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Introduction
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The Back Seat of the
Car Can Now Be Called Road Rage Nursery
The following activities can help children
become more aware passengers by focusing
their attention on when and where they are being
exposed to aggressive driving practices of the
adults around them. This learning activity in
the car will provide the children-passengers
with an opportunity to become aware of the
social categories our society uses to define the
role of the driver.
This is critical
knowledge for them to have in order to
protect them from the high fatality risk they
will be undergoing as teenage drivers
and passengers of teenage drivers. To be
respectful of their vehicle and the power that
it possesses is key. A car is not just some toy
made of cheap auto parts, but a high grade machine with
materials from a partsgeek.com
type of service that has the potential to cause
serious harm to themselves or others if the
proper operational practices are not adhered to.
Children, as passengers in cars
and buses, are at risk of absorbing the
hostile attitudes and risky practices of their
adult drivers. This is an unconscious cultural transmission
from one generation to the next that is
injurious to the children now and later, when
they become aggressive drivers. Road rage is a cultural
temper tantrum learned in childhood in
road rage nursery strapped to the back seat and
quietly imbibing the adult's verbal
ranting and raving against the traffic,
the construction workers, the government, other
motorists. This recurrent stream of verbal road
rage may be reinforced with gestures and sudden
vehicle movements like sudden acceleration or
darting across lanes. These modes of behaving
and driving are shared by the entire generation
and reinforced on television and in driving
stories that drivers tell each
other to vent their anger.
Giving children an increased awareness of the
verbal and mental components
of aggressive driving, can act as a
psychological inoculation mechanism to prevent
the unconscious absorbing of aggressive and
risky personality traits behind the wheel.
When the children are more aware of the behaviors
and attitudes that they are exposed to, they
are given a choice they do not otherwise have.
And the choice is to reject hostility towards
other road users.
We need to teach children supportive
driving attitudes and concepts.
These exercises and activities will be welcomed
by parents and teachers everywhere, indeed by
all who love children enough to want to
protect them against absorbing road rage.
They are given the opportunity and the
assistance to avoid becoming the next
generation of road ragers.
Parents and teachers can use these activities
as a fun and valuable learning exchange with
their children, instructing them in good driving
concepts.
Authority figures of love and respect need to
tell them that supportive driving is your ideal,
and that it has to do with character,
responsibility, and morality.
Urge them to love this
ideal. Let them fill out the Driving
Awareness Form, then
discuss the results with them. Use this activity
as a countermeasure to your own aggressive
driving, to which you probably have been
exposing them every day for years!! (See the survey
results here.)
Teachers will also find these materials helpful
in planning their lessons and activities on
traffic safety, proper
road behavior, and good passenger
behaviors and attitudes. Please send us your
Lesson Plans and ideas so that they can be
shared with everyone on DrDriving's
site. Email: letters@DrDriving.org
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Part 1: Defining the Concept
of Aggressive Driving
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City and State:___________________
Age_____ Circle one: Boy......
Girl
1. Think of the kids you see every day. How
aggressive are they as far you can tell?
Examples of aggressive behaviors: hitting,
throwing, attacking, threatening, blocking the
way, refusing to return something, yelling and
cussing at someone, and doing other things that
are mean, scary, or unfriendly. Circle one of
the numbers to show how aggressive are the kids
you know.
NOT AGGRESSIVE 1 2 3 4 5 VERY AGGRESSIVE
2. Now think of comic books and TV cartoons.
Many of them show things that are aggressive,
like hitting, shooting, attacking, breaking,
hurting, yelling at, insulting, doing bad things
to other people. All of these things are called
aggressive. How aggressive are your own favorite
comic books or TV cartoons? Circle one of the
numbers to show how aggressive are your favorite
characters.
NOT AGGRESSIVE 1 2 3 4 5 VERY AGGRESSIVE
3. While riding in a car or bus, you may have
heard the driver get mad at another driver.
Think about the last few times you were a
passenger in someone's car or bus: how mad do
the drivers sometimes get? Circle one of the
numbers to show how mad they get while driving.
A LITTLE MAD 1 2 3 4 5 VERY VERY MAD
4. Try to remember: do you sometimes get mad at
drivers on the road when you ride in a car or
bus? How mad do you get at those drivers?
A LITTLE MAD 1 2 3 4 5 VERY VERY MAD
5. Now think of this: You're being driven
somewhere, and you're anxious because you don't
want to get there late. There is a car ahead
that's going pretty slow, and there is no way to
pass it. Well, is it all right you think to
tailgate the car? This means to follow very very close behind so the
driver would be scared and speed up. Do you
think one should do that or not? Circle what you
think is the right answer:
1 No, you must never
tailgate someone.
2 Yes, it's all right to
tailgate someone who is going too slow.
3 Yes, you can tailgate
someone who is going too slow
when you are in a hurry and it's not your fault
that you're late.
6. Now think of this: You're being driven
somewhere, and you're anxious because you don't
want to get there late. Is it all right to cheat
a little and break some of the rules, like going
through a red light instead of waiting until it
turns green? Circle what you think is the right
answer:
1 Yes, you can go through a
red light if you very carefully check first to
see if there are no other cars coming at that
time.
2 No, you must never go
through a red light just because you're in a big
hurry, even if there are no other cars coming.
3 Well, it actually depends
on whether you're a good enough driver.
Inexperienced drivers should not go through a
red light, even if they're in a hurry, but it's
all right for experienced drivers who really
know what they're doing, as long as they watch
out for other cars coming, and as long as they
don't do it all the time.
7. In your opinion, who is a really good
driver? Circle the one you think would be the
best:
1 A driver who gets there in
a shorter time than other drivers.
2 A driver who gets there
without taking any chances and is always safe,
even if it takes longer to get there.
3 A former race car driver who gets
there faster than other drivers.
8. What do you think about seat belts? Who
cares most about wearing seat belts? Circle one:
1 Me 2 My Mom 3 My Dad 4
None of us cares about seat belts
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Part 2: Driving Observation
Exercise
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Step 1) First, read the entire instructions.
Then get the OK from your parents and other
adults who drive you to places. Be sure they
agree to it before you start. That's very
important!
Step 2) Take this Form with you in the car,
along with something to write with. Be sure to
show this to the driver. That's very important!
Step 3) Put a checkmark for each thing on the
list every time you see it happening. This way,
you can later count the number of checkmarks to
see how many times something happened. Some of
the things are about the driver, and some about
you.
Step 4) After the ride, count the checkmarks
for each item.
Step 5) Discuss the results with the driver,
your parents, or other adults.
Now here is the list of things to observe next
time you're in a car:
Time (start of trip):_______Purpose
and destination: __________________
___________________________________________________________
(1) The driver yells or uses bad language.
________________________________________Total:_____
(2) You get scared by how the person drives.
________________________________________Total:_____
(3) You wish the driver would hurry up and go
faster.
________________________________________Total:_____
(4) The driver talks bad about another driver.
________________________________________Total:_____
(5) You feel that the driver is being too
aggressive.
________________________________________Total:_____
(6) The driver yells or gets mad at you or at
another passenger.
________________________________________Total:_____
(7) The driver waves or smiles to thank another
driver.
________________________________________Total:_____
(8) The driver is being nice to another driver.
________________________________________Total:_____
(9) The driver is weaving through traffic, and
jumping lanes.
________________________________________Total:_____
(10) The driver is going over the posted speed
limit.
________________________________________Total:_____
(11) Other:__________________________________.
________________________________________Total:_____
(12) Other: Use the back or a second sheet.
Time at end of trip:_______
Total time for the ride: ________minutes.
Please note: It's a good idea to fill out this
form on more than just one trip. Try several
trips and see if they are similar.
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Children's
Books at Amazon.com
|
Part 3: Good and bad passenger behaviors
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Take this list with you in the car. Observe
what you normally do on a trip. Are you a good
passenger or bad? On your next trip, see how
many of the bad behaviors you can stop doing,
and how many of the good behaviors you can start
doing.
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PASSENGERS
BEHAVING BADLY
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PASSENGERS
BEHAVING WELL
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____ making noise,
being loud, yelling
____ poking,
pinching, pushing
____ fighting,
hair pulling
____ changing
seats, not wearing seat
belts
____ throwing
something out the window
____ sticking your
hand out the window
____ making faces
at another driver
____ urging the
driver to go faster
____ complaining
about the traffic
____ other:
________________________
____ other:
________________________
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____ sitting
quietly, acting calm
____ wearing your
seat belt
____ not
distracting the driver
____ helping the
driver read road signs
____ learning the
route
____ talking to
the driver calmly
____ observing the
driver's actions
____ observing
road conditions
____ thanking the
driver for being safe
____ other:
_______________________
____ other:
________________________
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Letter from a Reader:
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March 17, 2000
"I know that Hollywood is the ruler of
negative driving behavior style. As an
adult viewer I am pretty amaze by the
things I see on tv/movies.
I sometimes wonder what would it be like
going 100 mph, weaving in and out of
traffic, chasing another car, and
crashing at the end without getting
hurt. If I was able to imagine that,
then just think what could go in a
child's mind. Probably, many
imaginations that
are unrealistic. Therefore, it
is important that we educated our
younger generations and distinguish
between realistic and unrealistic.
I am convince to say that Dr. James was
right when he said at the beginning of
this semester that we learn to drive
from the time we are riding along with
out parents in our car seat. I've notice
that my three and half year old niece is
aware with her surrounding when we are
to driving somewhere. She corrects my
older brother in times that he may be in
a bad mood and everything on the road
irritates him. She tells him, "don't
yell daddy" (at other drivers) or "daddy
don't get angry at mommy." She knows
this because my brother talks to her at
times when they are driving. I think
that talking to our young generation have a
great impact. And educating them should
start from the time they can walk. I am
pretty proud at my niece, because she disprove my
belief that children under five can not
think for themselves what's right and
wrong. "
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Part 4: Aggressive driving
behaviors and their consequences
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Take this list with you in the car. Observe
what you normally do on a trip. Are you a good
passenger or bad? On your next trip, see how
many of the bad behaviors you can stop doing,
and how many of the good behaviors you can
start doing.
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DRIVERS
BEHAVING BADLY
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CONSEQUENCES
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____ not signaling
a lane change
____ going over
the posted speed limit
____ going through
a red light
____ hogging the
passing lane
____ tailgating or
following too close
____ yelling at
other drivers,
name-
calling
____ making an
insulting gesture
____ making an
illegal U-turn
____ yelling at
passengers or
pedestrians
____ revving the
engine (vroom,
vroom)
____ driving after
drinking alcohol
____ other:
________________________
____ other:
________________________
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____ being in a
bad mood
____ getting angry
and violent
____ increasing
stress and blood pressure
____ lowering the
immune system
____ feeling
disconnected, alienated
____ feeling
competitive and defensive
____ being
impatient and taking bad risks
____ getting into
a crash and being injured
____ going to jail
or losing one's license
____ teaching your
children to do it
____ weakening
your conscience or
morality
____ other:
_______________________
____ other:
________________________
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Part 5: Drivers Behaving
Badly on TV (DBB Ratings)
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Before they become drivers, children are
exposed to thousands of scenes on TV depicting
drivers behaving badly. It is desirable to make
children more aware of this exposure by
discussing it with them. Parents and teachers
can use the following specific examples that are
familiar to their children. They
were collected by DrDriving's
traffic psychology students at the University
of Hawaii. After discussing some of
these, you might encourage your children to make
their own observations while watching TV and
keeping a diary or notebook. Teachers can use
this activity as homework and class discussion
afterwards. Please send your results to
DrDriving so they may be added to this list. The
Evaluation Activity Sheet for Drivers Behaving
Badly (DBB) appears below this table.
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Drivers Behaving
Badly
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Source
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Evaluation
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- The power rangers
have just gotten into their racecars
and are speeding across a dry
lakebed.
- The tires are
kicking up huge amounts of dust and
particles into the air.
- The cars are also
driving over trees and bushes.
- The cars seem to
fly and join up with each other to
form a huge robot.
- The cars in this
cartoon are just running over
anything in their path
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Cartoon:
Power
Rangers Turbo
October 14, 1997
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This
cartoon is geared for young children
and the material is presented in a
format for a child to view, but the
hidden meaning in the cartoon plays on
the thinking of a child. It is
appealing to the child in order to get
the child to want the toy that comes
with the cartoon. It is also showing
the child that they can do anything as
long as they are fighting with
someone. Contributed
by Ryan S.
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Drivers Behaving
Badly
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Source
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Evaluation
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- They are chasing
each other at a fast speed on bumpy
roads.
- Nobody is wearing
seat belts.
- They are shooting
at each other while standing in the
back area of the jeep.
- All jeeps are
jumping and making leaps off of
small hills and small cliff edges,
flipping the jeeps and crashing.
- Tarzan jumped from
his jeep to the next jeep trying to
fight off the bad guy.
- Weaving in and out
of each other trying to avoid
collision.
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TV
Series: Tarzan,
July 20, 1997
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This may
influence some drivers to think off roading is fun
and jeeps like that are easy to
handle. In actuality, off roading takes
a lot of skill and knowledge of your
car and the roads. Off roading is not
that bad, but this scene shows them
fighting, shooting, and racing each
other. This is very bad driving
examples that many children,
adolescence, and even adults may think
is cool. This is another chase scene
where the good guys
always wins and no one gets
into any serious trouble. Contributed
by Jennifer K.
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Drivers Behaving
Badly
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Source
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Evaluation
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- Her mind was
preoccupied with her romantic
relationship and she was not
concentrating on driving.
- While changing
lanes she almost hits a bicyclist
and shows little concern or remorse.
- She swerves to the
right, sideswipes several parked
cars and keeps driving.
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Movie and
TV Series:
Clueless,
Oct 10, 1997
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She was
extremely wealthy and had a surreal
life. Still, these images can create
the impression that driving is not a
serious subject. By initially
allowing his daughter to drive without
the accompaniment of a licensed
driver, the father in this movie sets
a very poor standard. His lax attitude
toward driving would undoubtedly
affect his daughter's opinions as
well. Contributed
by Kendra M.
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Before
they become drivers, children are exposed to thousands
of scenes on TV depicting drivers behaving
badly. It is desirable to make children more
aware of this exposure by discussing it with
them. Parents and teachers can use the following
specific examples that are familiar to their children.
They were collected by DrDriving's traffic
psychology students at the University of Hawaii.
After discussing some of these, you might encourage
your children to make their own observations while
watching TV and keeping a diary or notebook.
Teachers can use this activity as homework and class
discussion afterwards. Please send your results
to DrDriving so they may be added to this
list.
The Evaluation
Activity Sheet for Drivers Behaving Badly (DBB) appears
below this table.
This
Table is a clickable Index of actual observations made
while watching television. Each observer also contributes a
Rating Form. These examples can help you create
your own DBB Rating Form.
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Bad Habit Song
By Offspring
But when I'm in my car
don't give me no
crap.
Cause the slightest thing
and I just might snap.
When I go driving I stay
in my lane, but getting cut off makes me
insane...
Well they say the roads a
dangerous place.
If you flip me off I'm the
danger you'll face.
Original
here
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Part 6: Driving
Informatics
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The phrase "driving informatics" was coined in
1998 by Dr. Diane Nahl, Associate Professor of
Information Science, and refers to collecting
and organizing information about driving
behavior and drivers. Its major topic categories
are listed in these directories of links:
Informatics
|| Topics
|| Information
|| see also Facts
& Research
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Special Exercise:
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Review the contrasts between anti-social and
civilized and explain the difference in each
example. Show how they differ in terms of the
focus.
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NEGATIVE &
ANTI-SOCIAL
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POSITIVE &
CIVILIZED
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REPTILIAN
(OLD BRAIN) DRIVING
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CORTICAL
(NEW BRAIN) DRIVING
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FOCUS
IS ON BLAMING OTHERS AND RETALIATING
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FOCUS
IS ON SELF AND HOW TO COPE BETTER
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They're
jerks!
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I'm
feeling very impatient today!
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How
can they do this to me!
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I'm
scared and angry!
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They
make me so mad when they do this!
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I
make myself so mad when they do
this.
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I
just want him to know how I feel!
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It's
not worth it.
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They
better stay out of my way!
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I
need to recognize that everybody has
to get to their
destination.
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How
can they be so stupid talking on the
phone while driving!
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I
need to be extra careful around
these drivers.
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Children's
Books at Amazon.com
|
Part 7: Safety
Facts
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Safety facts quoted from DrDriving's
site on Driving Facts
In 1994, 40,676 people lost their lives in motor
vehicle crashes, an increase of 1.3 percent from
1993.
An average of 111 persons died each day in
motor vehicle crashes in 1994 - one every 13
minutes.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of
death for every age from 6 through 28 years old
(based on 1991 data).
Vehicle occupants comprised almost 84 percent
of fatalities in 1994; the remaining 16 percent
were pedestrians, pedal-cyclists and other
non-occupants.
From 1982 through 1994, it is estimated that
safety belts saved 65,290 lives (9,175 in 1994).
In 1994, it is estimated that 308 children
under age 5 were saved as a result of child
restraint use. An estimated 2,655 lives were
saved by child restraints from 1982 through
1994. In 1994, 47 percent of occupants of
passenger cars and 54 percent of occupants of
light trucks involved in fatal crashes were
unrestrained.
16 year old drivers are more than 20 times as
likely to have a crash as the general population
of drivers." American Academy of Pediatrics
"Motor vehicle crashes a re the leading cause of
deaths in 15 to 20 year olds." National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration
NHTSA estimates that 518 lives were saved by
the use of motorcycle helmets in 1994. 11%
(4,544) of all motor vehicle traffic fatalities
reported in 1994 involved heavy trucks (gross
vehicle weight rating greater than 26,000
pounds).
16-24 year olds represent 24% of total
fatalities compared to 8% from ages 1-15. 43%
for ages 25-54. 24% for ages 55 and over.
On a per population basis, drivers under the
age of 25 had the highest rate of involvement in
fatal crashes among all age groups.
The male fatal crash involvement rate per
100,000 population
was 3 times as high as for female drivers in
1994.
22% of male drivers involved in fatal crashes
were intoxicated compared to 11% of female
drivers.
37% of female drivers involved in fatal crashes
were unrestrained at the time of the crash
compared to 47% for male drivers involved in
fatal crashes.
In 1994, there were 5,472 pedestrian fatalities which
represented 13% of total fatalities.
On average, a pedestrian is killed in a motor
vehicle crash every 96 minutes.
More than one-third of children between 5 and 9
years old killed in motor vehicle crashes were
pedestrians.
In 6% of the crashes, both the driver and the
pedestrian were intoxicated.
802 pedalcyclists
were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 1994. (that’s 2% of total
fatalities).
For 72% of the pedalcyclists
killed in motor vehicle crashes in 1994, police
reported one or more errors or other factors
related to the cyclist's behavior. The factor
most often noted was "failure to yield
right-of-way," followed by "walking with or
against traffic" and improper crossing of the
roadway or intersection." The factors most often
noted for drivers were "driving too fast for
conditions or exceeding the speed limit" (17%),
"vision obscured" (14 percent) and "driver
inattentiveness (talking, eating, etc.)" (13%).
Only cigarette smoking and heart disease kill
more people than automobile accidents in
America.
Car accidents are the No. 1 cause of death and
injury among children.
Alcohol was involved in 41% of all traffic
fatalities in 1994, resulting in 17,000 deaths.
Each alcohol-related death costs our nation an
average of 37 years of life lost--in contrast to
16 years for cancer and 12 years for heart
disease.
There has been a steady increase in DWI rates
and alcohol-related fatal crashes among women,
especially younger women.
DWI or DUI accounted for about 1.4 million
arrests in 1994, about the same as arrests for
larceny or theft, or arrests for drug abuse.
In 1996, about 35% of college students report
having driven after drinking alcoholic
beverages.
More than 50% of the people jailed for DWI are
repeat offenders.
Raising the minimum drinking age to 21 has been
credited with saving 15,000 lives so far. Some
States saw a decrease of up to 38% in young
motorists deaths.
States that enacted and enforced an ALR law
(Administrative License Revocation) experienced
a decline of up to 9% in drunk driving crashes.
Research shows that parents tend to seriously
underestimate their children's drinking.
It is believed that police sobriety checkpoints
are one of the most effective measures police
can use to deter drunk driving. Other methods
include:
supporting local
chapters of MADD, SADD, RID
supporting judicial efforts to combat impaired
driving
promoting DD or "Designated Driver" programs
getting involved in National Drunk and Drugged
Driving (3D) Prevention Month activities every
December
supporting zero-tolerance laws and other
anti-DWI laws in your community.
The cost of motor vehicle crashes and injuries
in 1990 was $138 billion, representing the
present value of lifetime economic costs for
45,000 fatalities, 5.4 million non-fatal
injuries, and 28 million damaged vehicles.
Components of this total cost include:
property damage at
33%
workplace and household productivity at 37%
medical and rehabilitation at 10%
legal and insurance at 20%
Per fatality cost:
Workplace
productivity........................$510,000
Household productivity.........................
113,000
Medical &
emergency........................... 5,900
Legal.................................................
80,000
Premature
funeral................................ 3,400
Insurance............................................ 55,000
Property damage.................................
10,000
Total..................................................
$785,000
Nearly 100,000 pedestrians are injured in motor
vehicle accidents each year in the United
States, with a majority of these accidents
taking place in urban areas.
"Highway crashes cost the Nation $150.5 billion
a year. We estimate that about one-third of
these crashes and about two-thirds of the
resulting fatalities can be attributed to
behavior associated with aggressive driving."
NHTSA's Administrator Dr. Ricardo Martinez
The risk of getting in a wreck quadruples when
drivers are talking on the phone and have not
trained themselves for this new skill.
To reduce your chances of getting into a road
rage fight, let pushy drivers have their way.
Male drivers of all age groups are involved in
more crashes than their female counterparts
(Table X). Crash Involvement per 1,000 Licensed
Drivers in by Age and Sex, 1988 - 90
Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death
for children and adults age 6 to 28, and the
leading cause of long-term disability for all
age groups. Last year, 41,000 died in car
crashes in the United States. Another 3.5
million suffered injuries that ranged from
sprained ankles to life-long paralysis.
Britain's Automobile Association is examining
the use of aroma therapy
to reduce road rage through a device that heats
pleasant-smelling oils and wafts them throughout
the car to help keep the driver calm.
The phrase "road rage" officially entered the
English language in 1997 when it was first
listed in the New Words edition of the OED
(Oxford English Dictionary).
Human action was the leading cause of accidents
on British Columbia roads in 1995, accounting
for 68 per cent of all crashes. Of the types of
human action that led to crashes, driving
without due care was No. 1. It accounted for 27
per cent of those accidents. Speeding, in
contrast, caused 17 per cent and tailgating
caused only 12 per cent.
More than 2 million Americans died in car
crashes during the first century of our car
society (1896-1996).
Above Safety facts
quoted from DrDriving's site on
Driving Facts
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Part 8: Road Rage
Formula
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by Dr. Leon James
Why is aggressive driving happening now?
Aggressive driving is not extreme any more; it
has become a cultural norm on the highway. We're
born into road rage; we inherit it from our
parents. We acquire it automatically as children
from adult drivers, cartoons, television, and
commercials. Our culture condones the expression
of hostility when we feel justified, indignant,
stressed, or frustrated. Proof of these points
may be found
in this document.
At the same time drivers aren't trained for
emotional intelligence to be able to manage both
lifestyle stress and provocations in traffic.
The Formula for Road Rage:
more
driver interactions (more cars, less
space), greater diversity of drivers
+
cultural norms of disrespect condoning
hostility
=
aggressive driving and road rage battles
The
average number of driver
interactions during an average commute
of 30 mins. has
steadily climbed due to traffic congestion.
Thousands of interactions with hundreds of
cars in a half-hour period create new
challenges for drivers. Any one of these
mini-exchanges can go wrong when the context
is hostile. There are now 125 million drivers
on the road every day in the U.S. They
represent a tremendous diversity of
competence, style, and purpose. The hundreds
of drivers one encounters in a traffic
half-hour puts us
into contact with this diversity. It is
unrealistic to expect homogeneity of driving
styles. Drivers differ in gender, age,
experience, familiarity with the road,
physical health and condition, mood, and why
they are on the road. Not all drivers are in a
hurry. Not all drivers are alert. Not all
drivers are competent. Not all drivers know
how to coordinate with the rest of traffic.
Not all drivers want to.
And
so the 125 million drivers on the road every
day need to learn how to drive with each
other, how to get along, how to be more
tolerant of each other's mistakes and
varieties of mood and desire for cooperation.
Driving Psychology gives drivers the
psychological tools by which they can acquire
skills of tolerance for one another. It takes
compassion, fairness, rationality, and
altruism. By developing these skills as
drivers, we also become more valuable citizens
and more worthy human beings.
The
formula above shows that aggressive driving is
the result of hostile norms in combination
with more traffic. It is not more traffic by
itself that causes aggressive driving.
Here
is the rest of the formula:
more
driver interactions (more cars, less
space), greater diversity of drivers
+
cultural norms of respect promoting
civility and community
=
supportive, safe, and sane driving
Definition
of Road Rage:
the
habit of aggressive driving as a permanent
style of behaving behind the wheel. There are
three types:
1. Verbal Road
Rage: yelling, cussing, gesturing,
honking, insulting
2. Quiet Road Rage: complaining, rushing,
competing, resisting
3. Epic Road Rage: cutting off, blocking,
chasing, fighting, shooting
Lacking
in emotional intelligence training, drivers
operate on the false "trigger theory" of
anger:
"I
can't help it when they provoke me.
Besides, they're doing something wrong.
I can't just sit back and take it."
This
attitude involves righteous indignation that
gives us permission to retaliate because we
feel wronged. It's easy to "lose it" when a
"hot spot" is stepped on, and out comes the
unthinking gesture, the uncontrolled temper,
the comic book fantasies of punishment and
mayhem.
Emotional Intelligence Exercises
or How Not to Be Hostile When Stressed and
Upset
1. Self-witnessing behind the wheel:
Pretend you're giving a play-by-play broadcast
of your driving--what you're doing, thinking,
and feeling. Speak all your thoughts out loud.
This will let you be more aware of your driving
personality.
2. Shrinking Your Emotional Territory:
Talk to yourself. Argue with yourself. What is
it that you really care about? Examine your
assumptions, your anger theory, your driving philosophy.
3. Acting As-If
Pretend you're a supportive driver even when
you feel like being competitive and aggressive.
When you feel like yelling, sing instead--or
make funny animal sounds (suggestion by LauraLee Carman in her
book Rainbows In My Soup, BookPartners
Inc., Wilsonville, Oregon) in the car. By
pretending to be an Aloha spirit driver, you
discover you like it--cool-headed, hassle-free
driving. All right!
Three Levels of Emotional Intelligence as a
Driver
1. Oppositional Driving (Aggressive Driving;
Road Rage Habit)
2. Defensive Driving (Be on guard. Assume the
worst.)
3. Supportive Driving (Act tolerant. Be
forgiving. Be helpful.)
Defensive driving is a good strategy, but you
can't let defensive driving slide into
aggressive driving. The best defense is not a
good offense, in this case. Factors that allow
defensive driving to become oppositional:
rushing mania
(getting there as fast as possible)
righteous indignation (They deserve to be
punished)
comic book persona (The Avenger, Jekyl & Hyde, Mad
Max)
culture that condones hostility (cartoons,
commercials, movies)
Anatomy of
Road Rage
Step 1: Provocation and Escalation
It takes two to make a fight. Don't respond.
Don't engage. Don't up the ante. Swallow your
pride. Choose "the road less traveled."
Containment Techniques:
Count to 10.
Make animal sounds (suggestion by LauraLee Carman in her
book Rainbows In My Soup, BookPartners Inc.,
Wilsonville, Oregon) .
Act as-if you're not affected.
Give yourself pep talks.
Step 2: Recovery and Remedy
If you fall into a hostile exchange, know how to
back out, reverse, back pedal. You need to do
damage control.
Containment Techniques:
Refrain from aggravating things.
Come out swinging positive. Apologize. See it
from their side as well, not just your own.
Think supportive (vs. combative).
Acts of Declaration of Road Rage War
Honking at someone.
Giving an offensive hand gesture.
Yelling at someone or swearing.
Revving your engine to indicate displeasure.
Shining your high beams in retaliation.
Deliberately cutting someone off.
Tailgating.
Braking suddenly to punish a tailgater.
Blocking a lane.
Racing.
Chasing.
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No.33C7
CARRworkbook
Children Against Road Rage
Drivers Behaving Badly on
TV--Activities To Do
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1. In a classroom
or family setting, you can discuss
various TV programs and commercials.
Have everyone contribute to examples
of Drivers Behaving Badly. Discuss
each one in terms of its risks and
its potential for unconscious
imitation by drivers.
2. In a family or
group setting, you can view videos
or TV and point out scenes of
Drivers Behaving Badly. Discuss
their potential for lulling us to
minimize risk and injury from
certain events, giving us a
distorted image of danger and
injury. Some of the things you can
point out that happen frequently are
the following. Use this list to
identify and record scenes of DBB.
- taking the
eyes of the road (count the
seconds)
- hitting a
parked car or object and not
stopping
- giving
chase
- riding up a
rocky mountain or river bed with
large boulders
- jumping out
of the car while still in motion
- yelling at
passengers, other drivers,
pedestrians
- driving and
drinking
- driving in a
confused mental state
- going
through red light when in a hurry
- passengers
fighting or partying passengers
urging driver to speed and take
risks
- children
behind the wheel, driving trying
to get away from a police car with
sirens on
- chasing an
ambulance or emergency vehicle
- driving off
in anger, burning rubber
- driving
through traffic in a reckless
manner
- joking
about running over someone
- deliberately
running over someone
- Other:
____________________________________
- Other:
____________________________________
3. Encourage children
to keep a TV log of Drivers Behaving
Badly by writing down the date, the
program or commercial, and the
event. Take time to discuss with
them the implications of
uncritically watching thousands of
such events before you get to be a
driver.
4. Have children of
all ages make drawings or posters of
Drivers Behaving Badly scenes and
have them discuss the consequences
of watching these scenes
uncritically.
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For
additional information, visit the Web
at
DrDriving.org
or e-mail DrDriving@DrDriving.org
TEE
CARDS Copyright 1999 Dr. Leon James
and Dr. Diane Nahl
Do not use without
permission
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Children's
Books at Amazon.com
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Part 9: Driving
slogans that children can share with their
parents
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1.
Practicing
patience in the car
Will
ease your mind and take you far.
2.
Drive
smart,
Put a
smile in your heart.
3.
Ask
yourself if it's right for you to
tailgate.
How do
you feel when someone tailgates
you?
4.
They
made a mistake?
Give
them a break!
5.
Listen
in on your thinking behind the
wheel.
Do you
fuss and cuss and make a big
deal?
That's
unhealthy for your body and
mind.
Drive
with Aloha toward all humankind.
6.
Do
you feel locked into traffic, unable
to move?
Worried
you'll go crazy if you can't get
out of it?
Try
some quick mood changers:
* start
singing
* make
silly animal sounds
*
listen to music that calms you
* tune
in to talk radio
* put
a talking book in your tape
player
*
enjoy a moment to yourself
*
mentally plan a vacation trip
* look
around and enjoy the scene
*
become one with the traffic flow
*
count your blessings
7.
Just
go with the flow
No
matter how slow
8.
Drive
with Aloha Spirit.
Let
someone go ahead.
9.
Keep
children safe in cars.
Always
fasten their seatbelts.
Always
use car seats securely in place
in the back seat.
10.
Rushing,
tailgating, and lane hopping?
Relax
and play
follow the leader,
Resist
the urge to be an impatient
speeder.
11.
Enjoy
the journey.
If
another driver bothers you,
Get
out of the way. Be smart,
Turn
down challenges.
Set a
good example.
Don't
try to teach other drivers a
lesson.
12.
Make
it a safe trip.
Keep a
cool head, an alert eye, and a
steady hand.
13.
You're
in traffic -- driving like a maniac.
You
moan and groan -- are you anger
prone?
Give
up your bad mood -- it's no fun
to be rude.
Take
things in stride -- enjoy the
ride.
14.
Take
it easy, why drive yourself crazy?
Keep
peace in the car and on the
road.
15.
You
can learn to love traffic.
Enjoy
the journey. It's part of your
life.
16.
Treat
other drivers
As you'd
want them to treat your son or
daughter.
Mahalo for
your kokua
on the road.
17.
Frustrated?
Upset? Angry?
Quick
-- make silly animal sounds.
They'll
help you calm down.
18.
Think
bad, feel
bad, be bad.
Think
nice, feel nice, be nice.
It's
your choice!
19.
Don't
fight -- Drive right.
Don't
compete -- Just follow along.
Don't
do wrong -- Sing a song!
Don't
swear -- Learn to care!
20.
Safe
Stopping Distance Means
21.
How
close is the car in front of you?
Count
thousand-and-one,
thousand-and-two,
thousand-and-three. That's
the only way to avoid a
collision.
22.
The
driver of this car
is
dedicated to non-violence
23.
Avoid
win-lose situations.
Look
out for win-win opportunities.
Help
other drivers along the way.
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24.
Avoid
the hassle of left lane driving
Because
that's where road rage is
thriving.
25.
Have
you tried the right lane lately?
It's
nice and relaxing.
26.
Try
life in the right lane
It's
slower, safer, smarter, nicer
27.
Don't
let your bad mood do the driving.
Think
kind thoughts and
Drive
with Aloha in your heart.
28.
Reason
with yourself: Anger is unhealthy
Forgive
and live!
29.
Don't
think of it as being cut off.
Think
of it as helping someone in
trouble.
30.
You
don't feel like being nice?
Just
act as-if you are -- and you
will be.
31.
Preserve
the spirit of community
Give a
courtesy wave to reward civility
32.
Does
it seem like the other lane is
always faster?
Be
safe and stay in your lane
You'll
get there just as quick.
33.
Hey,
car lovers!
Respect
one another.
34.
Go
ahead, make your day
Be a
nice driver all the way
35.
You're
in Hawaii -- relax!
It's
time for vacation driving
Hassle-free
driving
Aloha
Spirit driving
36.
Let
someone go ahead of you.
Brake
for people on foot.
Avoid
blocking the passing lane.
Resist
following too close.
Make a
full stop when required.
Go
slow around the bend.
Signal
ahead of time.
Do
these things and you're a good
driver.
37.
Driving
defensively is smart.
Driving
altruistically is even smarter.
38.
Careless
driving is bad.
Defensive
driving is better.
Aloha
Spirit driving is best.
39.
Drive
under the influence of awareness
It may
save a life
40.
How
much are you driving over the speed
limit right now?
Is it
safe to do that?
41.
Do
you see someone driving at the speed
limit?
They're
doing a good thing.
They're
saving lives.
42.
Did
you know that most traffic accidents
are caused by driver error?
Please
watch out and be alert.
43.
Do
you feel frustrated in traffic?
Are
you impatient?
Take a
deep breath
There's
time to slow down.
44.
Is
your radio playing very loud?
Have a
heart and be considerate of your
neighbors on the road.
45.
Last
year more than 40,000 Americans died
in traffic accidents.
Almost
4 million people were seriously
injured on the road.
Don't
take risks! Protect each other.
46.
Did
you know that 25% of the children who
die between ages 5 to 14, die in
traffic accidents?
Please
watch out for keiki.
47.
People
are walking up ahead.
Approaching
fast is threatening to them.
Be
gentle and your car will be too.
48.
SYMPTOMS:
Are
you having negative thoughts about
another driver?
Do you
feel justified that you're "in
the right"?
Then
you're in a state of road
rage!
SOLUTION:
To
back out of road rage start singing
Or
making silly animal sounds.
Then
give yourself pep talks about:
Human
rights, noble feelings, smarter
choices.
Acceptance
of diversity, forgiveness,
giving people greater latitude.
Think
like an Aloha Spirit driver, and
you'll act like one!
BENEFITS:
Anger
released is anger increased.
Anger
transformed is anger dissolved.
Anger
and indignation weaken your
immune system and your heart.
Tolerance
and humor diffuse anger, reduce
stress, and keep you alert.
You
can make smarter choices and
enjoy hassle-free, safer, more
pleasant rides
And
feel part of the community of
drivers.
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Part 10:
Instructional CARtoons
amd Vignettes
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What Our Children Really Learn From Us
 
The first part of this cartoon shows little
Tommy pretending to drive.
Above two CARRtoons
submitted by Sean
Marrs who has a
bunch more here
Instructional CARRtoon
Vignettes
1-2 Jekyl/Hyde
Driver
Highway scene. One car is a male driver with a
pleasant face. He's visualizing this: He's in
traffic on the same highway, but he's driving an
oversized, armored, battle-ready car, and his
face looks fiendish.
1-5 Waving Sabotage
Inside a car driving on a street. Woman
passenger: "Come on, he let you in, so wave at
the nice man. Wave at him. Hurry he's looking."
Male Driver: "I don't feel like it. It's too
much trouble. I feel stupid doing it. Anyway,
it's too late."
1-11 Driving Statistics
Lecture hall. Lectern sign reads: "Traffic
Psychology Lecture" Speaker says: "...40,000
deaths, 5 million serious injuries, 55 million
stressed out drivers, 722 million aggressive
incidents, 132 billion dollars in economic cost,
and 5 drivers every year who are nice and
peaceful."
1-13 Legal Speed Limit
Highway scene. One car has rigged an inclined
platform in the front and at the back, so other
cars can pass by rolling over the roof of his
car. One car is just rolling off in the front,
while a second car is on top of the roof. The
male driver explains to a male passenger: "I got
the idea from a TV cartoon. Now I can maintain
the legal speed limit and no one bothers me."
1-14 Sweep Them All Away
Inside a psychiatrist's office. Male doctor
looks like Sigmund Freud. Female patient on the
couch explains earnestly: "Part of me wanted to
mow them down with a Sherman tank and sweep them
all off the road." The rest of her talk is in a
second balloon: "And part of me wanted to let
them into my lane." The doctor thinks to
himself: "I leave enough space to make them
think they can come in. Then at the last second
I speed up and close the gap. It feels good to
torture them. Hmmm. Better mention this to my
analyst."
1-17 Lead Foot
Urban street scene, maybe a school or hospital zone . Police car has
stopped a car and is looking through the window
as if trying to see the driver's foot. The
driver says: "It wasn't ME speeding, officer. It
was my lead foot!"
1-19 Bathroom Stop
Couple driving on highway with "Just Married "
sign on the back bumper. He's driving. She's
thinking: "I've asked him three times to stop so
I can go to the bathroom. And he's still not
stopping. One of the 10 warning signs that the
honeymoon is over." Bottom of the cartoon says
in strong letters: "INTRA-VEHICULAR RELATIONS"
1-21 You Didn't Wave
Highway scene. Two drivers are being loaded into
the ambulance on stretchers. Highway patrolman
is taking notes in front of onlookers. One of
them says: "They were knocking each other out
when I arrived. One guy kept screaming, "You
didn't wave!" while the other guy was yelling,
"I waved! I waved!"
1-28 Drivers Confess
Highway scene. Cars have bumper stickers.
"Warning! Cowboy Driver -- Keep your Distance";
"Wiley Coyote -- Now You See Me, Soon You
Won't"; "Paranoic
Driver -- Avoid Appearing Suspicious"; "I'm
Always In a Rush -- God Help Me!"
1-31 Speeding Excuse
Female officer is writing out a ticket on the
road shoulder. The female passenger in the car
says to the driver: "What happened to your New
Year's resolution to stop speeding?" He says: "I
said I'd stop speeding when your grandmother is
riding with us. This is different."
2-20 Road Auction
Highway scene. Right lane is backed up in the
exit lane. Male driver in the middle lane in a
business suit and hat is leaning over, holding
up a scribbled sign: "$20 to the driver who'll
let me in -- To collect call 222-3344."
3-1 Gas Pedals, Not Brakes
A male driver speeding and careening, while his
terrified female passenger holding on to her
seat, says: "Watch out! Why don't you slow down!" The male driver with a
cynical face says: "Driving is about gas pedals,
not brakes."
3-3 What Kind of Driver Are You
Street intersection scene. Cars turning. One car
is making a left turn illegally into a one way street going the
wrong way. There is a big sign saying: "NO LEFT
TURN" and a big directional arrow pointing to
the right. The male driver says to the male
passenger: "'Course I'm an excellent driver. I
hardly speed and I've never been arrested for
DUI." Bottom Caption says: "DELUSIONS OF
ADEQUACY"
3-8 Saintly Driver
Restaurant scene. Round table with several
people looking up at the speaker who is leaning
on a podium that reads: "Reformed Drivers
Anonymous" Speaker says: "How many random acts
of kindness did you do on your drive over here?"
They respond in turn, with the person closest to
the podium going first. "Four." "Two." "Five."
"Seven." "Three." The last person has a saint's
halo and says: "One hundred and twenty two."
3-10 Canine Parking Lot Graduate
Busy parking lot scene with no empty spaces
except one. A Great Dane is sitting in it
preventing car A from taking the space. Behind
car A is car B with a smiling woman driver who
thinks: "Good Girl. You keep that space for
Mommy now."
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See book chapter on
CARR
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