It is the responsibility of every motorist to communicate with each other. Communication should begin the minute one enters the vehicle, whether they are the driver or the passenger. This is not to say that pedestrians do not have the responsibility to communicate to motorists what their intentions are. It is absolutely essential that we have effective communication so as to keep the roads virtually accident free.
Summary of Kristin Subia's Report
In Kristin
Subia's report on How Drivers Communicate, she discusses the various
situations where it is absolutely necessary that motorists communicate
with each other. These include: making turns, changing lanes, yeilding
the way, making room in one's lane for someone, tailgaitting , overtaking
and racing.
In regards to changing lanes, Ms. Subia says
that since there are so many things going on at the same time, we need
to be extra careful when changing lanes. I think that this is a very
valid statement and I think that many people do not make sure that the
way is clear before thay chnge lanes because they are so preoccupied with
so many other things.
She goes on to talk about yeilding the way
and how some motorists refuse to come to a complete stop at a stop sign
and thus they so the "rolling technique." I've witnessed this way
too many times and I am not sure what the big difference is between coming
to a complete stop and rolling. It is just a matter of seconds.
People are way too impatient these days.
Ms. Subia talks about making way in one's
way for another. She thinks this is somewhat of a nuisance.
I understand where she's coming from because I know that when one is in
a hurry we tend to think that we cannot spare a second to show a simple
act of kindness. However, I do believe that showing kindness causes
a domino effect and if we let someone in our lane then someone else may
be inclined to help us out when we need it...somewhat like a domino effect.
She also discusses tailgating and overtaking
where she says that some people feel insulted when other motorists overtake
them. I'm not sure that this is something to be insulted by.
I would rather someone overtake me than tailgate me, thereby pressuring
me to go faster.
The last thing she talked about was racing
between motorists and how dangerous and even suicidal it might be.
She says that she is totally against it. I totally agree with her.
Generally, the people who race are usually these macho males who want to
show off their fast cars. These egomaniacs are totally oblivious
to everything around them and so these testosterone junkies do not realize
that they are putting themselves and other motorists at risk. This
is just one fine example of selfish people in our society.
However, it is not just the drivers of cars
that tend to race. I also see a lot of motorcyclists who like to
race. I remember while living in Jamaica, on the weekends we would
drive to the country to see my grandmother. We would often have the
displeasure of seeing a motorcycle race. I say displeasure because
after these macho freaks go zooming by on their shiny new motorcycles,
a few miles down the road we would see a crowd and often it would be the
same motorcycle that passed out and the driver would be lying on the ground
covered in blood. Sometimes it would even end up in death.
It was really horrific!
Summary Of Andrew Shapiro's Report on The Effectiveness of the Gestural Communication Involving Drivers Requesting the Right-Of-Way.
The dreaded intersection...
Thoughts from Kristin Subia and Andrew Shapiro by Kristin Evert ........
This article starts out by saying that the report by Ms. Subia on How Drivers Communicate involves very extreme cases and we all know that not all communication that is made is negative or involves dangerous circumstances. I think that Ms. Subia chose such extreme cases because she wants to make sure that everyone understands the point that she is trying to make.
Who's Zoomin' Who?
I thought that this was a very fitting title
for this section. In this section, Mr. Shapiro took a tape recorder
with him driving to school everyday to make note of some of the forms of
communications that drivers use.
He took into account four things in particular:
type of car, sex of driver, location and time of day. He chose these
points because he had a few predictions, which he would intend to prove.
Predictions
People in sports cars are more likely to exhibit "Car
Communication" than people in non-sports cars.
Females are more likely to use waving or pleasant facial
expressions to communicate more than men.
Drivers in town (Honolulu) or near town are more likely
to use "Car Communication" than drivers on the Windward side.
Drivers are less likely to wave, use facial expressions
or "Physical Driver Communication" at night; and are more likely to use
"Car Communication" at night versus the day.
He also stated two terms he had developed
to help describe the different kinds of driving communication. The
first term that he came up with was "Car Communication" and by this he
means the way a person uses his/her car. An example of this would
be tailgating. The second term he came up with was "Physical Communication"
where he refers to facial expressions, hand gestures (flipping the bird)
and even verbal communication.
In my opinion I think that most of his predictions
are true. However, I am not sure if drivers in Honolulu are more
likely to use "Car Communication" than those on the Windward side.
I think he should have had an explanation as to why he believes this.
The next section is on observation and evaluations
where he listed all the driving related incidents that he had observed.
The one that really stuck out in my mind was the one that occurred on Dec.
4, 1997 at 9:25 on the Pali Highway.
In this incident, a female driver failed to
make sure it was safe when she proceeded to change lanes and almost banged
into another car. To make matters worse, she panicked and did not
make sure it was o.k. to go back into her previous lane thereby almost
causing another accident. The part that really got to me was that
the driver that she almost banged into was a male driver in a porche.
Just to "stick it to her" he actually sped up and swerved into her
lane causing her to move over. It is bad enough that she almost caused
an accident but here we have this moron who feels the need to put other
peoples life at risk. It never ceases to amaze me that these men
in shiny new cars are so self-absorbed that they fail to see the immediate
danger at hand. I hate to point fingers, but I must say that the
most bone-headed things that I have seen done are usually by males.
Maybe someone should do a report specifically on this.
Mr. Shapiro went on to state that his predictions
were way too complex for a report of this calibre. During his observation,
No one exhibited any action communication and all the physical communication
was in the form of waving. he said no-one shook their fists of flipped
the bird. I think that maybe he wasn't paying close attention or
he should do his research in another part of town. I happen to think
that at least once per day I see someone doing those things. Admittedly,
some of the times I may actually be the one doing it.
The next section was on recommendations.
In this section it states that we live in a day and age where it is socially
and culturally accepted to break laws. He also talked about giving
people flash cards to aid with communication while driving. Of Course,
this would not only distract people but also some drivers would be dishonest
in the use of their flash cards. This makes me think of Emergency
medical Services (EMS). I have a friend in New York who works for
the EMS and he says that sometimes just to get out of traffic even when
they don' t have an emergency they put on their sirens. Nobody would
even think of going against them because they would not know if they were
really saving a life.
The report also talked about their web and
library search. They found that the library search is not nearly
as rewarding as the internet search as is my own experience.
In the end their advice to other motorists is that
they should drive as safely as possible and remember that there is someone
who loves you. I think though this statement is true, it is more
important to put the lives of our passengers and other motorists first
and in turn this will make use safer drivers.
Summary of Mary Elizabeth Pacheco"s report on How Drivers Communicate With Each Other
What are we Saying to One Another...
This report was written by Mary
Elizabeth Pacheco. Ms. Pacheco starts out with an introduction
where she summarizes and links to reports of Kristin Subia and Andrew Shapiro.
She also states that actions rally do speak louder than words. This
is why it is so important that we have a pleasant public self while driving
so that we give off the right impressions at all times.
Her next section was on Methods, Predictions
and Expectations of Communication between drivers. Here she predicts
that communication will often be misinterpreted. She also expects
that communication influence drivers in both negative and positive ways.
I'm not sure I agree with her when she says that communication will often
be misinterpreted. I happen to think that there has to be some effective
communication going on or else there would be a lot more accidents.
She went on to discuss what she had noticed
on the roads on particular days. She noticed that drivers used two
basic forms of communication--the smile and the wave to say thank you.
Here is a perfect example of where communication is effectively conveyed
thereby an example of where she contradicts herself.
In her section on recommendations dor a UPC
code for drivers she states that there should be an introduction of the
all time wave. However, she states that other codes could be verbal
because many of us understands how to read lips. I totally disagree
with this. I think that verbal communication would not be a very
effective form of communication because a lot of the message being conveyed
would be misinterpreted.
She also states that people learn by modeling
and that methods of effective gestures could be taught through Quality
Driving Circles. I agree with the idea of QDC's. I think that the
behaviors that people portray on the roads have a lot to do with what they
see on television and what they learn from parents, friends and other motorists.
So if we incorporate Quality Driving Circles in our daily lives then we
will have an opportunity to directly influence the way people drive and
possibly teach them the correct way to do so.
She also did a web search and a Library catalog
search. She stated that as the topic becomes more popular or as the
public becomes more interested in communication, then there will be more
information available.
She also gives advice to future generations
and says that perhaps they will be able to think of different and creative
ideas of communication between drivers.
Simple Acts
of Kindness that conveys forms of communication
I was in the left lane in a long line of cars. A car in the right lane
was stuck behind a
slow truck. His
blinkers were on but no one
let him in. I made space for him by
slowing down a little, and he went for
it. I saw his wave through his rear window.
I felt
a warmth.
___________________________________________________________________________
I was in the right lane going at speed limit, which is how I like to
travel. A car in the
left lane was also going at speed limit.
We were almost parallel, which makes me feel
uncomfortable. The people behind in
the left lane must have been upset. There was a
long line backed up. So I felt like
I shouldn't just ignore their plight. I broke my usual
rule and sped
up quickly. Those drivers were sure relived that they could now
pass
that obstructing driver
on the right behind me. I could tell by the way they were
zooming passed that car in a hurry, then switching
back into the left lane. I was happy
for them.
___________________________________________________________________________
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 11:32:34 -1000
From: Fred McKinney
To: dyc@aloha.net
Subject: Random Acts of Driving Kindness
One time, back when I was a graduate student
at University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, I was
headed home to West Plains, Missouri
to see my parents. Between Fayetteville, Ark. and
West Plains, Mo., other than a couple
of towns of about 10,000 or so in population along the
way, there is no four-lane highway
to speak of (and this is the fastest way home, no less!).
One night, as I was driving
east on US 412 (for those not familiar with the road, it winds
through a lot of hills and mountains
-- nice scenic drive, though) about 10, maybe 15 miles or
so west of Alpena, Ark., and there
was this eighteen-wheeler right in front of me trying to
navigate every little twist and turn
and hill, and with the weight of his truck, I knew there was
nothing he could do about it (I'm
not one to fly off in a rage behind the wheel to begin with,
BTW), but I was
close enough (not tailgating or anything, mind you) that he knew
I wanted to
pass him at the first possible opportunity.
Well, about 5 minutes later, after
we got onto a straight stretch, he saw no one coming and
stuck his arm out his window waving
me to go ahead and pass him, and he even turned
off his
headlights
just briefly to let me know when I had completely gotten around
him. IMHO, he
ought to become the president
of whatever trucking company it is he's working for, and if
you're that truck driver and reading this
-- thanx! We need more courteous people like you on
the road.
___________________________________________________________________________
Strolling
through the Eric search groups
"BASCH, CHARLES E.; AND OTHERS";. PERCEPTIONS,
ATTITUDES, MOTIVATIONS, AND BEHAVIORS OF DRIVERS 18 TO 2
YEARS OLD.; .
Yee, Darlene; Melichar, Joseph F.. Accident Prevention through Driving
Skills Assessment and Interventions
for Older Drivers: A Programmatic Research
Project. .
"Potvin, Louise; And Others";. Mandatory Driver Training and Road Safety:
The Quebec Experience.;
"American Journal of Public Health; v78 n9 p1206-9 Sep
1988"; .
Williams, Allan F.. Restrictive Measures for Young, Beginning Drivers.
.
Nelson, Thomas M. Experimental intercomparisons of younger and older
driver
perceptions. International Journal of Aging and Human Development,
1992-93,239-59.
___________________________________________________________________________
Michelle Ota's report was very interesting.
it dealt with all the differnt personalities that we take on when we get
behind the wheel of a car. I personally believe that I do change
into a toatally different person. Often it's the speed demon
inside comes out.
She comments that she sees these changes on
friends and family. She states that one would probably never say
these things to a person's face, but I tend to disagree considering I've
seen people really stick it to other drivers and they are not shy about
it.
Denise Tanaka admits to tailgating...
According to
Ms. Tanaka
I must admit I am also a tailgater. I usually
do it to punish other drivers for offenses I believe they
have committed against me. I do this when someone cut in front of me
in an unsafe manner (e.g. they
speed up and go in front, while almost taking the front corner of my
car with them or when I'm going
60-65 mph and someone comes in front going at least ten mph slower)
or when I'm trying to get on
the freeway and someone speeds up so I won't go in front. I know two
wrong don't make a right,
but I can't seem to help myself. When I feel I've been wronged, revenge
comes to my mind.
Tailgating also depends on how a person feels
on a certain day. When have a bad day, I find myself more prone to tailgate
people, sometimes for no reason at all. On other days I just cruise along
almost indifferently to people going in front of me
Sharla Supnet's Views on speeding and her experience while driving.
Sharla
Supnet says "The connection between traffic psychology and speeding
is that we need to reevaluate our thoughts, feelings, and emotions before
pressing the pedal to the metal. I personally feel that this list should
be entitled, "how to avoid a speeding ticket" rather than "successful speeding."
It shows a motorist how to drive, where to look, and how to act in situations
when they are speeding or caught speeding. This list does not allow us
to think about speeding, but rather it encourages us to keep speeding.
Ms. Supnet's experience while driving.
She talks about her experiences while driving
where she expressed her feelings to another driver through sign language,
where she basically signed some nasty words to the driver who had cut her
off. To her this seemed justifiable at the time. Of course
it is a normal human reaction to not think about consequences when you
are mad, however, this could possible result in road rage where the other
driver could have retaliated and it could have ended in a serious dispute.
She also says that swearing is a hard habit to break and I think we all
would agree with her. =)
Brian Yucoco's verbal behavior...
"Andrew Dice Clay," he doesn't have anything
on me when I'm driving on the road. Befor doing my self observation I didn't
realize how much I actually swear. On the average I would say for every
ten minutes there would have to be at least two bad word coming out of
my mouth. My girlfriend first pointed it out to me when I was thinking
about topics to writing this paper. "F*&K" seems to be the word mostly
used by my foul mouth. This is definately some thing that I have to change.
For the most part it happens when my car's personal space is being violated.
On observation I generally swear more when I am alone. It tends to cut
down when there are passangers, especially those who are older than me.
Tailgating
Tailgating, swerving in and out of the person's lane,
and playing police man, are all different ways to get the
other driver back for whatever inconvenience they may
have caused you. Tailgating is really effective in the
situation when you may have a slow driver driving in front
of you. Although, it may cause the person to speed up, it
can also result in you becoming an extension of their rear
bumper. Brian Yucoco uses this as his reason to stop
tailgating others. He envisions his car becoming a heap of
fiberglass and metal which normally brings him to realize
the fatal consequences of following someone so closely.
I've often used the same approach to help control the strong
temptation to tailgate. It may serve as a quick deterrent,
although it is not always strong enough stop the terroristic
behavior of tailgating.
____________________________________________________________________________
Thought this was cool
....check it out
Excuses For Speeding. What's Yours?
10. Two Words: Cajun Chile.
9. The cat hit the gas peddle.
8. Why my license? The dog was driving!
7. I didn't Know I was speeding? I was taking a nap!
6. I did want to miss the sale at Bob's House of Cheese!
5. How do you dry your pants, officer?
4. I Just wanted to meet you!
3. Hot coffee, lap... Hot coffee, lap... Hot coffee, lap. Do you know a lawyer?
2. Oh, the speedometer is that big circle!
1. My Underwear was on fire.
My Report Compared To Others In My Generation
I read a lot of very informative reports.
It seems that everyone has put a lot of time and effort in preparing their
reports. I liked the format of Czar's
report. I cannot imagine how long it took her to do it.
Many of the reports were also very colorful
and had really cool graphics. I also thought that everyone was very
inventive with their ideas for the report and very artistic in the way
that they arranged it.
ACCODING TO J. P. ROTHE
In the book Challenging the Old Order, I couldn't
find a lot that related to this report. However, I browsed the entire
book and from our discussions in class found parts of the book that was
of relevance to How Drivers communicate. The book states that traffic
safety education and promotion are still the central features of the councils
activity. However, this does not lessen the risks that drivers choose
to take on the roads today.
In addtion, risks in traffic are experienced
as the norm, not as exceptions. Motorists, do not learn to avoid
dangers, but appear eager to imitate the bad examples set by others (clanning
mentality). These negative behaviors seem to increase pleasure and
limit the benefit of safety education interventions.
I must say that I have to agree with
Rothe. It seems that the safer motor vehicles that are being made,
the more risks people tend to take. Also I have been in traffic way
too many times and I see one motorist do something completely stupid and
dangerous and of course the others feel the need to follow him. It
is almost as if these people are unable to think for themselves.
Also it amazes me that they do not assess the risk factor before they do
these things. I think that there are many in our society who feel
that they are somehow invincible and that they are the exceptions and that
is why we have so many accidents today.
Doing this report was actually a lot of fun
for me. I learned a lot of new things that I had not even thought
of before. Also I get a real sense of accomplishment knowing that
the information in my report will be availabe to other people and that
they might actually be able to use this information.
I think it is important that everyone thinks
about how people communicate on the roads because it is such an essential
factor in keeping the roads safe. Also it is vital that we realize
that communication is always changing and so we need to keep up with the
times. One last factor is that certain gestures that are acceptable
in one country may not be in another country (example the thumbs up) so
we need to also be aware of that.
