By Constancio "O.G." Torres

Introduction:     Communication is an important part of our every-day life.  With respect to driving, communication on the road is essential in order to prevent accidents.  If you have been driving for a long time, I bet you don't even have to think about all of the different ways you communicate with others on the road.  For example, while changing lanes you turn your blinker on andif someone lets you through you wave to say "thank you."  On the other hand drivers who are just beginning to learn this communication (like myself) are learning about the different forms of communication on the road such as road signs, using signals, and non-verbal communication.    Without the comprehension, knowledge and application of these types of communication, accidents can occur on the road.  Whether we are driving, walking, or bicycling on the road we are in constant communication with other road users.  Learning the different types of communication is essential if you are to be a responsible road user.

    In my report, I will explain four different examples of communication on the road that I have witnessed.  I will also share with you summaries of different reports done similar to this one from previous generations.  I will also include information that I have found from different sites on the web.  Finally, I will give a few suggestions to future generations who wish to further their knowledge with what I have found and make their reports even better!

Situation #1 when:  Thursday, November 12, 1998
where:  Long's Kaneohe parking lot in front of the store
what:  I was behind a big, huge Ford F150 truck riding in the car with my dad sitting in the passenger seat.  We were in front of Long's and the parking lot was a two way road with traffic going in opposite directions.  The truck in front of us stopped in the middle of the lane to talk to a person driving in the opposite lane so my dad and I were stuck.  We just waited for them to finish talking while the line of cars behind us got really long.  But, they didn't stop talking!  We sat there for a while thinking that the cars would pull over and talk somewhere else, but they didn't.  Suddenly, a few cars behind us someone honked their horn really loud and pressed down on it for a long time.   Then that car turned the corner suddenly and drove off while he stuck the middle finger.  After this happened, the two cars that were holding up traffic drove off.
communication form:  honking loudly and for a length of time, sudden lane
                                                changing, and sticking middle finger
analysis of situation:  This situation scared me a little and caught me off guard.  I have never seen anyone that mad at another driver before and expressing their anger.  This type of communication seemed to be effective because the cars both pulled over to the side once they realized that they were taking so long.  I also think that the time this incident took place is an important factor.  I think that around 5-6pm (when most people get off of work) is a really bad time to be on the road.  Not just because there are a lot of cars, but because many people seem to be in a rush to go home and some are stressed from a hard days work.  Although this communication was effective, I do not think that honking so loudly and sticking the middle finger was appropriate.  I think that a light tap on the horn would have been sufficient enough to let the other driver know he was taking too long.  Honking the horn can have a lot of different implications.  I think that honking the horn lightly is a "friendly push."  It tells the driver to hurry or pay attention, but it is not rude like a long, loud honk.  I also think that people in Hawaii use their horn less that those living in Chicago or New York City where there are way more cars.
 
    This situation could have caused an accident.  People need to have car insurance when driving on the road.  There are many different coverages that people can purchase in case they get into an accident.  On the other hand, just because you have insurance, it does not mean you can drive any way you want.  The best insurance is to be a safe and responsible driver.  Having insurance does not give you permission to be reckless.  To see more information on insurance, go to:  http://www.insuranceman.com/auto.htm

Situation #2 when:  Friday, November 13, 1998
where:  on The Bus, riding along Kamehameha Highway in Kaneohe in front of Windward
                 Mall
what:  I was riding the bus and it was really raining hard.  Nobody on the bus had to get off at the next stop and the people at the next bus stop didn't have to catch that bus.  I saw one person wave to the bus driver to let him know that he didn't need to stop.  The busdriver
waved back and honked his horn.

communication form:  waving and honking

analysis of situation:  I chose this situation because it is a different form of communication found on the road.  There have been many times that I witnessed people waving off the busdriver so they don't have to stop and open the door for the people waiting at the bus stop only to find that nobody needs to get on.  I think that this is a courteous thing to do because it saves the people on the bus a lot of time.  It takes a while for the bus to come to a complete stop and open it's doors.  In return, the bus driver waves "thank you" and also toots the horn to acknowledge that they have seen the person waving.  I guess this  is a good thing once you understand what the communication form means.  A bad example, or case scenerio would be if someone was waving the bus down to stop and the bus driver misinterpreted it to mean "go on, you don't need to stop here."
    This is a good example how communication on the road is learned through experience.  By catching the bus often, you will see people doing this a lot and soon you will learn this way of communicating with the bus drivers.  Even new bus drivers will have to learn this from other bus drivers so that they can understand the different non-verbal communication happening on the road.  This form of waving communication is specific for Hawaii bus drivers and bus riders.

 Situation #3 when:  Thursday, November 17, 1998
where:  Pensacola Avenue in front of McKinley High School
what:  I was riding in the car with my boyfriend and we were on our way to Ward Warehouse.  We were in the far left  lane and there was a white Mazda van driving next to us.  Suddenly the van tried to cut into our lane without using their signal.  What also made this situation bad is that the driver almost banged into us because they didn't check to see if the lane was clear.  My boyfriend had to swing over into the lane where there were parked cars to avoid being hit.  The Mazda van went back into it's own lane and continued driving.  My boyfriend was very upset.  He said "F***!" and when he passed by the van he stuck the middle finger for at least 5 seconds and so the other driver could see him.  I was soooo embarrassed!

communication form:  swearing and sticking the middle finger

analysis of situation:   Unfourtunately, this type of communication is seen so often on the road.  I have witnessed it by many young drivers, but I am sure that older drivers have done this also.  It is natural for people to become upset by other drivers on the road that may not be paying attention to what they are doing or drivers that are being too aggressive, but I disagree with the swearing and sticking the middle finger!  This type of negative communication can lead to violence on the road.  Why do people act the way they do on the road?  In our class meeting we stated a few possible reasons: 1) gender: in class we discussed the stereotype of males being more aggressive drivers that females because of cultural influence 2) different people have different personalities that cause them to act the way they do 3) choice; you have a choice of how you want to act out on the road 4) people learn by watching their role models; it could be tv, your parents, friends, etc.

Situation #4: when:  Friday, November 20, 1998
where:  University Avenue at the crosswalk near Sinclair Library
what:  I was waiting for my ride home and there was a man waiting to cross the street.  He seemed to be in a rush because his bus was at the bus stop and he neede to cross before the bus left.  He waited until traffic was reasonably clear and ran out into the middle of the street.  He held his hand up to the cars that were coming in his direction to let them know he needed to get across the street.  One car honked lightly at him letting him know it was okay for him to go and that they saw him.  Another car honked loudly and the driver looked very irritated.  The pedestrian told both of the cars thank you by waving his hand and he reached the sidewalk safely.

communication form:  waving and honking

analysis of situation:  Although it was very dangerous for the pedestrian to cross that busy street against the light, I think he did it in a sort of safe way.  He made sure that the cars saw him first before he ran out into the street.  The drivers in the car used their horn as a way of communicating with the pedestrian.  I think this is good because they both used communication on the road.  Again, I think that the way people honk their horn can have different messages.  A light honk is not rude or offensive, but a loud and long honk can signal irritation or anger.  I think that using your horn is a more effective way of communicating with others on the road rather that the above example of sticking the middle finger and swearing. Aggressive driving can cause many accidents on the road.  Everyone needs to become aware of their behavior on the road and change it if it is aggressive towards others.  To see more information on aggressive driving, go to:   http://www.aaafts.org/Text/research/agdrtext.htm#Aggressive Driving

Links to Previous Generations: Kristin Subia:
 
    Kristin's report was very thorough and well written.  I enjoyed reading through all of the different types of communication that can take place on the road.  She also summarized the steps involved in certain types of communcation such as making turns, changing lanes, yielding the way, tailgating and overtaking, and racing.  She also goes into depth on the effectiveness of various forms of communication such as vehicular communication, verbal communication, and gestures and facial expressions.  She states, "As drivers, it is our responsibility to communicate with other drivers. The importance of this communication is essential to preventing accidents and to maintain safety for other road users. Every minute that drivers are behind the wheel, they are engaged in constant social interaction with everyone on the road. Whether you are a driver, passenger, pedestrian, or a cyclist, you look for visible signs or gestures to let you know what is going on."

Andrew Shapiro:
    Andrew's report was actually a self study that he did which he observed a busy 4 way stop for 2 days at the time between 3-6pm.  He uses samples in which drivers approached the stop simultaneously and then noted down what form of communication was used to convey which driver was to go first.  He noted very aggressive driving behaviors that people used in order to go first at the stop.  Some of these were: using their vehicle size to get throught he intersection first or failing to come to a complete stop at the stop sign and pushing their way through the intersection.  Andrew also uses various sources to compose his report such as U.S News and World Report, California Driver's Manual, and AAA.  His report was very lengthy, but interesting to read.

Kristin Evert:
    Kristin starts her report with two of her definitions of "Car Communication" and "Physical Driver Communication."  She then makes some predictions of what types of driver communication she will find on the road.  Her report then lists all of the different forms  of driving communication that she witnessed driving to and from school on the Pali Highway.  Her final point of her report was most interesting to me.  She talks about "R.I.P"  which stands for re-think, implement and practice.  These are ways that you can reform your bad driving habits and to be a safe driver.  To conclude, Ms. Evert adds: "Whatever all you out there decide to do, remember to drive as safely as you can, because there's people in the world that care a lot about you, and if you can't do it for yourself, drive safely for your loved ones. "

Mary Elizabeth Pacheco:
    To begin her report, Ms. Pacheco states that driving can be a bad experience or a good one depending on what you make of it.  She clearly states that: "Actions speak louder than words."  Ms. Pacheco describes two instances of communication on the road as a driver and a pedestrian.  Unlike the rest of the reports I have summarized, both of her communication forms were positive, both including a smile.  She also summarizes her finds on the web and in the library systems.  She leaves a final word of advice: "Last bit of advice, enjoy completing this project and start communicating with other drivers on the road, with a simple wave or a spoken "thank you."

 Suggestions to Future Generations:     I think that the only suggestion that I can offer future generations is to start this report early because it takes a lot of time to gather all of your data.  You can also use newsgroups and find different postings that talk about driving and how drivers communicate, comment on it, and put it into your report.  I tried to look up different site on the web to find information that pertained to my topic, but I was unsuccessful.   Maybe in the future there will be a lot more information out there to learn from.

Conclusion:

    In conclusion, I hope that you have learned a little about how drivers communicate on the road.  Learning how drivers communicate is an important part of learning how to be a good driver.  It is not just drivers who need to learn this communication.  As a road user, whether you are a pedestrian, cyclist, moped rider, or driver, it is important to know how everyone communicates and interacts with each other on the road.  You can also take a look at your driving habits and how you communicate with other drivers.  Is your form of communication effective?  Does it promote safety on the road?