1. Aggressive vs. Assertive Driving
   1. 'speed limit + x' rule (The Speed Limit Rule)
      1. Size of 'x' varies by neighborhood norms
      2. Police: speeds measurable above speed limit (considered speeding)
   2. Topic arouses the "Good Speeders"
      1. Believe fixing speed limits is government's ploy for additional unauthorized taxes
      2. Good driver's talents are suffocated by those who can't handle high speeds
      3. Good drivers who can handle are made to suffer
      4. High speed is not a contributing factor to accidents, the slow drivers are the cause
      5. Speed limits are for the poor and inexperienced drivers
2. Citizen Activism Against Government Paternalism
   1. 1990's government put the "aggressive driver" issue into perspective
      1. 2 ideological driver groups emerge
         1. Ideaological "right"
            1. Assertive drivers who take driving seriously
            2. Consider self skilled
            3. Complain about law enforcement practices
            4. Have an aggressive attitude against drivers they deem as inconsiderate, incompetent, and responsible for most accidents
         2. Idealogical "left"
            1. Promote government legislation and intervention that restrict motorist behavior
      2. Both sides support better driving training
      3. Both sides don't see training as an important factor
   2. Idealogical "right" fights speeding issue with studies
      1. Association of British Drivers (ABD) say there is no justification for the government assertion that "one-third of accidents are caused by excessive speed"
         1. Researchers analyzed 1999 report by British Transport Research Laboratory (Report 323)
         2. Concluded high speeds are a minor factor in accidents compared to inattentiveness, carelessness, roadway incompetence
      2. National Motorists Association Foundation (NMAF) study on speeding limits and highway safety
         1. Data reviewed since 1995 whent he national maximum speed limit was repealed
         2. 33 states raise speed limit in 1996, and 17 states did not
         3. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) warned that raising speed limit would kill 64,000 more each year
         4. Later showed 5% deduction in traffic accidents for all states
            1. National fatality rate dropped to record lows in subsequent year
            2. 5% deduction in traffic accidents for all states
      3. Many drivers refuse to acknowledge speed is a contributing factor to crashes
         1. "Speed does not kill it takes an idiot behind the wheel to kill"
      4. Others view the topic differently
         1. "Speed increases likelihood of impact...there's pretty good chance that someone will do something stupid while somebody is going too fast to react to it...The idea...to keep traffic moving at a safe and predictable speed, so traffic...can correctly estimate closing speeds"
      5. Predictable speeds are critical for drivers to gauge thier decisions and the anticipated responses
      6. Without predictable speeds element of risk increase (classical setup for road rage)
      7. Traffic engineers agree with theory driving is safest when speed limits reflect actual driving rates
         1. If set too low, there will be too much speed diversity
3. Police Presence Dampers Aggressive Driving
   1. Affects road conditions negatively
   2. Encourage quick reductions in speed
   3. Police don't follow rules and bust others
      1. Speed to a spot to set speed traps
      2. Car passes to change lanes and receives ticket because "passed" speeding officer
   4. Drivers feel officers should spend time fighting crime in city
      1. When on the road, viewed as a distraction hazard
         1. "My eyes are not on the road for a significant chunk of time while I'm driving--not because I'm spacing out, but because I'm looking for cops."
4. Traffic Calming Devices
   1. "Combination of mainly physical measures that decrease negative effects of motor vehicle use, alter driver behavior and improve conditions for non-motorized street users"
      1. Non-motorized street users are pedistrians, cyclists
   2. Example of traffic-calming devices used to slow down vehicles
      1. speed bumps
      2. traffic circles
      3. diverters
      4. median barriers
      5. raised crosswalks
      6. rumble strips
      7. etc.
   3. Many people are impatient with these devices and don't consider the benefits
      1. National Motorists Association (NMA) show interruptions are hazardous through a traffic-engineering study
         1. May increase the overall speed on the road where the devices are used
      2. The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) forbids use of stop signs for speed control because unnecessary stop signs encourage aggressive driving and make it unsafe for pedestrians
      3. Michigan outlawed bumps as traffic control devices
         1. Studies show that speed bumps only work for traffic adjacent to bump and does not reduce average speed on road
         2. Different humps or bumps can be hazardous to non-motorized street users
         3. Humps or bumps slow down emergency vehicles by 15 seconds
         4. Vehicles forced to decelerate and accelerate causing pollution
5. Electronic Traffic Surveillance
   1. Why?
      1. Red light running is leading cause of urban crashes
      2. Red light running annually kills 8,000 people and injures more than a millionmore
   2. The Beginnings
      1. 1998, US Secretary of Transportation, Rodney Slater begins nationwide campaign against red light running
         1. Says red light running is the most dangerous aspects of aggressive driving
         2. Campaing provides federal and private funding for Photo radars (red light surveillance)
            1. Photo radar components
               1. Camera, takes picture of driver and license plate
               2. Computer, records time and place and stores information in a database
               3. Radar, detects speeding car
         3. If the vehicle is caught on "camera" the registered owner receives a citation in the mail
   3. The effects
      1. 31 US cities used the photo radar program and reduced approximately 43% red light collisions
      2. 1997, Governor of California signed a bill that raised red light running to $271
         1. Half the money collected goes towards the program and cameras
      3. Other states have authorized use of photo radars
      4. Other states have a similar program for railway crossings
      5. Colorado gives a "first-time" warning for speeds over 10 miles an hour the speed limit and caps fines at $40
         1. If fines not paid, renewal of license is denied
      6. New Jersey and Wisconsin prohibit use of cameras
      7. New York and Virgina set quantity limit for specific locations
      8. Utah uses for school zones
      9. 2000, Hawaii implimented in key intersections
   4. The public
      1. Some believe it helps to cut down accident rates if installed at intersections
         1. Not many cops will be needed on the road
         2. Accident rates has decreased
      2. Some don't believe with how evidence is interpretated
         1. Slowing traffic will not increase safety
         2. Inadequate notification (via mail)
         3. Leaves out context of incident
6. Speed Trap Registries Around the World
   1. Online directory of speed traps to alert travelers in US
   2. Law enforement not against this type of sharing because viewed as another form of pressure for drivers to "check themselves" with
   3. Information provided
      1. Exact location of speed trap
      2. Duration of speed trap
      3. Technology used to gauge speed
      4. Group running trap
      5. Car used
      6. Sanner frequency
      7. Latitude and longitude
      8. Cost of ticket
      9. Frequency of trap
      10. Scanner frequency
7. Activism Against Aggressive Drivers
   1. Groups against aggressive driving try to help the community with awareness days or new pilot programs
      1. Citizens Against Speeding and Aggressive Driving sponsors an annual event, National Road Victims Remmeberance Day
         1. Encourage communities to use traffic calming methods, lobbies for more laws and pressures car manufacturers to change their marketing themes
      2. Ontario's Oro-Medonte County has got the community of all ages involved in keeping an eye out for aggressive driving
         1. Road Watch signage is a program where citizens are given a pack that contains Citizen Report Forms
            1. A citizen who observes aggressive behavior can fill the form out with the required information and drop it off in a box for the police department or fax it over
            2. Road Watch signage is also a part of the primary and secondary education systems
      3. Knoxville Road Rage Action Page (DUD-Database of Unsafe Driving)
         1. Online website allows public to post and view information on aggressive drivers in their area
         2. Information is also sent to insurance companies
   2. Other groups take on the "Don't Get Mad -- Get EVEN!" attitude
      1. Follows emotional dynamics
         1. Going through the stress or scary experience while driving
         2. The need to vent and retaliate
      2. Road rage incidents promotes obession about fearful events and is taken out on other drivers

Tiffany Akiyama © Spring 2007