Attitudes Driving Newsgroups: On Road Rage
CONTENTS
My Impressions and Reactions to
My Classmates
My Suggestions for Future
Generations
Date: Sun, 21 Dec 1997 14:31:10 -0800
Starting from the "Experiencing Road Rage" thread earlier, I wanted to share an experience that I had . A couple of days ago, I was jogging on a fairly dark road. It was dark enough to not make out whether you were making eye contact with any drivers. So here was someone who was waiting at a stop light waiting to turn right. I was coming from her right and could see the car but could not see inside. Apparently, she had her attention to her left to see whether there were any oncoming cars. Without waiting to see whether there were any pedestrians on the right, she made a right turn. I screamed and that probably made her stop. I was obeying all traffic laws (or was I ?) - at a stop sign. the car has to yield to the pedestrian , right ? In such situations, there is nothing that one can do - it seems. Especially when you cant make out whether the driver has noticed you or not.
My Comments
The driver of a car must yield to the right of way at all times, because that is the law. The lady made a mistake of almost causing a bad accident. People have to learn too be more aware of there surrounding while driving. In the long run it will help the driver to notice weather are not it is appropriate to continuing driving fast when their isn't anyone around. The only thing is that you have to aware because you never know that a person maybe crossing the street. I say practice driving the speed limit at all time to avoid the dangers of running someone over.
Subject: road rage
article... is funny as hell!! - its long though
Date: 1998/01/06
It's a jungle out there. well, not really: it's worse than a jungle. It's a stretch of roadway anywhere in America, and in place of the ravenous tigers and stampeding rhinos and slithery anacondas are your friends and neighbors and co-workers, that nice lady from the church choir and the cheerful kid who bags your food at the local Winn Dixie--even Mom and Dad and Buddy and Sis. They're in a hurry. And you're in their way. So step on it! That light is not going to get any greener! Move it or park it! Tarzan had it easy. Tarzan didn't have to drive to work.
It may be morning in America--crime down, incomes up, inflation nonexistent--but it's high noon on the country's streets and highways. This is road recklessness, auto anarchy, an epidemic of wanton carmanship. Almost everyone from anywhere has a story about it, as fresh as the memory of this morning's commute. And no wonder. Incidents of "road rage" were up 51% in the first half of the decade, according to a report from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
My Comments
This article gave facts with an estimated total of 1,800 reported incidents of violent road behavior in the U.S. in 1996, it's a situation to be taken seriously, and not taken as a joke. I did notice that about 21% reported having been run off the road, and 18% have been physically threaten by another drivers. I wonder what causes this behavior, and how one can get treatment for it? Can this type of behavior occur in little towns? I would like to find out the answers to these questions. Could anyone please tell me by e-mail, thank you.
Subject: road rage article... is
funny as hell!! - its long though
Date: 1998/01/06
So many miles, so little time. For Ron Remer, 47, a soft-spoken salesman, offensive driving was simply part of the job. From his home in New Haven, Conn., he logged 30,000 miles a year selling promotional products. "People on the road were an impediment to my progress," he says. "If I was late, it would reflect badly on me. Maybe the customer wouldn't want the products, and I'd be out of a sale. Getting there was the only thing that was important. If I met you in person, I might invite you for coffee or something. But on the road, you were in my way."
Remer says he's reformed now, having had one of those little epiphanies that sometimes come to people who are pulled over by the state police. He was stopped one night on the narrow and unlighted Merritt Parkway in Connecticut after a high-speed race with another car, and soon thereafter he enrolled in a seminar for aggressive drivers. "I was lucky to recognize my problem and try to fix it," he says.
My Comments
The hold issue is time. How can one expect to get to certain place if someone else is in the way while driving, So what! Who die and made this person god of the roadways. If your have to be at a certain place at a certain time, then leave earlier. It's not right to drive aggressive because you're late. The car is not the problem. It's the person controlling the car. You have to respect every driver because driving is and art form that have to be mastered. You have to recognize your own behavior while driving and learn not to put other driver's lives at risk.
Subject: Re: Suicide Cycyling
Date: Tue, 24 Feb 1998 22:37:45 -0800
ÝI'm not sure it's legal to ride against traffic, at least not in California. How would riding against traffic give you more control over "the drunk and stoned teenage driver, distracted in the vehicle, with the sun in his/her face going over a hill who may also be very low on the intelligent bell curve."??? Also I found this info on the web:
Two of the strongest causes for fatalities, then, are 1) a common misperception
that a cyclist has no rights on the road and 2) a fatalistic belief that
cycling in traffic is dangerous per se and that traffic accidents are
completely unavoidable. But not only does the cyclist have full rights to the
road, but the cyclist is also safer on the road than the motorist. To show that
accidents are avoidable, here is a list of the most serious kinds of accidents,
the ones most likely to result in death, from a recent study (Crash-Type Manual
for Bicyclists by Carol Tan): 5.1% The bicyclist exited a driveway in front of
an on-coming vehicle. 4.3% The bicyclist turned left in front of a passing
vehicle. 3.9% The motorist was overtaking the bicyclist, cause of the accident
unclear. 2.7% The bicyclist was struck while traveling on the wrong (left) side
of the road.
My Comments
This article talks about the related deaths and accidents due to bicyclist. It gives insightful information on the fact that bicyclist have to learn to be careful while riding on the streets. In many cases it's the bicyclist that causes the accidents. I found that this article was very insightful because people have to obey the rules while driving. I sometimes ride a bike to school, and I have to be aware of my surroundings. It's not necessarily the motorist responsibility to lookout for bicyclist. The bicyclist has to learn the right singles, side of the street, and what directions he or she should ride on. All of these laws have to be followed for the complete safety of all people sharing the roadways.
Subject: Re: Driving in Great Britain
Date: 1998/02/22
At night, British drivers seldom dip their lights for approaching traffic. The glare can get very bad at times.
I learned to drive here in the UK about 2 years ago and I believed the same thing for quite a while. Until an approaching car didn't dip their lights and I realised that most other drivers lights' *were* dipped but still very bright.
Maybe European headlights are brighter than in the US ?
Driving seems to be more aggressive and dangerous in the cities. Personally I try and avoid driving into a city unless it is really necessary.
My comments
I also notice that in some dark areas where I drive. I will put my lights on high. Not until and approaching car is headed my way I would lower my lights. The only thing about this is that there are times when motorist forgot to lower their lights and the driver headed in the same direction can't see. It's not a form of aggressive driving, but it can cause accidents. On must understand that the power from headlights can blind a persons vision. This can cause the motorists to lose sight for sometime and venture of the road. I also thing that driving in the city is much more dangerous than driving in rural areas. The only thing about driving in rural areas is that you have to be aware of animals crossing the streets. To save time it's best to learn to drive on back streets rather than drive on public highways.
Subject: Myth and facts of speeding
Date: 1998/02/24
Now, let's review the MYTH that speed kills.
A research by Car and Driver shows that the fatality rate of US Highways is actually a bit higher then the Germany SuperFreeway (no speed limit.) In Germany the avg. speed is 75 mph, in US the avg. speed is 58 mph. And yet despite the "save speed" avg. US still have a slight HIGHER fatality rate on highways.
Another study by AAA shows that gov'ts and recording agencies a lot of times mistaken AGGRESSIVE DRIVING from speeding. For example: a car driving at 35 mph (say at speed limit of 45 mph road), makes a dangerous cut and hit another car. Guess what's the charge on record? ACCIDENT CAUSED BY SPEEDING! As you can see, speeding is getting blame for a lot of accidents that is more aggressive driving than speeding.
My comments
The hold concept of big brother is watching has to play an affect when dealing with people who love to speed. I don't understand how come individuals have to get stop by the police before they realize what they have done was absolute stupid! I feel drivers should go the speed limited. I thing a way of stopping speeders is to have the state transportation commission place cameras equipment on the roads. This may not have and affect on stopping aggressive driving behavior completely, but the cameras can help police officer make arrest. When drivers speed, it places another individual lives at risk. Laws should be passed to protect the innocent. Not only speeding and aggressive driving are foolish things. I wanted to look at both sides of the issue. Here, perhaps speeding is not a cause for most accidents, but I just can relate too it, speeding to me is a cause to a number of accidents. Society has change to a place that lives off negative influences, and driving has become a part of this. People do not respect other individual rights. So many lives are lost because someone had a bad day and decide to drive without caring for another person.
Subject: First moves against road
scum
Date: 1998/01/28
On USENET I've actually seen people "defending" tailgating and other stupid aggressive behavior (LOSER behavior) on the road. People who exhibit this kind of driving behavior exist to form the back side of the IQ bell curve. They not only pollute the road environment but are frequently a danger to others. In the Phoenix area it's gotten bad enough that the first steps are being proposed to deal with the problems they cause for decent society. Supporters say the aggressive-driving legislation gives police new and needed tools to prevent road rage. Drivers could be charged with aggressive driving if they are cited for a combination of any three of the following charges:
* Reckless driving.
* Excessive speed.
* Passing on the right or on the shoulder.
* Tailgating.
* Failure to signal lane changes, improper lane changes, or failure to signal.
* Failure to yield the right of way.
* Running a red light or stop sign.
My Comments
The officers already target driving skills and aggressive driving but now they also focus on driver's mood and emotional states while driving, I feel that the best method in determining this type of driving behavior is to find out why do drivers behave like this? You must first find the cause of the problem. Could it be an over population of drivers on the street, maybe to lessen the amount of aggressive driving behavior accidents. Times should be given to drivers under the age of eighteen so they can't drive on public highways after 10 p.m. More steps have to be establishes in order to maintain a better and safer driving environment. I hate tailgating. I think if a person is tailgating, you should slow down until her or she decides to go around.
Subject: Re: Turning Signals..??
Date: 1998/02/25
Yeah, I've been frustrated all to hell many times over elderly folks who just don't seem to have all their faculties about them. A dangerous thing in a car. That's when frequent driver testing should be done, and licenses taken away when appropriate I agree and I think that testing should start right from the word"go" >Drivers should have a Test every five years thoughout thier Driving Life. It would get a lot of idiots who think they are the only ones on the road that count off the road.
Throwing things out of your car is not nice but neither is driving and polluting. It's just the degree of niceness we're talking about. Again, some people are just nicer than others. That's all.
Enough 'understanding' for a day. What really gets me is all these big minivans and SUVs. They block your view. Ever been behind a big Lincoln Navigator? There are so many of them on the road now. Talk about pollution.
My comments
This author seems upset at the fact that everyone is not like him. He tells of incidents where drivers should take test every five years to renew their licenses. I agree, many drivers are to old to drive. They need to lower the age of driving. The elderly should not drive if their reactions are to slow. The event of and accident needs fast think. The elderly would be better of having public transportation to take them wherever they need to go. The issue with large vehicles is becoming a big issue also because they seem to take up so much highway space. The streets are to narrow and sometimes cars get ran of the road due to the lack of driving lanes. Many of the aggressive drivers are individual who drive big trucks and public transportation. How can people make the roadways better? Is it something really major enough to alter the masses? The world is over populated and more cars are being built.
Subject: Re: Car Drivers ARE
reckless!
Date: 1998/02/05
On Wed, 4 Feb 1998
17:18:18 -0800, "Here2Fore"
Quite honestly, I see more men doing stupid things with little or no regard for those around them. Men seem to be the ones on the phone and juggling a coffee or reading a book (actually saw this once, guyÝ passed me doing 125 kph while reading).
And to be fair, some guys with cell phones with their head turned 45 degrees+ to the side to rest it on their shoulder while trying to talk and drive, while all the time weaving from lane to lane.
Saw a good bumper sticker: Hang up and drive!
YEA, let's increase speed limits, do nothing to improve defensive driving, CUZ we need 2 do something to help control overpopulation!!
There will NEVER be anything done to curtail bad driving. It is too difficult to prosecute. Speeding isn't.
Yes, alot is being done to catch the aggressive drivers. Special teams have been formed in many cities to combat the problem. There is also a campaign to encourage drivers (with cell phones) to report the aggressive drivers.
My
comment
This article talks about the issue of having items in your hand while driving. The issue of time and place plays an significant part in is problem solution. Human do not have time to do one thing at a time anymore. It's like the car has turn to a mini-house with all the basic essentials one needs. People sleep in it, eat in it, watch television in it, and do other things I rather not write about. The hold issues of life and cars are now called the freeway of life. For so many drivers driving is a challenge just like life, and if you are in the way you are going to get ran over. So who's to say what's right or wrong. If a person can drive while doing numerous things, so what, just keep on driving, baby!
My Impressions and Reactions to My Classmates
I find the ideas of newsgroups fun. I think it's a way of expressing your thought and interacting with people who share the same ideas. The assignment allowed me to view other peoples reactions toward highway safety. I feel that people are very concern about the behavior that effects our society when it comes to driving.
My Suggestions for Future Generations
Pay close attention to the newsgroups
point of views about driver safety. Then ask yourself how it relates to
psychology. The point that I'm making is that. Look closely at how the people
respond to issues like driver's safety. It can benefit you with your reports.
And don't wait to late to start on your assignments.
