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Introduction
The purpose of a Quality Driving Circle is to improve a person's driving ability. It is a group of people gathering together and discussing their driving habits and using this information to better themselves. Various methods are implemented in order to achieve a positive result. A few may include driving personality tests, self witnessing, and driving buddies. All evaluations include the importance of the cognitive (thinking), affective(feeling), and sensorimotor (actions) domains. Everyone's driving behavior addresses each of these areas. In this report I will introduce you to three Generation 5 students who have conducted their own Quality Driving Circle. I will also evaluate their methods and whether they were successful or not. In addition I performed my own Quality Driving Circle and I will describe the method that I chose.
Jeanette Knutson, G5
In Jeanette's Quality Driving Circle she included her two friends Stacee and Lori. They had very different driving styles. Stacee would tailgate and speed(sensorimotor). She would also frequently commit the fundamental attribution error: blaming others on the road(cognitive). On the other hand Lori would occasionally speed and fail to "execute the complete procedure before executing a lane change. She does however remember to always thank others when changing lanes.
In session one Jeanette used the method of observation in noting their particular driving behaviors. She was able to determine what type of driver they are. Between session one and session two she gave them driving personality tests. Session two consisted of her reviewing the results with them. Jeanette asked them to "make a note of when they were executing these behaviors and what feelings they were feeling when they were doing so". The purpose of this assignment was for them to realize their driving habits.
Session three exposed the fact that Stacee would drive fine "until someone put her in a bad mood". She blamed others for the fact that she sped and tailgated. Lori felt that she just couldn't break her habit. In both cases Jeanette "found these driving personality tests to be more of an assessment of their personalities in dealing with real life situations". The results of the tests was very revealing in the personalities of Stacee and Lori. A method that perhaps may have given a more positive behavior modification would have been self witnessing. This method would allow them to really understand and acknowledge their problems.
Leigh Yokoyama, G5
Leigh Yokoyama included her father (Driver A), mother (Driver B), best friend (Driver C), sister (Driver D), and friend (Driver E) in her Quality Driving Circle. Driver A is patient and rarely used his turning signals. Driver B speeds and also doesn't use her turn signals. Driver C also speeds, tailgates, and yells. She feels that it is necessary to be in control of the road. She does however use her signals and remembers to thank others. Driver D on the other hand drives according to the situation. If she is in a rush she speeds and "swerves in and out of lanes". In a normal situation without rushing she is very patient and drives the speed limit. Driver E feels that every driver on the road should watch out for him, swears, and also doesn't use his turn signals.
During session one, Leigh explained to the group what traffic psychology is and the purpose of Quality Driving Circles. She tried to get them to realize their driving habits and she also wanted to assess their driving personality. In addition she asked them to write down the driving faults of the others. A driving test was also administered in order to better gauge their personalities. Session two consisted of Leigh explaining everyone's driving personalities. Most of the drivers did not realize their habits.
Prior to session three each member of the group was asked to attempt to modify their driving behavior. In the session each explained the results. They all admitted that they did have these bad habits. Leigh "ended the session by asking them to continue to notice all of the things that they have learned and please drive safely". It was good that she was able to have all of them realize their problems. This is the first step toward behavior modification. Hopefully this step will allow each of them to improve themselves.
Daniel Kurisu, G5
Daniel selected his two roommates (Ryan and Sherri) and a friend (Mike) mostly due to accessibility. The disability that Ryan had was tailgating and impatience. Mike would also tailgate and get upset. Sherri also tailgated and simply exhibited road rage extensively. During session one Daniel introduced the group to traffic psychology and asked them to write their experiences in a journal. This included their thoughts and feelings.
In session two, Daniel administered a driving personality test to the group. The results allowed him to assess their different driving habits. He suggested a few ideas which he thought would improve their driving. For Ryan he told him to be aware of his surroundings and increase his patience. He explained that the purpose of tailgating was to control the behavior of others. The suggestion for Mike was to control his anger and to make "an animal sound like a moo to reduce his anger as quickly as possible". Sherri was told to try to leave earlier so she wouldn't be in a rush.
Session three contained the results of their attempts at behavior modification. Ryan had the best results, probably due to exhibiting an open mind. He is not completely cured but is able to catch himself in the middle of the negative behavior and adjust himself. Mike showed some improvement. He decreased the amount of tailgating and also decreased the length of time in which this behavior occurs. However Sherri didn't attempt to change much of her behavior. She still tailgated and sped. This is probably due to the fact that "she didn't really want to change her driving behavior". The effects of the QDC were positive if the member realized a problem existed and wanted to change. However if no realization and desire to change was present there is no possibility for behavior modification.
Introduction to my own Quality Driving Circle
My Quality Driving Circle consisted of my two friends Mikki and Jen. I decided to choose them because I have been driving with them for many years and know their driving habits. Also I thought that they would be receptive to any suggestions I might have regarding their driving. However I did not expect the denial which occurred in the beginning.
Mikki is a very patient(affective) driver and doesn't let much bother her on the road. She lets everybody and anybody cut in front of her and is able to remain happy about it. However sometimes patience does have its drawbacks. Many times this patience correlates to slow driving on the freeway. This coincides with the fact that she does not drive according to the situation. On the freeway she will drive well below the speed limit (usually about 40 mph) which is a traffic hazard in itself. On the other hand, while driving on regular streets she will continue with the speed that she drove on the freeway. She will drive the 40 mph even though it is a 25mph zone. It seems she doesn't realize there are different speeds for different situations.
Jen is a completely different type of driver from Mikki. She tailgates and speeds, especially if she is running late. Yet she also remembers to thank others for their nice deeds. It seems that she has two driving personalities because on one hand she is tailgating and getting frustrated (affective) but she always remembers to say "thank you".
During the first session I tried to explain to both of them what traffic psychology was and the goal of the Quality Driving Circle. I also explained to them what I viewed to be their driving habits. Both thought I was joking and did not believe that they had driving disabilities. I introduced them to the concept of self witnessing with the hope that they will realize their weaknesses and strengths. I asked them to take a tape recorder with them every time they drove for one week. This would show the differences in driving over a period of time which would better display their driving personality. They both agreed and we decided to meet one week later to discuss the results.
We saw each other quite often within this week and both religiously brought their tape recorder with them while driving. However what they did not realize was that I was also taping them without me in the car. Before I left, I would somehow place the recorder so they wouldn't see it. I wanted to see if they only taped what they thought I wanted to hear. Also I didn't want them to regulate the self witnessing to only doing this in my presence. This way I could get the real effect of their driving.
Session 2
In session two I was prepared with my "secret weapon" in case either of them decided to adjust their reports. Mikki described her findings first. She talked out loud about how fast everyone was going. Also she seemed to realize that something was wrong with her speed in relation to everyone else's. However on the regular streets with a lower speed limit she had no idea that she was going fast. During these times she would comment out loud that everyone is going slow. Therefore Mikki did not realize that she had a driving problem because sometimes she was slower and sometimes faster. In her mind this meant that she was driving well.
When it came time to present her results Jen was the one that tried to give me a better report than it really was. All of her tapes were of her saying that everyone was tailgating HER and speeding past HER. I brought out my version of the tapes which showed something completely different. They exposed her frustration (affective) by telling the car in front to hurry up (cognitive), swearing, and calling everyone "grandma". She was completely shocked that she was caught trying to be a better driver than she was. Listening to the tapes she realized that she did have a problem and promised to try to be more patient.
Evaluation
The Quality Driving Circle was interesting to really understand the driving habits that Mikki and Jen had. Although they both denied they had a problem, the tapes showed otherwise. In Mikki's case she realized that she must be doing something wrong if EVERYONE drove faster than she did on the freeway. She now tries to keep pace with everyone and at the same time driving within the speed limit. It may take time to get adjusted to the increased speed but I think she can do it. However on the regular streets she is not aware that she is going faster than others. Perhaps increased awareness may resolve this problem.
Jen realized that she had a problem. Especially if she felt that she needed to hide her driving habits from me during this project. Listening to the "real" Jen helped her to hear herself and how serious her problem is. I have asked her to continue the self witnessing technique in order to improve her driving in the future. In addition I suggested to her that she allocate her time better in order to prepare for various circumstances.
Future of QDC's
I believe that QDC's would be prevalent in the future. This would allow each of us to better evaluate our driving and at the same time vent about driving situations. In my QDC I saw positive results after just two sessions. The main objective is for the participants to realize that a problem exists and therefore adjust their behavior. Everyone is in a rush, and this leads to problems on the road. Leaving earlier and adjusting appointments would help some of these people to become better drivers. In the QDC many drivers would realize this with the help of others.
Promotion of QDC's
The promotion of QDC's could be achieved by awareness of the program through the media. If people realize that it doesn't cost anything and it may save their lives then they may be more receptive to the idea. In commercials or posters, the portrayal could be of a family sitting at home discussing their day and when appropriate evaluating everyone's driving. The commercials would run during the time of day when the greatest amount of drivers are watching. Considering the fact that you need to be at least 15 to drive, the evening would be appropriate because of the accessibility. Many adults work during the day and watch television at night.
Similar Activities
One activity that is similar to QDC's currently is with the group Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Although they gear their discussion toward driving under the influence the goal is the same: Decrease the amount of accidents on the road. MADD gets together and discusses the situations which have personally affected their lives and suggestions on how to improve the situation. They also give support and advice to others. The red ribbon has become a symbol for driving safely. The original purpose was to decrease the incidence of drunk driving but everyone looking at the ribbon is reminded to drive carefully. This is an example of the positive benefit which could occur if people get together to improve the roads.
Implications
The QDC's contain positive implications regarding drivers education, licensing, and insurance discounts. The QDC would help to ensure that a driver is aware of his/her surroundings and therefore is a more cautious driver on the road. In the drivers ed. classes it could be mandatory that each student participate in a QDC and understand their habits before obtaining a drivers license. In the licensing process, a potential driver would be required to participate in a self witnessing exam in which the driving habits would be exposed. This would help to understand the disabilities which the driver would have upon entering the road. Insurance discounts would be given to those which participate in QDC's and are able to prove this through videotapes and/or membership in a group.
Future Generations
Future Generations could promote this activity through communication with others regarding the importance of QDC's. Many people do not know what they are and the benefits which could be obtained. If more people did know about it, the roads would be a safer place. The main objective is to get the word out about how dangerous the roads are and that this program would significantly help this problem.
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