PSY 409A – September 28, 2004

PSY 409A – September 28, 2004

My Third Outline of Assigned Readings

By Kristen Masuoka

Stop the Madness!

Road Rage and Aggressive Driving: Steering Clear of Highway Warfare; By Dr. Leon James and Dr. Diane Nahl; Prometheus Books, 2000. Pages 97-108

Instructions for this activity are found at:

www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy23/409a-g23-oral.htm

Instructor: Dr. Leon James

Concept 1: Automotive Vigilante

A. One who aggressively acts out on other drivers, usually as a “payback” for something that the particular driver did. These people usually justify their dangerous actions as taking the law into their own hands by punishing those who violate good traffic behaviors.

B. I find myself as being an automotive vigilante at times, depending on my mood. Just recently someone was tailing me for a considerable amount of time so I decided to brake-check them, that is, I hit on my brakes to make them wake-up and realize that they shouldn’t be following me so closely. Although I know that this type of action is both wrong and dangerous, I sometimes cannot help myself. I feel as if someone should do it as a way to teach these drivers a lesson.

C. I chose this concept because I can totally relate to this type of behavior and I do agree that it can be a very dangerous issue. I think that people just need to calm themselves down during these situations and realize that by acting in this aggressive manner, they are bringing about much more bad than good.

Concept 2: Rushing Maniac

A. One who is always on-the-go and in a hurry to get from point A to point B, no matter if they are late for something or not. These drivers will do just about anything to get to where they are going in the fastest way possible and often get very irritated at slow drivers and congested traffic.

B. Rushing maniacs can be very dangerous on the roads because they are zooming here and there, changing lanes every 2 seconds, not allowing anyone into their lane, dodging red lights, speeding corners, etc.

C. I chose this concept because I agree that there are a lot of rushing maniac drivers out there. What people should think about, is how every single person on the road is trying to get somewhere, and that we need to share the road together in a respectable manner in order to get to our destinations safely.

Concept 3: Aggressive Competitor

A. One who drives aggressively and dangerously based on their competitive nature. These individuals treat driving as if it were a win or lose game. They make very risky choices while driving in order to prove themselves as the best.

B. Racers are a good example of aggressive competitors. A racer often looks for a competitor on the roadway, one who will engage in a sort of playful race. But as we have all seen in the news, “playful” competition can quickly lead to fatalities and deaths.

C. I chose this concept because I agree that competitiveness is a big problem with drivers today, especially young drivers. While competitiveness is fine and dandy in sports, academics, games, etc., it is definitely not fit for the roadways where people could potentially die as a result.

My Home Page: www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/409af2005/masuoka/home.htm

The G23 Class Home Page: www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy23/classhome-g23.htm