My QDC Report
By
Lianne Allianic
Table of Contents
Introduction: What is a QDC?
Self-Witnessing Reports (SWR’s)
Introduction:
What is a QDC?
QDC stands for Quality Driving Circle. A Quality Driving Circle concentrates on improving driving skills through positive incentive and peer pressure.
What is your idea of a QDC, and do you see yourself as a lifelong QDC member?
My idea of a QDC would be a group of people who willingly go to meetings (weekly) to talk about and try to improve their driving behavior and who get rewards for improving their driving. Unfortunately, I do not see myself as a lifelong member or a QDC. I don’t think that I would be able to keep up with going to a weekly meeting.
Are QDCs needed?
I feel that QDCs are needed for drivers that have very bad records and for drivers that cannot control their emotions. I think that they are needed because they would help these types of drivers to control themselves and it would also help the drivers see things from other people’s points of view. Then the road would be a bit safer for everyone.
Self-Witnessing Reports:
SWR #1/ #2 / #3 / #4 / #5 / #6 / #7 / #8 / #9 / #10 / #11
| After reading the Tee card, I found myself watching out for people who cut others off. I have never really bothered to pay attention before, but reading the card made me more aware of it. While I was driving this past weekend, someone actually did cut me off and I had to slow down quite a bit. My initial reaction was anger and thinking that the driver who cut me off was incredibly stupid. But then I remembered that maybe they had a good reason for cutting me off. They could have been just a totally inconsiderate person, but there was no way for me to tell. So I just gave them the benefit of the doubt and I didn’t really think about it anymore. I figured that the more I dwell on it, the more it would bother me. And there really isn’t anything I could do about it. So after being frustrated and irritated for about a minute, I just blew it off and concentrated on driving again. |
In my first SWR I was trying to pay more attention to drivers cutting me off and I tried to think about why they were doing it. I felt a little bit nervous because I think that I was expecting someone to cut me off and when they did I got a bit frustrated. When they cut me off I braked kind of hard and my heart started beating faster. I was angry, but then I figured that if I let it bother me, I would only end up feeling worse. I think that this SWR worked out pretty well. I think that it worked well because it got me to actually think about why drivers cut each other off. It is probably not on purpose, but just accidentally. I got one comment on this posting. "Kelamuch" agreed with me and said that he/she noticed a lot of driving behaviors that they had never noticed before. My conclusion of my first posting is that I thought that it went well and it helped me to look at more driving behaviors. I plan to read my postings every so often just to remind myself!
| As I read the Nation's Top Ten Driving Offenses, I realized that I do a good amount of them. I am impatient a lot of the time, and I always seem to be rushing. I am notorious for speeding through yellow lights. I turn (and change lanes) without signaling all the time, and I yell at other drivers if they upset me. I never realized that I actually do all of these things until I read this list. I think if anyone ever watched me drive, they would think I was a very scary driver! Hopefully one day I will be able to control my emotions and actions better while driving and I can cut down on a bunch of offenses from the list. |
In my second SWR I was trying to think about which of the Top Ten Driving Offenses I do. It was a little hard for me to remember all of them, but I think that I did okay. I realized that I am very impatient and that my heart seems to beat faster when I am driving and in a hurry. My eyes are constantly scanning the road to see if I can change lanes. And my eyes are constantly going to the speedometer to see how fast I am going. I think that this SWR worked out well because I noticed a lot of driving behaviors about myself that I never knew I did. In the first SWR I noticed other drivers’ behaviors, but in this SWR I got to see habits that I do. I got about three or four comments on this posting. The people who replied mostly agreed with me that they also commit a lot of the top ten offenses and they never realized it and that it is scary to think that they are actually driving recklessly. My conclusion of my second SWR is that I think that I learned a lot from it and now I understand that although I may not think I am driving carelessly, that I actually am. I plan to also come back and read this every so often to remind myself that I can also be a reckless driver even if I don’t think so.
O2/03/00 10:12 PM SWR #3 – G13
| After reading the tee card, I realized that I do more competitive things while driving than I thought. I never knew that I kept track of how many cars pass me by while I am driving. But after really thinking about it, I found out that I always keep track of how many cars pass me. If I feel that too many cars are passing me, I think that maybe I am going too slow or something. And if hardly any cars pass me, then I feel that I am going at an okay speed. But when I thought about it more, I figures that it shouldn't matter how fast I am going as long as I am not causing trouble for any other drivers. Another thing that I do is that I always pay attention to who forces me brake. I get really irritated when I have to brake hard. First of all I get scared, because I had to react quickly, then I get angry because that driver wasn't being too courteous, and lastly I get frustrated because I could have possibly gotten into an accident. So I find myself always keeping track of people who force me to brake and I make it a point to keep away form those drivers. I also make it a point to keep track of how many lights I am able to pass without having to stop. I don't really like to have to stop for lights, especially when I am in a hurry to get somewhere. I also always get insulted when I feel that drivers have done something to me, and I wonder if I am a wimp for not retaliating. I never do anything to drivers who cut me off or stuff like that. I just figure that it will just make the situation worse, but then I also wonder if I am being too nice about it. And lastly I always keep track of if someone prevents me from entering a lane or if I prevent someone from entering a lane. I always try to let someone get into my lane if they need to, and I get really upset if someone refuses to let me into a lane. I feel that it is just common courtesy. But anyway, hopefully now that I know about all of the competitive behaviors I have, I will do something to reduce them. |
With my third SWR I was trying to understand my competitive behaviors while I drive. Before reading the tee card, I didn’t think that I was a competitive driver. But I guess I was wrong. While driving I noticed that I got really tense if a lot of drivers were passing me. I felt that I was going way too slow and that everyone was irritated so they didn’t want to drive behind me. I think that this SWR really worked for me because I was able to see all of my competitive actions while driving. I got a couple of comments on this SWR. Basically they both agreed that after reading the tee card, they also noticed a lot of competitive things they do while they drive. My conclusion of this SWR is that it was one of the most helpful things I could’ve done. It made me realize a lot of actions that I do while driving that could be harmful to me in the long run. I also plan to come back and read this from time to time.
02/09/00 06:11 PM SWR #4 – G13
| After reading the Tee card, I found out an interesting fact. I have moderate road rage. If someone irritates me while I am driving, I complain to myself about them. I sometimes get annoyed and irritated by other drivers (who doesn't?). If I am in a bad mood, then I definitely feel frustrated and angry in congested traffic. There are times when I break the speed limit, even if I am not in a rush to get anywhere. Most of the time, I break the speed limit in the 25 or 35 mph areas. There have been times when I have gone through red lights. But I've never done it on purpose. I was preoccupied with something else. And lastly, I have driven home once or twice while under the influence of alcohol. But I was not totally drunk and the drive home was only two minutes. That doesn't justify my doing it, and it doesn't make it okay. But I would never drive if I were really drunk or if the ride home took more than a few minutes. I think that it is natural for some people to behave this way when they let their emotions take over. It is hard not to get upset when another driver cuts you off and you are already in a bad mood. But I think that I have pretty good control over my emotions while I am driving. Yes, I get irritated, frustrated, and sometimes angry. But it's only for a few seconds and it's only because I was afraid and I could've gotten into an accident. I think that most people feel that way as well. I don't tailgate, I have NEVER honked my horn at anyone, I've never showed anyone the finger, and I don't drive like I am in a hurry. But still, I guess that the fact that I have moderate road rage is a cause for concern. Hopefully, I will earn how to minimize my road rage and have full control over my emotions while driving. |
In this SWR I noticed that I am someone who gets annoyed pretty easily by other drivers. When I am driving, I get too sensitive about the behavior of other drivers. I always think that other drivers are doing things to me because they are upset with the way that I am driving. I tend to get a little nervous when I drive. Especially on Oahu because I am from Kauai and the driving over there is very different. I think that this SWR also worked well because I found out a lot about my feelings when I drive. Now I know that I shouldn’t have to be so sensitive about other drivers because they probably don’t even care about the way I’m driving. They care about what they are doing. I got one comment for this SWR and the person agreed that they had moderate road rage, but just not as bad as me. They also said that they noticed a lot of their driving behaviors. My conclusion is that this SWR was very useful for me and it made me realize that I am too sensitive on the road. It was extremely helpful for my driving.
| This past week I went to Vegas with my family. We rented a car and I made sure to pay special attention to my mom's driving. She is more in phase 1 than in phase 2. It was interesting to watch her drive somewhere other than in Hawaii. She was a bit afraid and took offense to a lot more things than normal. I was strange because she does not do that driving over here. I think it was because her environment was unfamiliar and that made her more cautious and more emotional than normal. I noticed that every time a car honked at her (which was pretty often), she'd swear at them or make some kind of comment. If she got cut off, she got extremely angry for a while. She normally does not do that. So it made me think about how familiarity to the environment affects our driving. Because my mom is in phase 2 when driving in Hawaii, but definitely in phase 1 driving anywhere else. |
With this SWR I was a passenger instead of a driver. I tried to look at how my mom drove in an unfamiliar environment and to see what phase she was in. I was a pretty nervous passenger. I noticed that I would feel sick a lot when I was in the car because my mom didn’t drive smoothly. I kept thinking that other drivers must know that we’re tourists because we were going so slow. I think that this SWR worked out okay. I didn’t realize a while lot of things like how I did with the past SWRs. But it was still interesting for me. I didn’t have any comments for this posting. My conclusion for this SWR is that it was interesting, but not as helpful to me as the others. I don’t really have plans for this SWR.
02/24/00 10:15 PM SWR #6 - G13
| The hints on how to manage anger in traffic are pretty interesting. I think that if you can remember and make it a point to do some of those things, then they should work pretty well. I would like to think that I could do those things easily, but I know that sometimes I get too caught up in my emotions and I would probably do something a little less constructive. But I have done some of those hints when I was angry about something other than driving, so I think that they should work pretty well with driving too. There have been times when I have been really irritated and upset with my little brother, but I just counted to ten slowly and I was able to control my temper. I think that that would work well if someone cut me off. I also give a sigh of relief whenever I almost get into an accident and I don't get upset, I am just happy that I am okay. I have never tried to make funny noises before, but I am sure that if I did I would end up laughing instead of being angry. That technique has worked with my boyfriend. If we argue, I usually try to do something funny or make funny noises and we both end up laughing instead of arguing. The rest of the hints seem like they would work as well. I just need to remember to try them out the next time another driver does something that might upset me or irritate me. |
With this SWR I was trying to understand how to manage my anger while driving. I noticed that if I count to ten really slowly it helps me calm down and I feel better about driving. If I am able to laugh about something, it is even better because I feel even more relaxed. I think that this SWR worked out pretty well. I learned how to remain calm when driving and not to get so upset. I got one comment on this SWR. The person just agreed that the techniques used to manage anger were very useful. My conclusion is that I am a better driver because this SWR helped me to control my anger.
| I am one of those people that think of themselves as an excellent driver. If something bad happens, it is always the other persons fault and not my own. I guess that I have never really looked at what my weaknesses are while driving, which is probably why I think of myself as an excellent driver. I think that if I really pay attention to what I do when I drive, I will find a few things that I need to improve on. There are some times when I realize that I am being aggressive or irrational when I drive. As soon as I realize what I am doing, I try to stop and to just relax and think about something else. The tee card says that we tend to drive like our parents. I disagree with that statement because I a make it a point to not drive like my parents. My mom drives too jerky and I always end up getting sick in the car and my dad drives too slow. I drive the complete opposite of my parents. I try to drive a smooth as possible without going too slow or too fast. I feel that as soon as I become aware of the bad habit that I have while driving, I will be able to modify them all. I don't think that it will be easy to modify those behaviors because I have been driving the same way for years. But I think that with a little patience and persistence, I can modify my bad habits and become a better driver. |
This SWR made me realize my weaknesses as a driver. I noticed that when I drive I am a lot more calm and relaxed. Now that I understand my weaknesses I can work on them. I think that this SWR worked really well because now I can do something to help my self become a better driver and understand why I feel the way I feel when I am driving. I got one comment on this SWR. The person agreed that helpful techniques can really make some a better driver. My conclusion is that this SWR is also one of the most helpful because it made me realize what my weaknesses are so that I can concentrate on improving them. I plan to revisit this page so that I can remind myself that I have weaknesses as a driver.
| I can't believe that hundreds of people die from shoot outs that happen because of driving mishaps. I think that it is really scary. I guess that since I don't know of it actually happening to anyone that I know makes, it even harder to believe. I would like to think that if I pulled over to talk to someone because we got into a little accident that we would both be mature enough to handle the situation without anyone getting hurt or too angry. I think that it is natural for both drivers to be a little upset at first, but I don't think that it is natural to just shoot someone. Maybe it is just the men that let these situations get out of hand. Being a girl, I can't see myself getting into a situation like that. If I did pull over and the other driver was yelling at me I would probable be too scared to do anything except listen. And if I knew that the other driver was drunk, I would probably be even more careful about what I did. Getting angry will only cause both people to act irrationally. I would most likely try to explain, in a VERY calm voice, that I was very sorry and that we could try to work it out. I guess that men feel the need to show how tough they are by fighting back instead of just leaving the scene. It just really scares me that there are people in the world that let their emotions run so high that they end up killing someone. I understand that there are times when it is extremely hard to control your feelings. But I don't understand it when people let crazy things happen, like killing or hurting someone. I mean is their car THAT important that you need to kill someone because it got damaged? I just hope that someday people will learn that over reacting about auto accidents is more harmful than beneficial. Then maybe the roads will be a much safer place to drive for everyone. |
In this SWR I didn’t really look at my own driving behaviors but at the behavior of drivers who overreact to little things. I get really scared thinking about people who shoot and kill others just because they got into an accident. Is a car really that important that you have to kill someone because the car got a little banged up? I think that this SWR made me understand that the kinds of people that will shot another driver need help. It made me want to be more of a cautious driver because I don’t want to even be in a situation where I have to get out of my car because of a little accident. I never know if I am going to get shot! I got three comments to this SWR. They all said that it is sad, but unfortunately, things like shootouts happen everyday and that they wished that there was something people could do to stop them. My conclusion to this SWR is that it makes me want to be a very CAREFUL driver so that I don’t upset anyone. It also makes me feel sorry that there are people out there that need help, but don’t know that they need it and don’t know where to get it.
03/16/00 11:41 PM SWR #9 – G13
| There are many television programs that show Drivers Behaving Badly. One program is Friends. Phoebe sometimes drives her grandmother’s cab and she can't drive at all. They constantly make jokes about driving and she does a few things from the list like taking her eyes off the road, yelling at other drivers and pedestrians, and driving in a reckless manner. There are also many movies that are shown on television that have Drivers Behaving Badly. I just watched My Best Friend's Wedding recently and Cameron Diaz drives terribly in that movie. She constantly looks at the person she is talking to while driving, she switches lanes abruptly without signaling, she speeds, and she drives while she is really upset and not thinking straight. There are also many action movies that show bad driving. Movies where there are car chases, people trying to run others over, and drivers trying to shoot people while driving. Many children watch these kinds of shows and then they think that it is okay for them to drive that way too without getting hurt. People drink and drive on television and they get home okay. That could make children think that drinking and driving is okay. In movies, people just driver recklessly period and many children as well as adults get influenced by the kinds of driving they see on television. My brother is eleven years old and he watches a lot of action movies and he thinks that people can really drive that way and not get hurt. It scares me to think that when he gets his license, he just might try to drive the way people drive in movies. I think that it would help him a lot to have my parents sit him down and talk to him about Drivers Behaving Badly on television and what is really safe and what is not. I hope that eventually all parents will talk to their children about what driving is really like and let their children know that the way driving is portrayed in movies is definitely not safe and not real. |
This SWR was also not about my driving behaviors, but about other peoples’ behavior. I got really upset when I thought about the way television and movies portray driving. Little children as well as adults are influenced by actors and actresses driving. I think that this SWR worked out well. It made me realize just how badly people drive on television. IT was not something that I thought about until I read the tee card. I guess that it is just a natural thing to see people driving recklessly on television that no one really thinks about it at all. But now that I have done this SWR, I know that I will be more aware about driving behaviors on television/movies. I got three comments for this SWR. They all agreed that children and adults are influenced too much by television and movies. My conclusion is that I will be more aware of the way television/movies portray driving and if I ever have children I will definitely teach them what is real and what is not when they are watching something.
03/22/00 9:36 PM SWR #10 – G13
| After reading the tee card, I thought a lot about why drivers drive the way they do sometimes. Whenever people feel that someone is driving bad, everyone always assumes that it is because the driver is being dumb or he/she just plain doesn't know how to drive. No one ever thinks about whether or not the driver is sick, or if the driver has children in the car, or if the drivers are old, or if they are inexperienced. But when you are the person in the car with tons of children, or if you are the person that is driving for like the third time in your life, you expect that the other drivers would show you some courtesy and help you out a little be not getting upset or angry and either showing you the finger or yelling at you or honking their horn at you. I think that if people took the time to think about these things that they would be better drivers because they would be able to relate to other people's feelings and situations. Just the other day, I became kind of irritated with a driver because he was going way too slow in front of me. I remember thinking that he must be doing it on purpose just to get the other drivers behind him upset. But then I took a better look and I realized that the driver was a tourist and he was trying to get somewhere, but wasn't sure where he was going and did not want to end up making a wrong turn or head in the wrong direction. He looked very nervous and it seemed like he felt bad that he was holding up other drivers. Then I felt sorry for him instead of angry because I remembered what it was like to be a tourist and not really know where you are going and not wanting to spend all of your time on the road with a map in your hands. I think that if all people tried to think this way, drivers would be happier and safer. |
In this SWR I tried to make myself see things from another driver’s point of view instead of just assuming everything. I felt a lot better when I thought about the reasons why a driver was driving carelessly. Instead of just thinking that they were trying to upset me, I thought about what could be making them drive the way they were driving. I felt a lot better and more relaxed when I did this. I think that this SWR worked out really well because it made me understand that when people drive badly it is not to upset you, it is most likely because they are upset about something that is going on in their life at that moment. I got three comments on this tee card. One of the comments was about someone who also had a similar experience with a slow driver. Another person said that they were glad that the tee cards were helping others drive better. My conclusion is that this was an extremely helpful SWR because it made me get less angry with other drivers if they are driving in a way that bothers me.
03/28/00 10:22 PM SWR #11 – G13
| Since I wrote about all ten tee cards, I guess that I will just write about some things that I notice while driving. I am currently home, on Kauai. And I noticed that people here do not know how to drive. Many people speed and drive recklessly. And a lot of people don't use their turn signals. I find myself getting very upset about driving here. But when I thought about it a little, I figured that people here probably drive like that because they have never really had to drive well. IT is so laid back here that most people just drive however they want. I guess that it is just the environment that makes the people here drive the way they do. I think that before I moved to Oahu for school, I drove like how the people on Kauai drive. But since I have been on Oahu, I notice that my driving is really different. I am much more careful and I am much more considerate of other drivers. Probably because there are so many more drivers on Oahu and if you happen to make certain ones mad, they will definitely let you know it. People on Kauai are scared to even honk their horns sometimes. I guess that the environment you drive in really makes a difference. |
This SWR made me notice that when I am in a different environment, I have a harder time controlling my emotions about driving. When I went home to Kauai I found myself getting really irritated and frustrated with a lot of other drivers. But I forced myself to calm down and to think that this is the way it is over here. No one is trying to upset me, they are just driving how they would normally drive. I got one comment on this SWR. The person said that they thought my comments were really interesting because they got their license in another state. My conclusion is that I think this SWR was helpful in helping me adjust to new environments when driving.
Overall, I feel that I have improved my driving a lot since completing all of the SWRs. I make sure that I don’t take things too personally when I am driving. I try to be a good driver by using turn signals all the time, making sure I am aware of other drivers around me, and trying to obey all the rules of driving. I am aware of my weaknesses as a driver and I’ve been able to improve myself. I am not very nervous when I drive anymore and I don’t get very upset or frustrated. There are times when I fall back to my old self, but I always think back to the SWRs and I correct my behavior.
While reading other students’ SWRs, I noticed that pretty much all of the students improved their thinking and behavior while driving. There were some students that were more aggressive than others and they were harder to reach. But eventually they also improved. Their behavior is pretty much the same as mine was. At first, they were a little reluctant to change, but after a while, everyone changed for the better. I think that the biggest problem for everyone in the class was anger management when driving. Most of the students seemed to become very angry with other drivers. But I feel that towards the middle/end of the SWRs, the students were controlling their anger better. My role as a QDC member was to give my opinion to other members on their SWRs. And if I helped them in any way, I am glad. I think that everyone took the opinions of other seriously and I feel that everyone’s opinions helped each other.
Conclusion:
Epilogue:
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