I think that getting rid of our bad habits on the road is a very good idea.  The changing of bad behavior is always a good idea but I'm not sure that it is that easy.  I like what she says about having to look to the source of the action.  This is like the affective and cognitive domains.  Then to change the actual behavior you need to take into mind the sensorimotor domain also.  She acknowledges the existence of the three domains and relates them to the problem.  She also believes that traffic psychology is very important in the behavior modification process.
 
 

    She makes a good point that traffic psychology could reduce accidents and save people al ot of money.  I also agree with the fact that how people are feeling when they drive has a lot to to with how they act.  If you are not in a rush you tend to drive slower and to not be bothered as much by the people who drive in ways you do not like.  But to me this has less to do with the social aspect of driving and more to do with a person's own problem of anger management.  Just because you are mad doesn't mean you have to drive aggressively.  You could realize there are other's on the road who did not cause you anger and wait till you get home to let your frustrations out.  So you could be mad but still drive responsibly, it's possible.
 
 

    I think that his is a good definition for traffic psychology.  I agree with the fact that people need to be more informed and educated on how to recognize different things on the road.  I disagree with his statement that passengers can't do anything and are just "helpless" in cars.  I think a passenger has a duty to watch for things on the road that maybe the driver can't see.  I also agree with his view on aggressive moped riders.  Anyone who has been on the University of Hawaii campus knows this to be true.
 
 

    I agree that traffic psychology  is the study of a person while driving, and I think people do act differently behind the wheel than they do in real life.  But one thing that it made me think is that if you modify your own driving habits and try to make yourself a better driver then you will end up with the belief that you are a "good" driver.  By thinking that you are good driver I think the more you will tend to be critical of others possibly resulting in ever more road rage.  I think we need to do more than just modify our own behavior, we need to realize that there are different driving personalities on the road and we have to know how to recognize them and how to deal with them.
 
 

    Cheddiemae did not state outright her definition of Driving Psychology but she did explain her thoughts on the subject.  Basically her definition is that it is the study of everything related to driving especially on the cognitive side.  How people think about what's going on on the road from all the different points of view: passenger , driver, cyclist, etc.  She talks a lot about her past experiences on the road and about she felt and what she thinks about certain situations.  She believes that one needs to think about the people in the other roles and not concentrate only on his or her own needs all the time.

    I agree with her on the fact that the cognitive side is very important in understanding drivers.  But I disagree with the fact that she makes no mention of the other two aspects, the affective and sensorimotor domains.  All three play a part in understanding traffic and driving.  How you are feeling will definitely make a difference on what you are thinking.  Sometimes your feeling can take over and you won't even think before you act.  All these things are important and should be discussed.

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As a Driver:      As a driver I often experience people doing thing with their cars that they should not be doing.  At times I do get angry and wonder what the other person is thinking to making such a stupid move.  I don't beleive that taking a 10 minute written exam anda 20 minute road test prepares the person for driving.  Norms and other "courtesy" laws are understood by a very few drivers out there.  Traffic psychology is needed to cope with the ignorant people who don't follow these norms mainly to stay sane.  Traffic psychology is needed in this case because if more is known on why people act the way they do then maybe people wouldn't get as mad because people could under stand what is going through their minds and maybe see it as normal or to find a better way to deal with the problem in a less stressful manner.

As a passenger:  A passenger is a driver's best friend and his worst enemy.   To be a good passenger you need to help the driver in situations where they need help like self witnessing to better thier driving. I beleive that the passenger needs to accept the driver's style or do something about it like talking to the driver.  Too many times passengers and drivers view on driving conflict, and not everyone is happy with the travel.  This should be discussed and come to an agreement on the happiest way to drive.  But ultimately, I leave the driving style to the driver without question. I beleive the people I ride with don't want to get in an accident themselves, so they do know their limits. Everyone has different limits and shouldn't impose their view as being the "right" way to drive because that's just plain conceit.  The passenger can also be of help when the situation have many variables for disaster.  Sometimes the driver is not able to see because of the position in the car  The driver can ask the person to let him know when his side is clear so the driver can concentrate on his own side.  Traffic psychology could help to teach people how to be good passengers by helping the driver in the sensorimotor domain.

As a moped rider:  Moped riding and bike riding have the same rules in my book.  There are riders that are selfish and always think they have the right of way.  They travel without looking around them at the traffic they hold up or the cars that can strike them.  In this case, car drivers need to be extra cautious about two wheeled riders.  There are so many ignorant bikers out there, car drivers need to develop a higher cautiousness around the city area.  It would help also that everyone is educated about sensorimotor facts of riding a bike like the blind spots in mirrors and the fact that drivers aren't use to looking for a smaller object like a bike, but look only for larger cars.

As a pedestrian:  For the most part, pedestrians and all drivers need to be more courteous.  I think pedestrians need to realize that they aren't God's gift to the world. I couldn't beleive that simple courteousy is lost these days.  And example is when a pedestrian decides to cross a busy highway and starts walking expecting the cars to stop.  This happens right after a street light or stop sign so the drivers need to come to a halt again.  This sometimes results in a backup of traffic to the previous street light.  Pedestrians don't have the sense to walk a few feet to the nearest crosswalk and decide to jaywalk instead and cause the big traffic jam. If you are going to cross a street you have to under stand that the street is made for cars , not for walking.  That is why they make sidewalks.  I don't under stand the people who step into the road without looking and then when they see that there is a car there they look at the car as if thinking "What are you doing not stopping for me?".  And they continue to take their sweet time crossing. Traffic psychology need to be taught to everyone, even the ones that don't drive.  That way they can see the point of view from the drivers.  In the law it does say that pedestrians always have the right of way, but does this mean they can cross a road anywhere at anytime regardless of the traffic on the road? The law should protect the law abiders and have no mercy on the ignorant.
 

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    Future generations can expand on this activity by being more aware of the different driving situations and ways of transportation.  My beleif is that everyone needs to experience each way of transportation to learn the different skills needed for each way.  A person cannot have the same mentality riding a bike as with driving a car.  Another thing to improve on is driving norm education.  People do have different driving norms they follow which creates problems when they don't mix with each other.  If all new drivers and maybe the veteren drivers also can hold the same norms, everyone would be on the same page and traffic would flow.
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     Many things were learned doing this report.  The biggest finding was observing the diverse styles from driving to walking.  Because of these differences, conflict is inevitable.  Trying to encompass everyone's style is impossible but to gain something from every interaction is necessary for growth of the driver. My views changed as I began to ride different medias or ways of transportation.  I found that a different mind set is necesarry for the different modes of transportation.  To learn, I ask friends and family why they do certain acts in certain situations to broaden my interpretation of the actions of others instead of assumming what they're thinking.  By understanding more about each style, I'm less likely to assume the worst of someone and therefore keep and open mind about other styles of driving.  I do stress that there are ignorant people who care only how they drive and forget that they share the road.  Because of those types, others need to be extremely cautious and fight of the urge to resist a change in your own personal driving style.  Bottom line: keep and open mind about people, and learn from your interactions.

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