My Fifth Outline

Defensive Driving and Highway Hostility

This is a presentation of Road Rage and Aggressive Driving

By: Dr. Leon James & Dr. Diane Nahl, Prometheus Books, 2000; Pgs. 69 Ð 82

By Kyle Santos

 

Instructions for this oral presentation are found at:

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

 

 

  1. Introduction
    1. Defensive Driving: Assuming the worst of other drivers and its consequences.
    2. Traffic Congestion: Affects traffic has on the average driver.
    3. Peer Pressure: How other drivers can influence the way you think and drive.

 

  1. Defensive driving
    1. Defensive driving was encouraged as a counter-balance to the increasing tendency for aggressive driving.

                                                     i.     Aggressive driving continued to increase despite these efforts.

    1. Defensive driving assumes the worst of other drivers and does help prevent some accidents.          

                                                     i.     However, it has some unintended and unwanted side effects.

    1. Defensive side effects:

                                                     i.     View other drivers as enemies.

                                                      ii.     Does not encourage support and compassion for other drivers.

    1. Best way to handle other drivers is through emotional intelligence.

                                                     i.     Being an emotionally intelligent driver will allow you to see each situation from all angles to make the best inferences and decisions to handle different stressors.

 

 

  1. Traffic Congestion
    1. Traffic can bee a very powerful stressor.
    2. It is a universal problem all over the world due to the exacerbated number of cars on the road.
    3. The problems traffic causes go far past the issue of driver stress. (Totals in US)

                                                     i.     2 billion hours spent in traffic

                                                      ii.     6 billion extra gallons of gas

                                                        iii.     2 billion incidents of aggressive driving

    1. Types of stress on drivers:

                                                     i.     Drivers feel caged in; they are trapped and canÕt get out

                                                      ii.     Makes planning difficult because of unpredictable travel time.

    1. Solutions:

                                                     i.     Very difficult problem to tackle.

                                                      ii.     More road space.

                                                        iii.     Decreasing the rate of vehicular growth and volume

1.     Less cars sold

2.     More alternative transportation methods

a.     Mass transit and busses

b.     Carpool

3.     Staggered work starting times to spread out commute.

 

 

  1. Peer Pressure
    1. Driving is highly social; you are interacting with people all the time.
    2. Other drivers can pressure you into doing something you wouldnÕt normally do.

                                                     i.     Speeding

                                                      ii.     Running stop signs

                                                        iii.     Tailgate other drivers

    1. Tough to deal with because Ògoing with the flowÓ is considered a safe method of driving.

                                                     i.     Where to draw that fine line.

    1. Only way to effectively deal with this problem is to be emotionally intelligent.

                                                     i.     You, as a competent motorist, should know where the line between safe, Òwith the flowÓ driving and dangerous, pressured driving lies.

 

 

  1. Conclusion
    1. There are many causes for highway hostility.
    2. The greatest tool we have to combat this problem is to understand our situation and to understand our reaction there to.  Emotional intelligence is something that needs to be applied to all facets of our lives.

 

 

Helpful Links:

http://roadragers.com

http://drdriving.org

http://www.trinstitute.org/ojpcr/p3_3scott.htm

 

Homepage:

 

http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leon/409af2005/santos/home.htm