3 minute oral--Monday, April 30, 2001
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I chose to begin with page 246 and 247. Apparently, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation in 1998 called for a national effort toward curtailing red-light running. The aggressive driving behavior of red-light running is described as "one of the most dangerous aspects of aggressive driving (Leon, Nahl 246)." Personally, I run a yellow light every time I go out for a drive. I do not set out to do so, it just happens. Running through a yellow light is different from running through a red light, however I still can relate. My driving instructor taught me that it is faster for a car to accelerate than to brake. He told me this in the context of teaching a lesson about passing cars, but in a way, it can be seen in the red light context. It is a judgment call, whether the driver has time to brake or is safer to just run through. Unless the other guy guns it immediately when he sees the green, the car that ran the red light would probably be safe. In any case, a citation should be given. This would encourage people to slow down when nearing an intersection. Photo radar technology, which uses radar to detect speeding cars and photograph the license plate, is now being used. "...Hawaii has placed cameras at key intersections and plans to implement photo radar ticketing in 2000 (Ibid. 246)." Now, states levy fines on culprits, and even refuse to grant renewal of driver's license if there are unpaid fines. Half of the money collected go toward law enforcement and maintenance of the same system that made the citation possible. Other benefits include less police officers needed for traffic patrol and less discriminatory treatment which is an obvious problem in some places like New York and Cincinnati. The photo radar system transcends the battle to curb red light running and plainly discourages any aggressive driving in general. It is a worthwhile effort that should be continued. Ironically, if photo radar proves to be successful, it will then lose a portion of its funding due to the possible drop in fines given. I chose to end my final report with page 256. The topic is driving music. The book lists a couple of testimonies to rock'n roll and grundge music and concentration comes up, I think about the "cocktail party theory." There is a cocktail party. You are talking and listening to a couple of cute girls. There is chatter and music all around you. However, you are focused on only the two girls. Then suddenly a few feet away someone mentions your name while conversing with another group. Immediately, you turn your head and look if he was calling for you or talking about you. The point is people are always processing external stimuli without knowing or voluntary action. Many times, the mind processes things and you do not notice simply because you were focusing on something. This is why studying in a noisy place is ineffective and inefficient. The brain is processing unnecessary external stimuli like noise and cannot devote all its resources or channels toward studying. Similarly, when people drive with music, any music from heavy metal AC/DC to soothing melodies of Enya, their brains are not fully devoted and aware of the road ahead. They always can be more focused by reducing external stimuli. On the other hand, relaxing music is extremely helpful for those who are stressed out from work and subsequently driving home from work. |