Psych 409a: November 4, 2006

Combating Aggressive Driving

By:  Justin Koito

 

 

Instructions for this activity are found at:

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

Instructor: Dr. Leon James

 

Dr. Leon James and Dr. Diane Nahl.  Road Rage and Aggressive Driving.  Chapter 10: The War Against Aggressive Driving.  Pages 219-235

 

 

Combating Aggressive Driving

 

I.    Congressional Hearings

A.  In 1996, it was reported that aggressive driving cost the nation $150 billion a year

B.   Aggressive Driving: behavior that endangers people or property

a)   Driving behaviors are considered a crime

b)   aggressive driving is made by a driver’s mental state

C.  Over Behavior: making illegal lane changes, tailgating, obscene gestures, etc.

D.  Covert Behavior: unobservable behavior

E.   Combating Aggressive Driving Proposal

a)   K-12 education of self-assessment and emotional intelligence

b)   Children Against Road Rage: family activity to prevent aggressive driving

c)   Quality Driving Circles (QDC): small groups encouraging one another to self-improve

 

II. Federal Agencies Uniting to Combat Aggressive Driving

A.     National Economic Crossroads Transportation Efficiency Act of 1997: developing comprehensive state and community programs that combat aggressive driving

B.     Tips on what to do when confronted by an aggressive driver

1.      Get out of their way

2.      Do not challenge the aggressive driver

3.      Wear your seat belt

4.      Avoid eye contact

5.      Ignore gestures and do not give any

6.      Report aggressive drivers to the authority

7.      Call the police

8.      If an accident, report the aggressive driver when the police arrive on scene

C.     Road Rage Camera Vans (New York City): used to catch aggressive drivers and hand out citations

D.     Harsher violations for aggressive drivers (i.e. jail time and license being revoked

 

III. Traffic Enforcement Education

A.     Use of billboards and public service announcements of aggressive driving

B.     Public awareness is important because…

1.      send message to aggressive drivers that violations is not acceptable

2.      promotes community support

C.     Focus not only on catching aggressive drivers, but to band the community together to help in the fight against aggressive driving

 

Related Links

 

  1. HB 1342 Aggressive driving; offense and penalty:  http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?021+sum+HB1342 - In the article, it provides a charge to violators of aggressive driving in Virginia.  The penalty is a misdemeanor.  It shows how the penalties are nothing more than a slap on the wrist and hasher penalties need to come into play.

 

  1. Transportation Series No. 7: http://www.ncsl.org/programs/transportation/transer7.htm#attempts - This article seems like it is a document made to legislature to alert the government of the increasing problem of aggressive driving.  In the article, it identifies problems and ways to combat aggressive driving.  The article starts to show how people are becoming more aware of aggressive driving problems.

 

  1. Aggressive Driving: http://www.carwrecks.com/info4.html - The article addresses the problems of aggressive driving and how to identify aggressive drivers.  In the end it recommends what should be done, but hard to do with budget cuts to law enforcement agencies budget.

 

My Home page:

http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leon/409af2006/koito/koito-home.htm

Class Home Page:

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