Outline of My Fifth Oral Presentation

Congestion leads to Vigilantism

This is a presentation of Road Rage and Aggressive Driving: Steering Clear of Highway Warfare, By: Dr. Leon James and Dr. Diane Nahl, Prometheus Books, March 5, 2005, Pages 69-82, Dr.Driving.org.

By: Amy Beeler

Instructions for this oral presentation are found at:

www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy22/g22-oral.htm

I. Defensive Driving

A. In the United States: Drivers caused 5 million accidents, forty thousand deaths, and $150 billion in health related costs.

B. More defensive driving is proposed-but the defensive orientation can become a problem when people abuse it.

1. Can create suspicion

2. Encourages tendency to see other drivers as enemies

C. Propose “Supportive Driving” because it encourages anticipating what others might do, accepting errors as normal, and trying to provide for errors by making room or by yielding.

II. Stressful Congestion

A. Traffic Plagues urban and rural areas all over the world.

1. 1 hundred billion dollar loss in productivity

2. 2 billion hours spent in traffic

3. 6 billion incidents of aggressive driving

4. Increase in air pollution

5. Increase in # of collisions, injuries, and fatalities

6. Discourages tourism and diminishes quality of life

B. Top 5 Congested cities

1. Los Angeles

2. Washington D.C

3. Miami-Hialeah

4. Chicago

5. San Francisco-Oakland

III. Automotive Vigilantism

A. Two types of Drivers in United States and Canada: those who drive “tough- minded” vehicles like SUV’s, sports cars, and light trucks VS. those who drive “soft-minded” vehicles like family and economy cars, and mini-vans. “Tough- minded” car drivers confessed to more frequent and severe aggressive driving behaviors.

B. Sure sign of Road Rage is strong desire to let other person know how you feel.

C. Everyone has their own “triggers” or hot buttons that set their anger in motion.

Helpful Links:

www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-09-30-congested-highways_x.htm

www.klastv.com/Global/story.asp?S=1443809

www.oz.net/~vsamarsk/traffic.html

My Home Page: