PSYCHOLOGY 409A March 17, 2006

Outline 6:

SUPORTIVE DRIVING

By Lincoln James Whyte

Leon James and Diane Nahl (2000). Road Rage and Aggressive Driving: Steering Clear of Highway Warfare. (Amherst, N.Y.: Prometheus Books). pp 167- 180.

Instructions for this activity are found at:
www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy24/g24-oral1.htm
Instructor: Dr. Leon James

Concept 1: Benefits of Supportive Driving

Supportive driving requires drivers to recognize and tolerate the reality that not all drivers are the same for many reasons, such as age, reflex ability, whether they are familiar with the area they are driving in, the emotional state they are in, how they react to certain situations and many other factors. To be a supportive driver you must accommodate your driving behavior to fit with the way the other drivers around you operate. Here are some of the benefits of supportive driving:

• Emotional benefits- emotional benefits are easy to attain by giving a simple wave to a person who lets u in, or receiving one for letting someone else in, giving a person enough room to let someone make the desired action they wish to do such as changing lanes with out closing the gap on them. These types of acts allow drivers to feel more positive and connected to other drivers who other wards would just be another stranger. It helps people feel acknowledged and that other people care for them. This puts drivers in a positive mood which they then can pass on to other drivers.
• Helps decrease road rage
• Reduces stress
• Prevents accidents
• Prevents emotional and/or physical injury
• Boosts immune system
• Encourages community spirit
• Keep the traffic flowing

A supportive driver needs to cooperate with other drivers and be emotionally intelligent. Being a supportive driver is not only about changing your driving behaviors but also helping others change their driving behaviors.

Concept 2: Motorist to Motorist Communication

There are many forms of driver to driver communication.

· No longer recommended communication- waiving people ahead at intersections- can lead to accidents and the person who did the waiving can be liable

Proposed new communication signals to convey a wider range of communication.

· To apologize- hold up 2 fingers in “V” palm out

· To signal danger ahead and to slow down- flash lights on and off for oncoming traffic, or tap break lights for drivers in the rear, also extend your left arm in a downward motion

· To show a driver in the left lane on the highway that you would like to pass him, use the “lane courtesy” signal- turn your left turn signal on and off for 4-6 blink intervals, if the motorist ahead does not see this flash your headlights

· To signal a problem such as something that might fall from a truck or a loose roof rack- signal to the location of the problem by pointing, then give a thumbs down to signal to pull off to the side of the road

· To tell another motorist to check their lights, either because they are burnt out, or forgot to turn off their turn signal- open and close hand touching thumb and fingertips together

· To signal that you need assistance, such as when pulled over on the side of the road- make a “T” with your hands

· To signal understanding or acknowledgment- give the thumbs up

You should also respond to these signals if you see them to make them effective. If no one responds to your signals, why signal? Why comply with other peoples signals? These signals are not yet universally understood and may never be but it is important that motorists develop some form of communication medium. A more technologically advanced idea is a light panel that spells out different captions for other drivers to read such as sorry, thanks, help operated by pushing a button pre- selected for each response.

Related Links:

1) Vehicular communication systems

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicular_communication_systems

This link gives examples of the needs and uses of a motorist to motorist communication system. The link describes some of the criteria that are needed to create this system and why other things such as walkie- talkies and cellular phones are not adequate. This short article conjures up some very interesting possibilities that should be taken into account with the increasing technological advancement of our times.

2) Seven Sensible Signals

http://www.ibiblio.org/rdu/7signals/

This link shows both pictorially and in writing 7 suggested hand signals to signal to other drivers things such as “apology”, “slow down, danger ahead”, and other signals that were mentioned above in my second concept.

3) On Signaling

http://www.crw.org/safety/Nov05-Signaling.html

This link gives the examples of the already universal hand signals to show right and left turns as well as stopping. Although these signals are now a days most commonly associated with cyclists it shows that a universal hand signal vocabulary is easy to remember and use. This link also discourages the use of negative hand signals that could escalate the situation.

My Home Page: http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leon/409as2006/whyte/home.htm

G24 Class Home Page: http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy24/classhome-g24.htm