A Review of

A Review of
Road Rage, Prometheus Books, 2000
by Mark Masaki (Velocity) 4/28/2003

University of Hawaii, Dr. Leon James, Instructor

Instructions for this Report

http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy18/g18bookreview.html

The address for this link to the instructions is:
http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy18/g18bookreview.html

(http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy18/g18bookreview.html)

1.)À The Book's Overall Content

ÀÀÀÀ Where to start?À The major topics as defined in my own words are:À road rage & why it's bad, the contributors to it, possible answers against it, the culture of disrespect, lifelong driver education, and other distractions contributing to injuries on the road.À

Road rage & why it's bad

ÀÀÀÀ Introduced by the media, thus, having no agreed upon definition, Road rage basically refers to:À An extreme state of anger that often precipitates aggressive behavior, sometimes as assault and battery; Felonious or criminal acts of violence by one driver against another.À Personally, I think road rage should include any act with the intent to confront, provoke, or intimidate another driver by trying to communicate feelings through emotions (especially anger) or endangering others on the road (such as neglect).À A variety of factors have been named to account for the increase in aggressiveness between drivers such as congestion, feeling endangered, being insulted, frustration, time pressure, fatigue, competitiveness, and lapses in attention (Chapter 1).À

ÀÀÀÀ Road rage affects mental health in a bad way, and it's unhealthy in a physiological sense as well because of damage to the heart and coronary arteries via. chronic activation of the fight-or-flight response.À It also may cause even more anger from the brooding of angry thoughts that one has in reaction to a dangerous act on the road.À This growing anger may cause further road rage problems and may prove tragic, perhaps even fatal.À

Even tailgating is considered road rage, and may lead to fatalities.À Drivers on T.V., in movies, and even in videogames all demonstrate road rage, so it is decided that this is a reason people feel that it is alright to behave similarly on the road (to an extent), and repeated practicing of antisocial violence can interfere with the ability to empathize with others in distress and challenges self control.À Influences that affect driving include fatigue, chemicals, drugs and medication, disabilities, strong emotions, and many others (Chapter 2).À

ÀÀÀÀ People die on the highways at an annual rate of five times greater than wars have killed U.S. soldiers since the beginning of the century.À With direct and indirect costs at 42,000 fatalities, well over 3 million injuries, and 250 Billion Dollars every year, the war against Aggressive Driving is wearing away at our society without very much recognition of the devastation that it is causing. ÀStricter driving enforcement education and new traffic laws may be needed to help prevent damage in the future (Chapter 10).

The contributors to it

ÀÀÀÀ Defensive driving is a useful way to defend your self on the road, but it does not do enough to insure the safety of all.À What defensive driving lacks is emotional intelligence, and what it does is create suspicion and encourage the tendency to classify others as "the enemy" (for example, "That left lane bandit"), so instead of having mutual support and compassion, you are left without emotional control and are less able to manage routine experiences that involve:À verbal road rage and bad moods, frustration and anger, fear, impatience, retaliation and vigilantism (or "teaching them a lesson" out of righteous indignation), peer pressure, competitiveness, having bad thoughts and epic road rage (pretending to hurt another driver until the point of acting on it), and lack of respect for laws and regulations.À Stressful congestions and bad traffic conditions cause job frustration and illness, but even more frustrating to the typical "rushing maniac" is the fact that not much time is saved by rushing and lane hopping.À In fact, impatience is the first level of intensity in aggressive driving, followed by 2-hostility and 3-violence.À This delusional logic is both spawned from and contributes to these aggressive driving problems.À The most dangerous thing, though, is that all these contributors to road rage can easily become habitual (Chapter 3& 4).

Possible answers against it

ÀÀÀÀ Since judgment is impaired when anger intensifies, inner power tools are needed to deal with anger.À Preventive agents can be effective tools in helping back-out of showdowns.À Emotional hijacking is overcome through emotional intelligence, which, in turn, can be learned with appropriate practice.À It can provide you with an understanding of how anger escalates, how venting keeps it going, and how to deflate it through rational counterarguments.À Presumably, negative emotions (like anger) slowly dissipate as you force yourself to think positively using empathy and forgiveness (Chapter 5).À

ÀÀÀÀ To compare, road rage thinking (jumping to conclusions) is biased and unintelligent.À

Such an oppositional driver (road rager) might presume hostility where there isn't any, and then turn vigilante-without-a-cause.À Whereas a supportive driver will not make that mistake since he or she will see the event using pro-social thought patterns, and see this event for what it is-- a mistake.À This mental orientation is a positive approach that avoids negativity and antisocial thoughts and statements by witnessing and replacing them with excuses for the other drivers.À Being a friendly driver is contagious because courtesy waving and smiling thanks become a source of personal satisfaction, as does making room for others, waiting, getting out of the way, signaling ahead, maintaining a safe following distance, and many other helpful acts of kindness.À In essence, come out swinging positive (Chapter 8).

ÀÀÀ But in other situations, such as getting caught in the cycle of anger, it is advised to avoid eye contact, which actually gives you more power in determining what happens.À Any response just gives the other "angry" driver a motive to escalate the duel.À With this knowledge that emotions can be selective, shrinking emotional territory can be achieved by asking oneself why they are experiencing negative emotions and what is most important.À Self-talk and self-questioning reduces the intensity of emotion and provides the opportunity to redraw the boundaries of emotional territory.À Although we cannot simply change our emotional territory, or all the things we value or believe strongly (and will fight for if challenged), we can shrink what we will get mad at by putting limits on what we care enough to get upset over (Chapter 5).

ÀÀÀÀ There is a Three-step driver self improvement program that involves objective self-assessment.À The first step is to Acknowledge that everyone needs emotional education.À The second step is to act as a Witness to your actual behavior and have a thorough understanding of your thoughts, feelings, and identify the degree of aggressive behavior and road rage that you have.À And the third step is to Modify those behaviors for the better (as you come across it), one at a time.À A driver?s diary or recording of some sort may be of great help.À Lastly, drivers initially resist changing their driving style.À Discovering that driving is safer without automatic inner-pressures can be positively reinforcing and beneficial through self-improvement (Chapter 6).

The culture of disrespect

ÀÀÀÀ Road rage and aggressive driving is inherited through "the culture of disrespect" because aggressiveness is seen as macho or assertive, and many are even proud of it. So it is common for children to witness their parents or guardians behaving badly (like swearing and demeaning other drivers) and copy what they do through mimicking the modeled adult feelings.À The main intervention of this cycle of road rage tradition is not to stop it, but to alter it so that instead of "bad" behaviors being passed down, it is "good" behaviors that are modeled, incorporated, and hopefully passed down.À Unfortunately, this modeling of appropriate behaviors is not enough to keep a cycle of good road behavior going on its own because direct verbal rewards are also needed.À Whatever it is that you do, say, or value is what they should also respect and value, especially affirming statements that acknowledge their contribution to a successful driving trip which instill in them a desire to become safe and kind drivers later in life.À To encourage the witnessing of their behavior will also prove to be beneficial later in their lives (Chapter 7).

Lifelong driver education

ÀÀÀÀ Car crashes kill 15-20 year-olds more than any other cause, and are the result of inexperienced driving, driver error, because of peer influence, and risky behaviors.À To combat this problem, a curfew, and a zero-tolerance alcohol law, together in a graduated licensing approach was suggested (such as those already implemented in certain places and countries).À This approach would allow initial driving experience to accumulate under less hazardous conditions, and prohibits recreational nighttime driving that has proven to be dangerous for beginners.À In order to cure the aggressive driving that already exists we need to eliminate faulty beliefs and their underlying attitudes, and since their negativity is fostered by our culture it is necessary to create a new set of positive driving beliefs using the essential components of affective education:À motivation and responsibility.À We know that personal traits stem from the cultural norms and social values in society, so it would then make sense to use a social style of driver instruction that enables students to influence each other through dialogue and modeling.À

It would be wise to also integrate this driver education into other school subjects in a K-12 curriculum, after all, driving is not an isolated activity done alone, it is a part of our general values, character, and culture (Chapter 7 & 9).

ÀÀÀÀ Since driving behavior involves the three basic aspects of personality, appropriate instruction can be effectively delivered according to the learning phases in children.À The "affective instruction" in the early years involve sociality (obedience, respect, and conscience), which should again be reinforced in the middle years of "cognitive instruction" and raised to its appropriate cognitive level (reasoning, decision making, and problem solving).À The "sensorimotor instruction" should begin in the mid-teens, and teach how to maneuver a vehicle on the public roads, but should also teach cognitive knowledge of traffic laws and scenario analysis of driving incidents.À Elderly or older drivers at risk should also realize their limitations and learn to cope with stress and new problems that they may encounter as they age.À Two things that really come in handy here are 1.) Supportive driving (this entails human compassion as opposed to selfishness), and 2.) Come out swinging positive and regain control of both the vehicle and situation (Chapter 9).

Other distractions contributing to injuries on the road

ÀÀÀÀ The Driver's Image is superimposed by advertisement agencies and marketing companies and these mental images could cause a lot of indirect problems if they are internalized and used as symbols of how we should be driving, especially when these symbols have to do with power, speed, and competition.À There are many social pressures to perform, which ads capitalize on through promotion of an emotional sense of territoriality, which then draws some drivers into a "me against them attitude."À Music has become an integral part of the driving world, but with power to influence the driver by calming or exciting, it has the potential to be used as a preventive agent or used to encourage aggressive thinking and exaggerate emotional reactions in routine incidents.À Dashboard dining is a form of "eating on the run" that society needs just to get by in our busy worlds, but it is actually a driving distraction that requires some practice for safety reasons (Chapter 12).

ÀÀÀÀ Car phones are the current largest of the multitasking problems, estimated at 1% of all traffic accidents and an annual cost $3 billion.À It is such a big problem that it requires special self-training, which consists ofÀ holding the phone, learning the mechanics, and using it safely while driving (with assistance from a co-driver).À Other in-car multitasking problems predicted to distract drivers while on the road are mobile computing.ÀÀ In-dash computers with navigational guidance systems), DVD entertainment systems, and even videogames are all possible future problems that must require special training in order for our safety on the roads.À This is called "driving informatics," and involves information literacy in the mobile environment, a key component in the security of our children (Chapter 12).À

ÀÀÀÀ There is a progression in these topics in that they cover the basis of road rage and its main features before going into detail.À I would not have taken such a course as writing intensive had I not been interested in it.À Since most of us who work are on the road daily, the relevance of this book is applicable to everyday life.À I believe that these topics are familiar to everyone, but it is definitely not a focused matter!À I doubt that a great majority of people consciously think about the seriousness of road rage (that is) until they have been the victims of it, or knew someone very dear to them who were victims.À

ÀÀÀÀ For those who do have road rage, (dare I say) the majority will probably not even recognize it, and fail to consider that they have it in the first place.À Because of this, the valuable material in this book will not be of much interest to anyone who truly needs it.

If they do have road rage then it is likely they will deny or show resistance to the advice offered in this book.À Who should read this book, then, if they would not?À Perhaps it is true that elementary, intermediate, and high school children should be the ones to read this material.À If lifelong driver self-improvement is to take precedence, it would only make sense that the target audiences should begin young, and would be especially better if it were age appropriate if it were version of it, as specified in Chapter 9.À Still, regardless if the material's attractiveness or popularity to the public, every individual should read and consider the ideas brought to light thereof, because of the fact that it involves society it is society that must get involved.

2.) The Book's Importance

ÀÀÀÀ Specifically, problems that this book discusses are tuned in with human nature, more commonly referred to as psychology of the human mind.À The solutions offered focus on the prevention of death from the pre evolutionary instincts functioning in the age of new technological circumstances.À In this way, Road Rage and aggressive driving topics (as I have identified them) are relevant to public concern today and to psychology as a field.À This message is definitely needed in our society and in psychology today, and I am not the only one who shares this opinion.À There is no doubt that there are those that will question it's importance, but the broad concerns that it addresses and the statistics that warrant it's concern will answer them adequately.À

ÀÀÀÀ In my estimation, and judging by the amount of people that drive several times a day, everyday, this is needed for everyone's future.À Why?À Because it concerns society; it's our entire problem.À As a psych major, this book fits under many of the major different fields.À The reason for this is because the people who drive cars are human.À Therefore, much of what we know about the human mind we know about the driving thoughts, behaviors, attitudes, cognitions, development, personality, emotions, you name it.À It's safe to say that Psychology has everything to do with driving.

3.) The Book's Structure

ÀÀÀÀ Does the book have exercises or tests?À Yes, there are many exercises throughout the book and various small chapter-based self-tests.À This makes the book very interesting and also gives the reader a quick look at how he/she holds-- good or bad.À After taking those exercises I am reluctant to report on how I did, because I actually did rather well.À I learned that the few problems that I do have stem from a certain competitiveness that I have while driving on the road.À I thought at first that I may have been in denial, but what I decided on was that since I agreed upon nearly all of the book's content (except for some that asked for certain additional laws) perhaps I am just a lucky part of the statistics.À But yes, I do agree that this part of the book is useful because it can give those that score well a sense of relief that they doing the right thing.À

ÀÀÀÀ The tables and diagrams display mainly examples of road rage incidents and/or internal thought processes (where any intervention could have avoided a tragic outcome).À Since I focused mainly on the material, I don't know if the Literature review, Bibliography, and End notes was actually necessary.À In fact I didn't utilize it at all.À I didn't use the index because I knew where to find the needed information.À When I looked over the Index, though, I found it was quite detailed for such a short book.À For me personally, the index was hard to use, but again the material was easy to comprehend so I am not sure the index was needed unless it is there to punish those who didn't read the book.À

ÀÀÀÀ I think the chapter titles say what it needs to say, I especially like the Chapter 8's title, "Supportive Driving."À But I think the last chapter (12; Dream cars and driving realities) really should have included Driving Informatics or Mobile environment.À As far as "better titles" for the chapters, I don't want to say "modernize" or "update," perhaps "make more appealing," is a better approach?À Anyway, the layout is understandable and the print (font) is just fine.À

4.) Critique of the Book

I enjoyed what this book represents.À I like its purpose, or its good intention.À I remember a quote I found by writer and psychoneuroimmunologist Paul Pearsall, regarding the "pleasure prescription" for hostility:À

--"Don't express it, don't suppress it, confess it." (Page 80)

I liked this quote because both suppression and expression are literally bad for our health.À It is by confessing or openly admitting (swallowing your pride. if you will) that you are wrong to have gotten so worked up, and would rather "just chill."ÀÀ

ÀÀÀÀ I learned a lot from this book, It got me thinking of all the things we do that we take for granted without considering why we do them.À I believe the strengths of this book are the coping techniques, because they give explanations for why it should be used and how to fully utilize it.À It will help save other people on the road (not just your own, mind you), so in this, it may just as well be the ultimate strength.À Another strength is it's eye-opening statistics and tools, this helps with the realization of the severity of the current problems in society.À This seriousness is justification enough.À For other reviews that I found of this topic on the Web:

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology