Psy 409a,
Ninth Outline of Assigned Readings
By Kristina Peltz
Methods of Driver Education
Instructions for this activity are found at:
www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy23/409a-g23-oral.htm
Instructor: Dr. Leon James
I.
Driver ZED
a. This program was created
by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, in response to a need for better
training of teen drivers. The foundation declared that 16 year olds have 20
times the number of crashes per mile than the average driver. Driver ZED is an
interactive CD-ROM that teaches appropriate risk management.
b. The statistic in the book
presents the significance of teens at risk for accidents. Risk management is an
important part of driving, but Diver ZED does not help to eliminate aggressive
driving, which is perhaps a larger driving social problem.
c. I think Driver ZED sounds
like a good idea as it uses a computer and is more technological than
traditional driving instruction methods, but a program to combat the more subtle
forms of aggressive driving such as not signaling, not yielding, tailgating,
and making obscene gestures are should be developed.
II.
A New Driving Psychology Curriculum
a. While the federal
government increased its involvement in aggressive driving initiatives in 1997,
there is still need for a new driver education. A new driver education
curriculum ought to be a driving psychology curriculum so as to include the importance
of three-fold self of the driver: the affective, cognitive, and sensorimotor aspects.
b. The aspects three-fold
self could be improved by a program that includes driving psychology in its
curriculum, which is important because the entire personality of the individual
is involved in driving.
c. I agree that a new driving
curriculum is necessary and I think it would be a good idea to involve the
psychology of driving and incorporate the three-fold self into instruction to
better combat road rage and aggressive driving.
III.
The QDC Approach
a. QDC’s (Quality Driving Circles)
are voluntary groups of drivers who meet regularly to help each other improve
their driving through self-improvement.
b. Research has shown that
support groups tend to increase the likelihood that change will be successful,
so QDC groups may be an inexpensive way to improve driving in all aspects. In order
to maintain lifelong motivation for self-improvement, most drivers need social
and instructional support.
c. I tend to think of support
groups as more for people with problems or addictions, but I guess bad driving behavior
is a problem so QDC’s would be useful. However, I think
most people who are aggressive drivers would not go to a QDC group unless
forced, so I don’t know how effective they would be in reducing road rage
overall.
Related Web Links:
http://www.drdriving.org/articles/qdc.htm
http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/409bf96/oshiroki/459/report2.html
http://www.drivesafety.com/05press/news/051705.htm
My Home Page: http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/409af2005/peltz/home.htm
Class Home Page: http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/peonpsy23/classhome-g23.htm