Instructions for this activity are found at:

www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy25/g25-oral3.htm

Instructor: Dr. Leon James

Citation: Peter Rothe, editor (2002). Driving Lessons: Exploring Systems That Make Traffic Safer. (Edmonton: University Of Alberta Press). Reviewing pgs. 77-96

I. Rural Areas

1. Increasingly experience serious crashes

2. Reasons for the high rural traffic mortality and morbidity rates

A. fewer trauma centers

B. delayed access to emergency care

C. limited follow-up surgical care

D. fewer EMS professional trained in advanced life support

3. Rural people are more independent in spirit, passive in conflict, religious, and ethnocentric in personality than urban people

4. More passive and fatalistic than urban people (loneliness is more common)

5. I talked to two of my friends (Kelci and Kari) about this. Back on the Big Island Kelci lived in a rural area where Kari lived in the more urban set of town. Kelci did have to agree with the emergency care problem. Both Kari and Kelci agreed with the stereotype of the personality and behavior.

II. Risks

1. Risk-taking has strong cultural and social bonds

2. Drivers usually decide to avoid risk on the basis of social behavior

3. Three common risk-avoidance actions

A. locking houses

B. securing vehicles

C. wearing seatbelts

4. Urban people are likely to distrust and lock and secure everything. Whereas, rural people do not need to lock their vehicles.

5. Urban dwellers always where a seat belt for safety and in fear to get a ticket. Rural dwellers hardly wear a seat belt.

6. I talked to my brother about this because we have a house in a rural part and a urban part. He had to agree with these things. In the case of the wearing seat belt, he wears it while he is in town but as soon as he turns into our road he will unbuckle it.

III. Everyday versus Driving Temperament

1. Driver temperament contributes substantially to driving behavior

A. honking horns, yelling profanities, weaving

2. Easygoing people can become agitated, impatient, and aggressive drivers

3. Major traffic features that upset these drivers include senior drivers at intersections, rush hour or traffic congestion, tailgaters, and running red lights.

A. even-tempered urban drivers are essentially passive

B. easygoing rural drivers tend to produce measured, low-key responses

C. moderate rural drivers were found to be more likely to become aggressive than urban drivers.

D. those drivers who are easy to irritability would increase on the road

4. I talked to my friend Terri about this and she was surprised that there was a difference in behavior depending if you were a urban or rural dweller. She felt that everyone would get mad or should have exhibited aggressive behavior.

IV. Three Links

1. http://library.witpress.com/pages/PaperInfo.asp?PaperID=3218

This link focuses on urban driving patterns and its traffic. I liked the research results that were posted. This site goes more into depth of urban driving.

2. http://www.extension.umn.edu/extensionnews/2000/ruraldriving.html

This link shows the dangers associated with rural places and prevention steps. It shows that most vehicle fatalities occur in rural areas. This site also talks about and emphasizes the dangers of using cell phones.

3. http://cesa8.k12.wi.us/services/rfast/10-12/10-12less1.html

This site is an informational paper of rural dangers on the road. It also gives a great activity that you can participate it. I think that it will make you more aware of dangers.

My Homepage: http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leon/409af2006/alcover/alcover-home.htm

Class Homepage: http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy25/classhome-g25.htm