Safety Activism on the Information Highway:
Traveling Along Safer Roads




Susan Chon, Safety Activism on the Information Highway, G8/Spring 98

Table of Contents





Organizations & Institutions


National Motorists Association (NMA)

National Motorists Association is an organization created in 1982 which helps to protects the interests of North American motorists. As stated in this site, the NMA follows 5 objectives: " (1) To guarantee the retention of your (the driver/supporter) individual rights when using public streets, roads, and highways. (2) To support traffic laws based on sound engineering criteria and public consensus. (3) To protect your (the driver/supporter) right to own and use the kinds of vehicles you prefer. (4) To support improved driver training and education. (5) To oppose speed traps and other traffic enforcement measures carried out for revenue-generation purposes."
Supporters of this association are those who feel that "driving and automobiles are important" and can use this association as a "medium" for conveying opinions, feelings, and responses (i.e., for those who want to be "heard" in issues dealing with driving, etc.).
This is somewhat convincing to me because I believe an association such as this one would be very helpful for any driver. I am also wondering just how effective this is or how successful this organization is at promoting what is best for the supporters. Seems to me that this association does care about what their supporters have to say because they feature "user feedback" types of methods such as surveys.
There are some things that NMA has already done or is currently working on. These include "a ban on the use of photo radar in all states and provinces, engaging in debates over vehicle emissions regulations in parts of California, and promoting legislation requiring speed limits to be set according to traffic engineering standards."
The NMA goes about promoting and "fighting" for drivers' rights by lobbying and debating on their behalf at every opportunity possible. The members of the NMA have advocated on drivers' behalves through a number of different ways, including appearances on local and national radio and TV shows, and using media such as newspapers (i.e., The Wall Street Journal).

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is an organization which helps to minimize the number of deaths, injuries, and economic losses as a result of motor vehicle crashes. The NHTSA also does a wide range of things, some of which include examining safety defects, sets the standards for the fuel economy, assists with the reduction of drunk drivers, promotes safety belt usage, child safety seats and air bags, and even looks into odometer fraud. All of this in addition to conducting research on the behavior of drivers and traffic safety.
The supporters of this organiziation are the general public. This organization targets a wide variety of people, drivers or not, but specialize in helping to accomodate drivers.
This is very convincing to me because I feel that an organization such as this is widely used and much needed. Anything that deals with safety is important to me and this organization deals solely with the safety of the driver on and off the road. It feels good to have something like this "on my side" in the battlefield of driving.
The NHTSA seems to be very effective because it seems evident to me that they accomplish what they set out to do for the people "by setting and enforcing safety performance standards for motor vehicle equipment, and through grants to state and local governments to enable them to conduct effective local highway safety programs." Being that the NHTSA is under the Department of Transportation, it is probably one of the most popular and effective means out there.

The Traffic Institute

The Traffic Institute is a non profit organization which was established at and is currently still at Northwestern University in 1936. This organization teaches various agencies through different training programs, research, and publications. A few of the public agencies involved include law enforcement, public safety, highway transportation systems, as well as some agencies in foreign countries.
The supporters for The Traffic Institute can be anyone and everyone...But, it seems that since this is located on a college campus, one must either be a student or one who pays tuition and fees in order to learn what the programs of the Traffic Institute have to offer. After all, they even have an Alumni Association.
One feature or highlight that I found while visiting this site was a link that led to theTraffic Safety School. The information regarding this was very brief, but basically, it is an alternative form of punishment (if that's how you want to see or think of it as) for minor traffic violators. This must be popular because according to the site, "more than a million Illinois motorists have (now) taken the Defensive Driving Course!"
I'm sure this is a very beneficial organization to have, but for some reason, it wasn't quite convincing to me. I think part of the reason is because the homepage itself was a bit too brief and not quite clear in explanations or illustrations/descriptions (e.g., how the institute actually operates). A lot of times, I was confused and I didn't get a "warm, user-friendly" type of vibe while visiting this site. Also, the homepage hardly had any colors and icons and just seemed kind of "monotonous." There were also too many links that seemed like an endless maze of confusion. So, if I had to make a decision to attend this Institute solely on the basis of what I experienced on the website, I would probably not opt to go. But, don't get me wrong here...I'm sure when applying this organization in the context of the traffic safety world, it does play a key role; it's just that my experience with the site wasn't all that great.

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is a research-oriented type of organization, which advocates for the safety and prevention of accidents on the roads. This organization has been conducting various types of research for the past 30 years in order to find out what will help to prevent an accident from occurring and what is best for drivers.
Auto insurers are its main supporters, although it is well-known and respected among other groups or organizations affiliated with it. According to the site, "the Institute is uniquely positioned to influence highway safety because the interests of auto insurers in reducing highway losses coincide with the public interest."
I am totally convinced with this organization! I looked through the site and I think it is very well done! The site is very colorful and organized. Just by these factors, I was already a bit convinced but as I got to read the links and gain more information about this organization, I became even more convinced. After all, this organization is on "my side" and is looking out for what's best for me and everyone else on the roads.
Most research is done at theVehicle Research Center. Here, the performance of new model vehicles is tested "in 40 mph frontal offset tests into a deformable barrier" and is televised nationwide. Other research being conducted includes safety belt use, antilock brake performance, daytime running lights, traffic law enforcement advancements, etc.
This organization seems to be one of the most important and most vital institutes around! They are effective in that if something that will help drivers tests to be favorable, they will try their best to incorporate that into the driving world.



Truck Safety Issues & Resources


Transportation Resources

The Transportation Resources is a site that is dedicated to listing various links to transportation-related organizations, companies, or programs. This particular site stems out from Princeton University and involves about twenty faculty and staff members who are a part of the Intelligent Transportation Systems Program (ITS).
Supporters of this can be anyone and everyone. The information provided here is not specifically catered towards a particular group of individuals, but instead, can be used by just about anyone. The twenty or so people who are involved with the ITS Program can also be viewed as supporters of this because they are a part of this project.
This is convincing to me because this site is fairly simple to follow and it provides just enough information for people. Also, there is a good variety of information offered, from such topics as information about airports and airlines to a listing of transportation-related seminars and conferences. I think it's important to have something like this available to people because it is a reference type of site where "lost" people can visit and find some direction.

Truck Safety Page

The Truck Safety Page seems to be advocating safety issues about trucks (e.g., semi-trucks) and trying to convey various safety messages to truck drivers. There are statistical facts such as "did you know...trucking is a very dangerous profession, about 600 drivers a year die in highway accidents.." stated to inform drivers. There is also a section dedicated to "fires" and what some possible problems are that could occur as a result of carrying or using diesel fuel in one of these trucks. There are also links to "jackknifing," "brakes," "downhill braking," and "rollovers."
Supporters of this site would mainly be truck drivers. The information conveyed at this site is targeted for truck drivers, so a regular vehicle driver might not find much information that he or she can appply personally at this site.
I think this site is quite important. Truck drivers have a lot of responsibility and pressure, so this site is useful in helping to alleviate some of the bad feelings. It is very convincing to me because although I'm not a truck driver, I still believe that an organization like this is important. I am not too sure if the number of truck drivers is increasing with time, but I'm sure that this site can help to prevent a lot of mishaps and problems on the highways and roads.

Truck Net

Truck Net is another site devoted mainly to truck drivers. Here, a large database of trucking directories and lists exist. One mentionable comment that opens up the introduction is, "TruckNet will strive to be the information source for the entire trucking community." I really like this statement because it sounds so optimistic.
Supporters here will most likely be truck drivers, but there may be a few non-truck drivers to visit and support this site for various purposes.
This is quite convincing to me. I enjoyed the site because it was colorful and well organized. Bascially, there are three steps in membershipe with TruckNet. First, you receive a truck.net address and a Web directory listing. The next two and three steps are beneficial for those individuals who make their living from the trucking business.

Trucker Perspective

Trucker Perspective highlights an ordeal that a trucker can relate to and discusses from his perspective. The author here illustrates how a vehicle is driven by a poor driver who tailgates a truck (e.g., semi trailer) and attributes this driving behavior to what he calls the "magnet theory." The author also talks about how some vehicles try to pass the semi trailers while traveling on the road but cuts in front of the truck too soon, causing the truck to brake suddenly. Being that semi trailer trucks are large in size and harder to maneuver than a car, it is extremely dangerous when something like this happens.
I agree with the author here. I don't see that many semi trailer trucks here, but I do notice a lot of people who tailgate or try to pass larger cement trucks or garbage trucks. I realize how extremely frustrating it must be for the driver of the large truck to see an ignorant vehicle not taking into consideration the harm it may be causing if one wrong move was made. Mr. Cummins also gives some tips at the end that would help make the roads a little safer for trucks, vehicles, and everyone.



Increasing Driver Self-Awareness


Drive Safe

Drive Safe is a non-profit organization which advocates for a safer driving environment through the help and assistance of the public. Basically, it is somewhat like a union of drivers who look out for one another by keeping an eye out for reckless drivers or just paying attention to the different driving behaviors and styles of people on the roads.
This organization works in a fairly simple manner. Parents of teenage drivers can enroll in the program for a small fee. The teen will then receive a bumper sticker to be placed on the car which reads, "How's Our Teen Driving?" and a 1-800-number to call for anyone who wants to comment. Callers can call in to complain or praise the driving behavior of certain individuals. If a driver receives meritable comments, he or she will become rewarded for this good behavior.
I really like this idea of monitoring the driving of teens. It's just too bad that it couldn't be more generalized to include the whole public, rather than just targeting teenagers. I do, however, agree that teens should be monitored closely because of their lack of maturity (not all teens, but most) and tendency to drive "wildly" partly due to the "new-found freedom" behind the wheel. I also like the idea of rewarding those who get commended on driving because it is the key to keeping good behavior and it's an excellent time to start implementing the ideas of good driving to the younger drivers of the roads.

Situational Awareness Planner

Rahul Sukthankar is the individual who discusses the SAPIENT, a Situational Awareness Planner Implementing Effective Navigation in Traffic. In his description, he portrays what he would like to see happen in the future in the technology of the SAPIENTand how this "intelligent vehicle" will be able to navigate itself on roads using tactical knowledge and reasoning (e.g., making decisions of what maneuvers to perform in certain driving situations). It is not clear who the supporters are for something like this, but Mr. Sukthanakar seems to be one of the main supporters (after all, he did his thesis on this!).
I am not really sold on this idea because I am not too certain just how effective or even safe something of this caliber would be. One wrong move and this "robot" could cause a major accident and harm others. In a lot of ways, it seems as though Mr. Sukthankar is conveying his wishes and ultimate end-product out loud. I am very resistant to this idea, mainly because there is no guarantee that this would be fool-proof and I don't think the benefits of having something like this would outweigh the costs.
Mr. Sukthankar has done his Ph.D. thesis on this whole idea of the SAPIENT. He conveys his message in a simple manner, but I just don't think he supports his idea well enough to get me excited about it.

The Teenage Driver Safety Program

The Teenage Driver Safety Program (TEENVUE) is a program designed to help teenagers drive more safely and keep the commuity aware and involved as much as possible. It is very similar to the Drive Safeprogram, where parents enroll in the program and receive a bumper sticker that reads "Is my teenager driving safely?". People can then call up a 1-800-number to comment on the driving of the teen.
I agree with this program, for the same reasons as I had mentioned for the Drive Safe program. It would be very beneficial to have the community help in monitoring how one's teenager drives. However, I don't remember reading anything that mentioned a reward type of process as Drive Safe has, which would be even more effective to include.

Road Rage Quiz

The Road Rage Quiz is an fun, simple way to find out just how bad your road rage is. It's a short quiz consisting of 6 multiple choice questions which ask about the various things you as a driver would do in certain driving situations. At the end of the quiz, it asks for some personal information as well (i.e., name, age, gender).
I took the quiz and I thought it was really fun. However, in my opinion, there were a few minor bad details about it. One is that you have to submit it after you are done and wait for the results via e-mail. Also, I found that it was too short and wished there were more questions (to get a better round of areas within the context of driving) and I didn't like the fact that there were only 3 multiple answers to choose from (it was too limiting and I had to force myself to choose one of the answers even though I didn't agree with it).
Despite my gripes, you should check it out for yourself because it's meant to be fun and you are learning something about yourself once the results come in.



Personal Views and Feelings


Ask Mr. Traffic

Ask Mr. Traffic is a website created and maintained by Kenny Morse, better known as Mr. Traffic. Mr. Traffic is a driving school teacher who has his own radio show and makes guest appearances on TV shows, radio programs, and is featured in many articles. Mr. Traffic answers the public's questions about driving and traffic on his radio show and can be seen teaching at The Improv Traffic School, located in California.
Mr. Traffic has many supporters within the general public. I am not sure about the specifics, but it is very evident that he is well-known and highly regarded from seeing all the guest appearances he has made in popular television talk shows, etc.
It seems that Mr. Traffic incorporates comedy in his "teachings," which is probably a good way to communicate his ideas and messages to others. I know that I would prefer to be taught with a comical type of approach. In a lot of ways, Mr. Traffic reminds me of Dr. Driving. Hmmm, Mr. Traffic vs. Dr. Driving...I wonder what it would be like!

Tigress's Lair

Tigress, who is creator of her own web page entitled Tigress's Lair, mentions many things about herself, including a brief section on cars. She is a car-lover and evenincludes some links to a few automobiles on her page. There is also a link to The Speedtrap Registry.
Since this seems to be more of a personal homepage, I cannot really say who her supporters are. Perhaps whoever checks her webpage out? She has done a really nice job on her page and I enjoyed looking at some of her links and photos of her car. Her page has a lot of "personality" and was a pleasure to visit.

The Driving Therapist

The Driving Therapist, Sy Cohan, advocates for healing drivers who suffer from panic, stress, fears, etc. as a result of driving. Problems include speed, traffic, car accidents, bad weather, and lane changes, just to name a few.
Supporters of this can be any driver who experiences any type of discomfort while driving or passengers in cars with those who are sufferers.
I am not really convinced with this type of "healing." I guess because I don't believe something until I see it or experience it for myself. Just hearing about something is not enough for me. It just seems like this site is more of an advertisement to earn money, rather than advocating to help the society of the driving world.
Dr. Cohan facilitates healing through cassette tapes to be played in the car while driving, and even a video cassette to view at home with friends or family. The cassette tapes contain relaxing music, which is meant to help drivers while they are driving.

Traffic Stuf

Trafic Stuf by Richard Moeur contains information about traffic. He talks about various things such as traffic engineering, speed limits, and various traffic signs.
This is an excellent site to check out for anyone who is interested in traffic since Mr. Moeur gives his thoughts on the topic. He also lists some traffic related links, which can come in handy.
I think this is a great site for anyone to browse through. It is nicely made and is very informative.


Groups for Safer Driving


Mothers Against Drunk Driving

Mothers Againts Drunk Driving (MADD) is an organization made up of people (not only mothers) who are advocating to end drunk driving by looking for effective solutions to it rather than being against the alcohol consumption. They have been doing research on drinking and driving and have found that intoxication at any level is dangerous behind the wheel.
I agree with this organization very much. I have seen too many people get injured as a result of driving drunk and a lot of times, these individuals make the choice to drive, even though they are intoxicated. Having a group out there like MADD is really helpful, especially for those folks who deal with close family members or friends being either a victim or at fault.
This organization seems very effective and has continued to gain popularity. It now has more than 600 chapters around the nation. It is just so unfortunate that this organization was developed as a result of the tragic story about the 13-year-old who became victim to a hit-and-run driver.

Parents Against Speeding Teens

Parents Against Speeding Teens (PAST) is a non-profit organization devoted to the awareness and education of teenage drivers. Although only about 2 years old, this organization has already done a great job in getting the message out to the community that speeding kills. PAST conveys their message across to teens in a number of different ways including Graduated Licensing, High School Assemblies, Brochures, and Project Street Watch.
Supporters of PAST are teenagers, the communities, the parents of teens, and anyone who is concerned about the speeding issue and safety issues on the roads and highways.
I agree with this organization. I think that the message about safer driving and less speeding is key in any driving situation, regardless of age. I admit that I tend to speed when I'm in a rush, but I am against speeding as a form of entertainment or thrill-seeking. I think that PAST does a good job in making the community and teenagers aware of what speeding can do because they not only try to get involved by distributing brochures, but they also go to different high schools to speak about it.

National Group Rides and Designated Drivers

National Group Rides and Designated Drivers (National GRADD)is an organization that works with university and college campuses in providing alternatives other than driving intoxicated. They support a "safe-ride program" and a "designated driver program". The difference between the two is that the safe ride program offers a free or low cost way home, while the designated driver is the designation of a person within a group of friends ahead of time to drive everyone home.
Supporters of this would most likely be college students and people who are against driving intoxicated. This is a very great idea and project to have on any college campus. There are a lot of college parties and many times, this program would come in so handy. I am sure it is put to use at most of the college campuses it is present at and ideally, I think it's just a great option to have if you are too drunk to drive home.

D.U.D.s

The Database of Unsafe Driving (D.U.D.s) is a great way for angered drivers to get even with idiotic drivers. Many instances of unsafe driving occur everyday and there are usually no police around to help. So, drivers can take the license plates down of the vehicle and post it with D.U.D. for all to see.
This site is a great idea and I enjoyed reading the various comments and stories. The supporters of D.U.D. can be any driver who feels the need to "get even" because it's a great place for all drivers to "vent".
I suggest that you all check it out...you never know, your license plate might be there!

My Impressions and Reactions to My Classmates

Click here to see my impressions and reactions.

My Conclusion

Click here to see my conclusion and last thoughts.



Back to the Table of Contents
Go back to my homepage

Mining the Generational Curriculum || My Home Page || My Report 1 on: The Psychology of Online Virtual Relationships ||My Report 2 on: Safety Activism on the Information Highway || My Report on the Psychology of Newsgroups || My Bookmarks File || My Icons File || Our G8 Class Home Page || Our G8 Index of All Reports || Dr. Leon James Home Page

E-mail me