Instructions For This Report	Summary of Chapter 11 Presentation
Summary of Traffic Waves Presentation	Questions
Questions	My Reactions
My Reactions	Comparison
Comparison	Suggestions
Suggestions

    The Traffic waves site was created by a man named William Beaty.  What he does on his webpage is explain the phenomena of traffic waves.  These are pockets of traffic that are cause by cars slowing down at the last moment when they see cars in front of them braking.  He believes that if you approach the traffic jam at a slow enough speed you will be able to dissolve the jam by allowing more than one car to escape at the front before your cars adds to the jam.  In theory it makes sense but I am not to sure it will work for real.  He says that he and his friends have tried it and it has worked.  He thinks police should have organized traffic breaks to get rid of these jams.  This is in Seattle Washington.
    He has links to Dr. James as well as other traffic and driving sites.  He has animation which shows the phenomena of traffic waves and how to correctly merge into traffic.  He has this site for anyone who is interested in traffic and the physics behind it, as well as those just interested in how to beat the traffic.

    Here are some of the questions that were brought up in class discussion:

Jayson Nakasone: Is it possible to one day require this theory to be a part of learning how to drive?
    I don't think that it should be required for people to be able to do this before they can get a license, but I think it should be taught in driver's education courses along with the rest of the unwritten rules of the road such as always leaving a two second gap in front of you and using the left lane for passing only.

Karla Hampp: Do you believe that the reduction of speed before approaching will actually reduce traffic?
    Yes I think that if you approach the wave slowly that you are allowing more cars at the front of the wave to get out of it before you join it.  Theoretically it sounds good to me.  I will believe it until someone shows me a reason that it wouldn't work

Don Huynh: How do you feel that problems occurring from traffic waves can be alleviated?
    I think Mr. Beaty's idea of approaching the wave at a slower speed will do the trick to alleviate the wave.  But I think if people would allow cars to cut in front of them and leave a gap to begin with that the number of these traffic waves would automatically be decreased.

Alma Valvieja: Do you agree that a particular car such as a police car or a marked car who starts the traffic wave would make the wave a success?
    From what I understand the police cars are not trying to create a traffic wave, that is what we want to get rid of.  But I do think they would be successful in dissipating the wave.

Dr. James: What creates waves?
    I think that waves can be created by a number of things.  For example an on ramp to a freeway where cars do not merge correctly would cause a wave.  If cars try and cut in as soon as the enter the freeway then the cars on the freeway need to slowdown quickly, causing a wave.  Also if there is a car blocking a lane or an accident the same thing will occur.  Sometimes there can be a wave that is simply created by cars breaking for a hill or a wet spot on the road.

Ike Matsunaga: Why don't you think this guy's theory will work well in Hawaii?
    I don't think it will work in the town area of Honolulu.  I think there are to many on and off ramps and they are too close to each other.  I think one wave would lead in to the next and then we just have traffic.  Also the amount of cars on this island is such that there is always traffic in town.  I think that it would work to get rid of those waves further away from town where the on ramps are more spread out.
 

  I thought that the presentation went well.  I was a little surprised when Dr. James asked me to draw a diagram on the board showing what a traffic wave looks like.  I think this may have confused some people because a couple of the questions I got did not really make sense.  People wrote their questions at the end of the presentation so I'm not sure if they didn't understand or they just weren't paying attention.   

 
I think all the reports are basically the same when it comes to content.  We all followed the instructions to the tee so the
structures are basically the same.  The only differences I saw was the appearance of the page.  Some people had lots of
pictures and bright colors while others had a simple white background but their text varied in size and style.  I would say my
report falls in the middle of the curve, it is not to flashy but has enough color and variation to be visually stimulating.
 

       My suggestion to the next generation is first hopefully you have an interesting site to present because that makes things a lot easier.  The more you are interested in the topic the better your presentation will be.  Also be sure to explore all the links on the site and to read the email discussions if there are any.  Also make sure you take good notes during the discussion because it is hard to remember everything that everyone says in a hour long class.

     My oral presentation was on the book Beyond Traffic Safety, written by J. Peter Rothe, and published by Transaction
Publishers of New Brunswick, New Jersey in 1994.  Chapter 11 is titled "Drinking Sites, Impaired Driving, and Ethno-Pharmacology".  This chapter was basically about a study to find out what the place where alcohol is consumed has to do with the reasons that people choose to drink and drive.  Ehtno-pharmacology was defined as people's common sense knowledge or practical interest in the location of drinking, procedures of drinking and possible impaired driving consequences.
 
    The chapter talked on how people drink more when they drink in large groups at bars and how the designated driver is usually the one who feels the least drunk.  A common practice is to order a drink for last call or to "have one for the road'.  These are factors that can lead to DWI.  It also says how people usually drink more at a house party because you are there for a longer amount of time and the drinks are free.  But house parties are usually attended by couples and the female is usually the one who doesn't drink so she can drive home.

    Here are some of the questions that were brought up in class:

Juliet Baptista: Do you think that drinking and driving is more dangerous when there is a house party or drinking at bars?
    I don't think it really matters.  If I had to choose I would say I house party is more dangerous because the drinks are free so you can drink all night.  Also you are guaranteed to be with lots of friends so you may tend to drink more and get more intoxicated because everyone knows you and will take care of you.

Alma Valvieja: What is the biggest factor between drinking at a bar or at a party?
    The biggest factor in choosing where to drink I think is the occasion and the amount of money you have.  If it is a special occasion then you might tend to go to a bar.  But if it is just to have a few beers and you don't really have that much money (like students) then it is better to have a party at home.

Dr James: What would you propose to reduce accidents due to impaired driving?
    One idea that I liked was of course Dr. James idea of learning to drive impaired, but I am not sure the public would approve.  Another is the breathalyzer that is attached to the ignition of the car.  I think you should be able to set it at your own limit where you know you can't drive then use it every time you drink.  It all has to do with responsibility.  I think teaching kids early in life to be responsible drivers will also help.  That way they do not choose to drive and will not cause an accident.

Jason Thompson: Do you think we should learn to drive drunk?
    Yes I think that if we practiced driving impaired that we would get into less accidents.  Training could be done on a closed course and gradually you would be able to take what you learned on to the streets.

Ike Matsunaga: Drinking and driving seems to be a problem that will always exist even though there is BAC law.  Do you think that law makers should take it to the next step and make it completely illegal to take any drinks when you drive?
    It's like you said in the beginning, it will always be a problem so I think making it totally illegal will not do anything to stop it.  If they did do that they would need some alternative for drunk drivers.  They could implement a government run shuttle service to take everyone home for free, or require bars to have something similar.

        I think the students were interested in the chapter that I presented because a noticed them writing a lot of questions down to ask me.  I thought that my presentation was well organized and I was able to present the main points of the chapter clearly.  I
noticed that I again had a little trouble with the transitions between topics.  I know this is not a formal speech but I think I will
have to modify that particular part of the next presentation that I do.  The question and answer part also went well, A lot of
people shared their opinions rather than just a couple people talking.
 

    I think all the reports are basically the same when it comes to content.  We all followed the instructions to the tee so the
structures are basically the same.  The only differences I saw was the appearance of the page.  Some people had lots of
pictures and bright colors while others had a simple white background but their text varied in size and style.  I would say my
report falls in the middle of the curve, it is not to flashy but has enough color and variation to be visually stimulating.
 

    I don't really have very many suggestions for the future generations because I felt that the book was really easy to read and
understand.  One thing I could say is that I found it helpful to read the chapter again the night before or the day of the
presentation just to refresh your memory.  Also again I would say to take good notes on what is discussed in class because that
will help you when writing your report.
 

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