is to acknowledge that you are an emotionally-out-of-control driver. You have negative feelings that are overwhelming. Next try to witness yourself as a driver. James often has his students tape record themselves while driving, speaking out their thoughts to listen to later. The last step is to modify your diving habits one at a time. For example, if impatience causes you to tailgate slow drivers, spend a week driving at twice your usual following distance.

DrDriving says his plan helps motorists develop inner strength and makes driving a pleasure again.

Thank you for taking the trouble to respond to my message; I have visited the site and find that I agree wholeheartedly with your assertions. I hope you will excuse my audacity but I would like to propound some observations on the circumstances leading up to road rage attacks in the UK. I specifically restrict my comments to the UK as I believe that on the whole, drivers are more reserved here and expressing ones feelings is generally alien to the British .. when they are not in a motor car that is. It seems to me that whenever one hears of a road rage attack (in the UK) the circumstances leading up to the attack mainly fall into one of two categories:- 

Situation 1 Driver A is driving along and is (or feels that they are) abused by driver Bs actions, e.g., driver B forces them to slow down by cutting in. Driver A indicates their displeasure through a gesture; shake of the fist, beep of the horn etc. etc. Driver A continues on their journey but is now harassed by driver B who is employing various methods such as driving on the boot lid of driver A or slowing down in front of them forcing them in turn, to slow too. Driver A stops. Driver A is attacked. 

Situation 2 Driver A is driving along and makes a mistake, e.g., pulls out in front of driver B. Driver A continues on their journey but is now harassed by driver B who, to make some point, is employing various methods such as driving on the boot lid of driver A or slowing down in front of them forcing them in turn, to slow too. Driver A stops. Driver A is attacked. 

Whilst scenario 2 is more difficult to avoid, scenario 1 is, IMHO, the prevalent of the two and certainly is avoidable. Of course, as fellow drivers we are appalled at the behaviour of driver B but one has to doubt the efficacy of throwing down the gauntlet to individuals whose strength and psychology one has no information about! In a recent case of a motor-way murder, it would appear that the assailant could have been a known and dangerous criminal. I note in one of your articles that you assert that it is not a job for a driver to correct another drivers behaviour and I totally agree. But apart from that it is downright dangerous. If you think your research would be assisted by a review of the UK Institute of Advanced Motorists scheme, I would be more than happy to send you a copy of the latest magazine and also a copy of the handbook used as a basis for the test. (As a Christmas present) .. Email me if you are interested. Regards and best wishes to you and your colleagues,

:-( Ellen

The best way I know of to avoid aggravating situations on the road is by recognizing the types of drivers around me and evading any situations before they happen. Sometimes that simply is impossible, depending on your position within the mix of driver types around you (or in the event some jerk comes flying up from behind to pass on the right without using a turn signal - you know, the type who thinks he owns the damn road and everyone better get the hell out of his way or else). I was driving to work one day and turned onto a street where there was one car ahead of me. It was a three-lane road and I changed into the far left lane, where the car up ahead of me also happened to be. The speed limit was 40 MPH and I was doing about 39 or 40, and the car ahead of me was doing 35 or less.

The entire road was clear with the exception of the car ahead of me and I slowed down for a moment, giving them a chance to pull over (you know the #1 rule of the road: slower traffic keep right!), but they insisted on doing 35- MPH in the fast lane, so I decided to do what I hate most and changed over one lane to the right with the intention of passing this person on the right. I accelerated back to 40 MPH and began to pass. As soon as I encroached upon the car, it began to accelerate. By turn-off was only a couple of blocks up ahead, so I gunned it to get ahead of the car (feeling a bit annoyed). The other car continued to accelerate, deliberately preventing me from passing. "OK," I thought, "so this person is a jerk. No sense risking my life - I'll just go back to where I was and let them have their *&$# road."

So I slowed down and pulled into the left lane at a safe distance behind the other car. Almost simultaneously, the other car slowed back to 35 MPH. I closed on them a bit, but was still a safe distance behind, but apparently this asshole thought differently and decided to slam on her brakes. Or course I was easily able to stop in time (because I know my safe limits) and then she continued to creep along at about 5 MPH. Again with the brakes. "What a shit wipe" I thought. I decided to just sit tight and let her go on up ahead. She appeared to be accelerating with what I thought was an intent to continue her 35 MPH tradition, so I sped up again, closing again, but keeping even more distance between us than before. Again with the brakes. And again. And again. Fucking jackrabbit she was! She almost got what she wanted - I almost rammed her for the hell of it! We FINALLY got to my turn-off, and it also happened to be her turn off.

She pulled into the left turn lane, and I followed. The light turned green. She pulled into the intersection. A break opened in on-coming traffic. She didn't take it. OK, fine. She doesn't feel comfortable making a left turn. No problem here. A larger break opened in on-coming traffic. She didn't take it. OK, so she has no depth perception. I can accept that. Finally, there were no more cars. The light was green. She just sat there. OK, now this is *&$# ridiculous. The light turned yellow and she proceeded to turn. My front wheels were already across the line into the intersection, so I followed. Half-way through my turn, the woman in front of me stopped. STOPPED! Leaving me out in the intersection while the light turned green for cross traffic! OK, so the woman is a psycho hose beast with something crawling around in her ass and she wants someone to put her out of her misery.

Had I been anyone else, I would have! She decided she (or I) had enough and completed her turn, allowing me to move my ass out of the way of the people who are beginning to get pissed because my vehicle is in their way. We go down a very short street to a stop sign, where we stop. No turn signal. "Which way are you going, lady? I hope you turn right so I can get on with my life." My destination was to the left. She gets out of her car and walks over to me and has the *&$# audacity to ask me, "what's your problem?" "Funny," I thought to myself, "I was just about to ask you the same thing - but I didn't feel like being an asshole and making a deal about it in the middle of the *&$# road." I just looked at her, absolutely astounded and bewildered. "What's *MY* problem?!?!" I asked in response. She just looked at me for a few moments. God knows what she was thinking. "Stay off my ass!" she finally said and got back into her car. It was so absurd I broke out laughing. I couldn't believe this person who created this whole situation out of her own perception (which wasn't even close to real life) got so riled up (and got me pretty pissed off in the process) would lash out at someone who was initially trying to avoid her in the first place!

That is a prime example of someone who should not be allowed to drive. People who are going through emotional times in their lives SHOULD NOT DRIVE!!! What really blew me away was that she was wearing a lab coat. I couldn't only imagine she must have been under a tremendous amount of stress, and I prayed to the universe to please never let her touch anything that has anything to do with any medical treatment that is critical to anyone's life! She was apparently having a bad life day and was not concerned with how it may be affecting other lives and how it was simply making her own life worse by emphasizing it. Anyway, I just had to vent that driving story, although it will never top the story I have about a guy turning left from a lane of on-coming traffic after driving half a block in the same lane. What really pisses me off on the road is seeing drivers who have no regard for anyone around them...much less any consideration or thought for them. It may be that very ignorance that ends their lives (possibly taking other lives with them). Mr. Whiner

The thing is that when they encounter someone who is actually trying to stay at a reasonable 60 MPH in the slow lane they go ballistic. I view a one or two ton automobile just as I would a gun; it is potential a highly dangerous weapon. And, too many drivers on the road, people who would never think of aiming a gun at anyone in a careless fashion, do almost the same thing with their automobile. The only solution is to empower the police to use any and all solutions to catch these people before they kill others. All of the petty rules that officers must be in fully marked automobiles, use radar only in preapproved areas, etc, etc, only hamper them from effectively enforcing the Vehicle Code and saving lives. It is ridiculous, I have finally reached the point where I have had to pull totally off the highway, onto the shoulder, to let some speeder pass (at 70 to 80 MPH) who absolutely refused to pass on any of the other 3 lanes to our left.

I find that these days there are so many people out of control on the highways that a person who tries to drive at the speed limit and within the law actually becomes a traffic hazard to the speeders. It becomes safer to drive just as crazy and fit in with the crowd. "Just let him/her go by and do not make eye contact." Yea, right! That may be possible in rural Hawaii but in Metropolitan California, you will drive on the shoulder perpetually and still may lose your life.

(From: Dangerous Roads--An I-Team Exclusive by Mike Wendland at Leading causes of traffic accidents in Michigan that have killed 7,106 people between 1990-94:

I enjoyed your material on road rage. As the marketing director for a large non-profit counseling center (30 locations in Southern California) I feel this material would be very appropriate for our client base. Would it be possible to use one of your cartoons in our newsletter to illustrate an article on road rage? The one I like the best is the Jekyll/Hyde Driver.

Please let me know what you think. Thanks for your consideration.

DrDriving

Dear Professor James, 

Thank you so much for the wealth of information you provided in your 10/03 e-mail. Unfortunately, I had major computer problems and had to replace the circuit board in my laptop so I was unable to retrieve or respond to your e-mail until my laptop was returned on 10/31.

Thank you again for taking the time to help me in this effort - I think this is an  incredibly interesting topic given current societal norms and I am impressed that you had the foresight to identify and study this topic for the length of time you have.

Thanks again for your insight - I'm looking forward to writing this paper and your information will be very useful. Best wishes

DrDriving

Thanks, John  California Highway Patrol, Office of Special Projects

You'll also find other materials that may be of interest to you. Please let me know how I can facilitate your task as a traffic safety official.

Leon (aka "DrDriving" on the Internet)

Emmy1077

I consider myself a courteous driver. I am always sure to give drivers the right-of-way when appropriate and I am constantly aware of other drivers around me. Like many, I find it irritating to be tailgated by another driver. However, there is one certain instance where I feel that tailgating is somewhat acceptable.  

To illustrate, let's say that I am traveling down a two lane road where the speed limit is 50 miles per hour and there is a car in front of me that is traveling at 45 miles per hour. The average speed that is really traveled on this road is about 60 miles per hour. Now, this person that is moving at 45mph has about a mile of backed up traffic behind them, including me. In this situation I feel compelled to tailgate that driver. I feel this because this driver has not taken the courtesy to pull over to the shoulder and let the other traffic pass. Why should extend to that driver the courtesy of not tailgating them? This is something that I get irritated about.  I would appreciate your opinion on this matter.

Sincerely, Tim

There are three sentences and I can illustrate my answer better if I refer to each of them, if you don't mind.

First: "In this situation I feel compelled to tailgate that driver." Yes., I understand the feeling of compulsion. It's a clue to you that you harbor intense feelings that are somewhat hidden, and your asking about it indicates to me that you'd like to to understand these feelings and perhaps bring them under control.

Second: "I feel this because this driver has not taken the courtesy to pull over to the shoulder and let the other traffic pass." This is also true, that is, the driver seems to act without regard to others, and this is not good of course. However, you need to understand here that as long as you're stuck with this idea of retribution or condemnation (even if well founded on the surface of it), you're not going to free yourself from the compulsion.

To experience more freedom, you need to give yourself more latitude. One way of doing this is try to think up all sorts of reasons that might soften the guilt of the offending driver up ahead, holding everyone up behind. Perhaps he is old. Or sick. Or momentarily distracted. Or just plain dull headed. Or mad and out of control with stubbornness. And so on.

The result of this activity in your mind is to reduce the power of the compulsion over your emotions. Is this not a good thing? Is this not something you want? Then give up the retribution, which comes from righteous indignation and makes your traffic life miserable.

Third: "Why should I extend to that driver the courtesy of not tailgating him?" If you don't disengage your passion, your righteous indignation, you're merely left with this irritating and unsatisfactory state of mind behind the wheel. You loose.

The way to win is to overcome this self-defeating helplessness by which you are a victim of your own thinking pattern. Clearly, you'd be further ahead licking this problem--and you can. Do these steps which are explained in detail under

 DrDriving's Threestep Program: AWM.

Step 1: Acknowledge (or confess) that your anger against those drivers who hold up a long line behind them is both your emotional slavery and your righteous indignation (remember: Who's good enough to throw the first stone!) Do you not desire to be free of it?

Step 2: Witness your righteous indignation and your emotional slavery as it happens when you drive. Speak your thoguhts out loud, then think about them. Aren't you shocked at yourself? What are all the things you can notice about yourself behind the wheel? Your thoughts? Your emotions? Your fantasies? Would you want them broadcast or known? Or do you want them to remain hidden because you realize they're harsh, unfair, dictatorial?

Step 3: Modify your driving personality one step at a time. Start with tailgating when you feel justified: while you're doing it, ask yourself: Is this right? Is this fair? Am I out of control? What things can I say to myself to counteract my tendency? Practice, practice, practice.

Soon you'll see the results. You'll be delighted by your calmness and fairness and supportiveness in traffic. It's a great feeling of being in community, contributing to society, being noble, altruistic.

Please let me know in a few weeks how you're doing, Tim!

DrDriving