Skills and Techniques for Drivers to Be and Drivers Now
Facts to Scare Them Straight
Subject: USA: 10,037 reported road-rage
incidents
Date: 1998/02/20
WASHINGTON -- Road rage has become so common in the United States that the American Automobile Association (AAA) has resorted to the science of anger management to encourage drivers to behave more calmly.
On Wednesday, it launched its biggest campaign yet to combat "violent aggressive driving," as it terms it, which has killed more than 200 Americans in the past few years. The publicity drive features radio commercials which lampoon aggressive drivers.
Mr. Remer might not have fought but others have fired shots and used their vehicles as deadly weapons in behavior that has fast become a normal part of driving in the US.
The AAA said that there were 10,037 reported road-rage incidents in the country between 1990 and 1996, and the number of such incidents is rising at a rate of more than 7 percent a year.
In addition to the 218 people killed as a result of violent driving encounters, 12,610 were injured.
The majority of offenders are males between 18 and 26 years of age.
Mr. Willis said the growth in road-rage incidents was deeply troubling. "We are a very stressed-out society. You can find these incidents everywhere," he said.
The AAA believes this owes much to the rapid expansion of traffic, deteriorating road conditions and an increase in selfish driving.
Psychologists and sociologists argue that it is also related to social disintegration and the release of animal instincts in an increasingly individualistic society.
Mr. Willis conceded that the campaign might not reach genuinely out-of-control aggressive drivers but pointed out that many incidents involved at least one normal driver suddenly becoming transformed into a motoring monster by another's behavior.
"It takes two to tango," he said. "If we can convince millions of calm, mature motorists not to get sucked into encounters with angry drivers, many lives can be saved."
The association said drivers could often avoid escalating an encounter by avoiding eye contact or making some gesture of apology.--FT, Reuters.
? * Ideals without practice are merely dreams.* *
Commentary
The writer of this article expressed his emotions and
thoughts about aggressive driving and road rage by hitting us with shocking
facts which were certainly eye openers. They were shocking because many
of the facts gave information about horrible fatalities and the large number of
incidents and deaths in many of these situations. Although many of the
writer's posted facts were dealing with fatalities, the writer also put in some
hopeful facts which informed normal drivers how they may be able to avoid any
incidents and how to resist the change in becoming one with road rage. The
writer did this because he/she wanted to let others know what skills they have
to develop in order to avoid being a part of his/her grim statistics.
I agree that drivers should be confronted with these
statistics in order to scare some sense into them. I, as a driver, am
certainly convinced that I don't want to become one of those statistics, so
those statistics and tips helped me realize that anyone has a chance to avoid
those situations and be a safer driver. Some aggressive drivers do need
some sense knocked into them because they don't believe the fact that they
could be one mark in those statistics one day.
Our society needs to be informed about the statistics as well as helpful hints to avoid a traffic fatality. I believe that this article portrayed that we, as a society, are an individualistic society and that our release of our animal instincts naturally flow out in an arena of competition, hence our roadways. The only way in which we can solve this is to evolve and develop the skills to be patient and courteous drivers. In a way, this relates to emotional intelligence which is the ability to be aware of, control, and channel one's emotions, needs, and desires in adaptive ways. We need to develop this emotional intelligence in order to develop needs that are sensible on the streets.
Subject: Re: M3 performance - Driving School
Date: 1998/02/21
ÀThe
topic of driving schools comes up frequently in this newsgroup. My
question is what expected benefit would I receive unless I spend significant
amounts of time at the track? As far as street driving, I have seen
142mph(on speedo, actual is probably 137 due to governor), have an occasional
race at a red light, and generally have fun with my car.
Can a course take a 1/2 second off my 0-60
time? If not, I am comfortable with my 15 years of relatively aggressive
driving with no incidents.
À
If you're only interested in the best way to beat a Mustang or a slammed
coffee-canned-exhaust Integra off the line, then no, a BMW Drivers School won't
help you any. It probably won't improve your 0-60, 1/4 mile, or other
no-skill straight-line speeds.
On the other hand, if you're interested in learning proper braking techniques, the shortest path thru a corner, correct skid handling, the best accident avoidance methods, and the fastest overall track around a given course, then a BMW Drivers School is quite useful.
The M3 is an exceptional car in that it can make the driver feel more skilled than he/she should; i.e., it's probably the "most forgiving" hi-perf car on the market. Some Instructors fear it in Driving Schools, because when a student overcooks it in an M3, it's often way too late for any corrective maneuvers to help. That's a frustrating thing about the M3 a high-speed curve in any other car is totally mild in an M3. You have to reach completely ridiculous speeds before it begins to feel "scary". It's capabilities can only be properly exercised on a track. Don't let the car make you feel you're invincible.
15 yrs of aggressive driving w/ no training & no accidents is fortunate & commendable; but it's not skill, it's LUCK, don't kid yourself. No insult intended, maybe you're naturally talented, but that's very unusual. I've got 25 yrs to my credit w/ no major accidents, but I *KNOW* it's mostly luck.
I've never heard any participant say that a Drivers School was a waste of time or money; most say it's one of the best experiences they've ever had.
Go for the school, it's $ well spent, and the skills are immediately transferable to the road.
remove x's from both sides of "mindspring" to reply via email.
Commentary
This article, simply some advice from one driver to
another driver about racing school, was brought to my attention because I don't
see how people can speak about these kinds of things with the nonchalant style
they were engaging in. Speaking about racing at 142 mph on public streets
frightens me because they seem to like to go that fast among regular drivers
and not being satisfied with the speed, they want to learn to go even
faster. So in terms of the writer promoting racing school, I completely
don't agree that any of us should promote some business that teaches drivers,
on public roads, how to corner better and drive faster.
Obviously the writer brought up a good point about
avoiding any major accidents in his "racing" career; it was mostly
LUCK! My mother always told me, "speed kills," and drivers such
as the writer and of the previous letter certainly must have a lot of luck in
order to avoid any major incidents. I agree that they should take that
into consideration every time they drive, whether it's to race or just going
down to the supermarket.
This article indicates that sometimes aggressive drivers feed off of other aggressive drivers. They form a type of pact or family of aggressive drivers who teach others the same skills, techniques, and aggressiveness that they possess. I believe that racing is an individual trait that exhibits, once again, that animal instinct for competition. It also represents a source of power and control that he/she wants to influence over others.
Politics, Bills, and "Road Rage"
Subject: Lousy drivers (people) on roads
Date: 1998/01/28
The latest news from Phoenix. I wonder if more cities might not also try laws such as are described below, to address the problem of lousy drivers (and failures as people) who are making the roads a dangerous as well as a polluted environment.
Some people on USENET have, believe it or not, tried to "defend" aggressive driving and mindless stupidity such as tailgating. As I've said before, such people form the back side of the IQ bell curve. If the problems caused by these people continue to grow, perhaps more cities will consider legislation such as is described below, if not take further, stricter measures. [Dave Simpson]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Road Rage" Bills Target Overly Aggressive Drivers
Wednesday, January 28, 1998
If there's one thing worse than crawling along on a jam-packed Valley freeway at rush hour, it's watching the clown behind you drive inches from your back bumper before swerving to the shoulder to pass.
But don't reach for your weapon. Grab the car phone and call the cops.
Under two proposals that picked up powerful legislative endorsements Tuesday, drivers could be cited by police for driving too aggressively. The measures are designed to cut down on the growing carnage on the roads caused by "road rage."
One bill would define aggressive driving and set up stiff penalties, including a 30-day license suspension for first-time offenders. The second would make it illegal to drive across the white-lined triangles at freeway ramps, known as "gore" points. The word is derived from a triangular pattern, as on a piece of land or a garment, not from a description of an accident scene.
DPS Officer Doug Knutson was killed earlier this month when a pickup plowed into him as he stood in a gore point on the Red Mountain Freeway.
Proposals designed to curb "road rage"
"While we cannot undo the tragedies of the past, we can enact laws to change our future," Gov. Jane Hull said at a news conference Tuesday morning. "The issue of aggressive driving is serious. And this bill will leave no doubt about it."
Hull was joined by House Speaker Jeff Groscost in supporting the proposal. Senate President Brenda Burns is generally supportive of the bills, but hasn't had a chance to review the details.
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.
A first-time offender would face a misdemeanor charge. But a second conviction would be a Class 6 felony with an automatic license suspension of one year.
Alberto Gutier, director of the Governor's Office of Community and Highway Safety, pointed to a AAA study showing that people are more afraid of road rage than drunken driving.
Nationally, the American Automobile Association reports that aggressive drivers have caused 10,037 incidents from 1990 to 1996, with 218 people being killed.
"The problem with aggressive driving is that it leads to road rage," Gutier said.
Sen. Tom Freestone, R-Mesa, who is co-sponsoring the bills, agreed.
The cost of the proposals is unknown. By making it illegal to drive across gore points, the state would have to re-stripe freeway ramps using yellow paint instead of white.
Hull said money can be found to pay for the changes.
Commentary
The writer of the posting wanted to show how political power can play a role in safer roads and the punishment of aggressive drivers and "road rage." The writer mentioned that he noticed people in other newsgroups actually defending aggressive driving and he responds by saying that they represent, put plainly, the "stupid" people. I'm not sure if I would tend to go that far with the description, but I believe that aggressive driving is not sensible because it does contribute to the danger of our roads. I also agree that aggressive drivers who use "road rage" can be looked on as the cause for political interventions such as the two bills that were summarized throughout the posting.
I believe that the two bills would crack down on the
aggressive drivers, but some parts of the bill may seem too specific, such as
passing on the right side. For this I mean, how are the police going to
determine if it was really a pass or not? How close is too close, in
terms of tailgating? So some specifics do need to be revised a little,
but I know that it's practically impossible to get any kind of drving
intervention perfect.
Drivers must be really bad for a bill to be conjured up to regulate those who violate certain courtesies and rules of the road. I believe that it is a social norm to rush and attempt to take dangerous actions, such as driving across a "gore" point, in order to reach an exit or get somewhere quicker. Cognitive dissponance plays a role here because rushing and waiting stand on the opposite ends of the spectrum for us, and while driving, many aggressive drivers tend to change the waiting cognition claiming that it would take too much time, it would waste gas, and so on. So, aggressive driving and dangerous maneuvers tend to form over respectable maneuvers.
Subject: Re: Why can't people be nice to learner
drivers
Date: 1998/01/21
I generally found driving the US to be much less
aggressive than in Europe. People don't seem to have the same ego
problems over there.
À
The driving was not altogether terrible, although some simple thought, like
not putting your lights on full beam with oncoming traffic, was
completely absent. The most worrying thing was the simple inability of
American's in general to even know what a manual car is!
À
You should try driving in Northern Ireland. Because of the
political troubles over there, the Police have not had the same focus on
road safety - prosecutions, warnings, etc. I think this is a major reason
why the standard is so low. If you can learn restraint on those roads,
you can drive anywhere without ever getting irritated again.
À
If you really want to sweat, try driving in Mexico,
always keeping in mind that an automobile accident of any kind is (a) a felony
that can get you some hard time in prison, (b) not covered by most auto
insurance policies not issued in Mexico, and (c) sometimes resolved on the spot
by blame being placed on whoever gives the smallest bribe to the police
investigating the accident. Investigations frequently take several days
with all participants, including witnesses, being detained in custody until the
matter is resolved. Probably most countries governed by the Napoleonic
Code are about the same.
Cordially, [ Dave ]
Commentary
The writer was obviously trying to compare American drivers with those of other countries. Surprisingly, other countries may tend to be worse drivers than in America. Although nothing was mentioned about traffic fatalities or aggressive driving, a lot was mentioned about the standards of courtesy and attitudes of drivers. I don't know what the situations are in other countries, in terms of their driving, but I agree that American drivers tend to be compared with other drivers a lot with the Americans usually not being on the "better drivers" side of the spectrum.
This posting portrays how different cultures have different standards not only in driving, but in their lives as well. I was especially surprized how in Mexico, sometimes the person in fault can be the one who doesn't pay off the police enough. I believe that this happens because being that they are a much more poor country, some individuals would do anything for money, including bending the law for a obvious traffic accident.
Mass Transit and Electric Vehicles
Subject: The Freeway Problem (was Re: Speeds,
Speed Limits, ...)
Date: 1998/02/02
... accidents are a daily occurence on most of the freeways. Every time I drive them, several bozos cut me off or perform some dangerous maneuver that risks my vehicle and/or my life. I'm sick of it. I don't think we need more slack, we need less. I'd like to see motoring lose it's glamour as a good way to die. I'm certainly not interested in going out in a freeway accident. In the US at this time, 1 in 60 people will die in a motor vehicle >related accident. I don't want it to be myself or a loved one.
Exactly. We are pushing humans to perform with inhuman perfection when driving. Even when we succeed, there is no guarantee that our ability will be intact tomorrow. Lack of sleep, old age, and so forth on the part of the drivers will combine to make roads unsafe.
The ideal solution is not to have to rely on a huge number of individuals driving. The next time a freeway (in whatever North American town you care to mention) comes due for maintenance or reconstruction, CLOSE it. PERMANENTLY. Then replace it with a rapid transit line (be it busway, LRT, or subway) that follows a similar, but not necessarily the same, course.
I've lost four vehicles and spent a year unable to work (temporary disability) because of inattentive drivers who were taking risks in order to save time. I'd rather not be in any more 'accidents' thank you.
Not only will cities save a lot of lives from junking freeways, many people will find they no longer NEED autos for most of their activities. Low-speed electric autos (probably fuel-cell powered) can replace the gas-guzzling pieces of ironmongery currently sitting in most persons' driveways, for those that still need them. And the Russian roulette that so many have to suffer through today will become a thing of the past.
Yes, I *do* practice what I preach. When I need to, I drive conservatively and cautiously. But, like any other human, I can be distracted at the wrong moment. I do not own a car and see no reason to buy one (though I may rent one if there is no other choice). I simply refuse to squander resources, play Russian roulette, or engage in any other stupidity implicit in being dependent on an automobile.
Commentary
The writer of this posting most certainly gave great ideas on how we could cut down on "road rage" and aggressive driving by possibly attacking its foundations, the vehicles used for this type of driving. I agree on the fact that we should probably change to low-speed electric vehicles. It would definitely cut down on the number of traffic accidents because less speed equals less of an impact, and in addition it would be more environmentally efficient. Unfortunately, I don't agree with the writers opinion about replacing roadways with mass transit machines. I know that people identify a lot with their automobiles, so in that sense, taking away people's cars would be like taking away a part of their individuality, which is not a very wise thing to do.
I believe that this posting represents the brighter side of our society because it offers great solutions that we seriously need to take a look at. For many years now, Americans have been in denial in that the roads aren't what they used to be and that we now may be some of the best drivers ever. With technology increasing, things supposed to get better, but on our public roads, technology in our cars have made us go faster and be more reckless.
Subject: We need a computer game - ROAD RAGE
Date: 1998/02/23
I'd be very happy to find a computer game called
ROAD RAGE.......
At least that way, after a long drive home, I could get on my computer, and
destroy all those ugly cars that pissed me off while I was coming home.
ATTENTION ALL COMPUTER PROGRAMMERS !!!!!
Of course, I want to be the guy behind the wheel of an Army Tank, and want to be able to destroy all those idiots on the road. I also want to be able to shoot anyone I want, and of course the game must allow me to give the finger to everyone.......
PLEASE, someone write a game like this !!!!!
It would do us all some good, and possible save some lives in the real world.
PS. Be sure the game has cars that are as UGLY as those new ones in the "real" world, and even 100 car commercials per hour on the TV, to just add to our rage ...........
Commentary
Frustration and major aggression came to my mind as I read this posting. Obviously, the writer of this posting wants another means of taking out his aggression somewhere other than the road. This would probably take place in the form of a computer game or something of that sort. Surprisingly, there are games selling at this moment that fits the writers description exactly. I know of a game that has the player's objective to be car jacking as many cars as he/she can, and while in them, smash into other cars for points! I personally agree that this would be a good idea for mostly people who want another means of letting their aggresstion out rather than on the road. It would allow a release for some tension because it provides a means to and end for any driver who has to stand the worries and frusrations of everyday driving.
This proposal represents a means of displacement for drivers who want to take out their aggression out on simulated cars rather than the real things. I believe that this proposal is great for all of society because it would promote less aggression on the road through displacement to the video game.
Subject: Road Rage assailant gets 2-9 years
prison
Date: 1998/01/20
A motorist who assaulted another motorist because the high beams were on and tried to blame it on "road rage" will go to prison for 2-9 years. The judge said the motorist showed no remorse whatsoever.
These kinds of crimes are happening more and more.
Commentary
This was a simple posting that had a lot of impact on myself. It was interesting how something so small ended up being a very big event. Representing the consequences of "road rage" we see that the punishment is severe but does that deter others from engaging in those same acts? No. I agree with the fact that these kinds of crimes are happening more and more each day, and the scary thing is that those who do engage in violent actions due to "road rage" show no remorse and sometimes don't think that it's their fault.
The individuals in society that show no remorse for their crimes are truly heartless. We see these types of people as murderers, rapists, and other hardened criminals, but now "road rage" is influencing our society to turn into a bunch of small time criminals. In terms of our moral development, the internalized standards that we are getting from interactions with others may be very negative due to the anger that feeds off of drivers and onto others. This is definitely something we must fix both socially and individually.
Driving License as A Priviledge
Subject: Re: License not required in CA?
WAS: solution to road rage? No.
Date: 1998/01/31
À
Bottom line as far as I am concerned is that I agree with the argument
that we have a RIGHT to freely travel and since autos are the pre-eminent
method we *should* have the right to drive irrespective of any licensing
requirement. That does open the issue of control of unsafe drivers but in
some ways that's moot since most truly dangerous drivers drive without their
license anyway. Do you really think the requirements for getting a
license really weed out bad drivers???
We also could be argued to have the 'right' to shelter -- but would you argue against housing codes stipulating standards of electrical wiring, waste disposal, and fire resistance?
If you get yourself a nice large property in a deserted area, you can live in a shack and drive around to your heart's content with no license. If you live in society, that society has the 'right' to put certain restrictions on the damage you can do to them.
Commentary
This writer was simply replying to someone who believes that a license is simply not a priviledge. I agree with the housing comparison because when one thinks about those things, they are really true. What good would be the house without its stipulations and rules? The house would be a wreck and wouldn't confine to socially desirable values. Same as in a car. The license of a driver signifies that the driver will confine to socially desirable values and also that driving is a priviledge, not a reward.
Drive a Differernt Time and Different Route
Subject: Re: Daily gripe: Shoppers and rush hour
Date: 1998/01/22
Washington Post ran an article today
(Wed). It stated that during rush hour most of the traffic jams on
secondary roads are, get this, due to people running errands.
À
(1) It is stupid to shop and make commuting even more hellish for others,
unless you are a commuter on the way home or to work.
À
(2) It is stupid to shop during rush hour and eat up more of your time stuck
in rush hour traffic.
À
Well, let's consider the opposite -- perhaps it is "stupid" of you, Walter, to commute during peak shopping hours. Do you commute past major shopping centers or commercial arteries? You should certainly change your commuting route to stop interfering, as you do, with your high-speed tailgating during peak shopping hours.
I have had occasion to commute during off hours in the Washington area, and I strongly commend to you adopting a 10:00 pm to 7:00 am shift. The traffic going OUT of downtown at 7:00 is minimal, and the traffic going IN at 10 pm is quite light. Also, shopping trips by 10 pm are largely reduced, and they really haven't started by 7 am. On your way home, you can even stop and do your own grocery shopping, etc. and easily find a place to park.
Further benefits would include that you wouldn't
have to meet your supervisor, possibly a career-enhancing move!
À
Commentary
The writer's response was a rather harsh answer to the previous posting. I certainly do not agree that the career change and schedule change is appropriate for every one because the problem isn't only the fact that the others who are shopping are causing the traffic, it's the courtesy of the drivers which are causing the back ups. It's the people who don't let others out of driveways, and it's the people who stop in the middle of intersections due to their being very unimpatient.
I do agree with taking another route, rather than the
main one, but if everyone takes the alternate route, wouldn't that route
eventually turn into the main one? Courtesy everyone!
Subject: Re: Road Miff
Date: 1998/02/20
À
Cuz, you wanted to remind me of this article I
read once. On an average commute of a half-hour, speeding and weaving in
and out of traffic will save 2 minutes at most.
À
I am always late. The stress of doing the Indy 500 to save 2 minutes
is simply not worth it. I now putter along annoying the rest of you.
À
But, I don't care if I get anywhere on time (I'm pretty good at leaving in time, anyway, and most of time I'm headed to work, and who wants to get there early?). I have also noticed, that when I am late, speeding and weaving does not do much to get me there faster. However, I just enjoy driving fast. Reving the engine up, flying by other motorists, being pulled back and forth, back and forth as I zoom around the curves. Up the hill, almost zero gravity, down the hill, heart in my stomach. Wheeeeeeeee! What I think we need is our own version of the Autoban, where people could get this need for speed out of there systems.
Commentary
The writer is basically a clueless person. Sometimes people just don't realize that they contradict themselves in their own postings. First she mentioned that weaving in and out of traffic doesn't get anyone anywhere, but then she mentions that she loves to speed and try other driving activities that make the car seem like a roller coaster. Simply put, if speed and aggressive driving seems not to get anyone anywhere, why do it at all?
How My Report Compares With Others
Exploring the newsgroups was certainly a challenge for all of us. The long tiring hours of searching for entertaining and meaningful content was shared with all of my classmates. I believe that most of the class geared more towards the entertaining postings and the ones which contained a lot of meaningful content such as explicit statistics, current reports of studies, and other information that is useful for a report or other type of paper.
As for content, I believe that all of us are engaging on
a interesting quest for the perfect balance between graphics and content
because several people played with graphics and others stuck strictly with
textual content. I tended to sick with textual content because there's so
much more one can gain from words rather than just plain pictures without
descriptions.
For future generations, look on my commentaries with an
open mind and from a driver's point of view. What I mean by this is look
at them as if you were driving at the moment with others honking at you while
others wave and smile at you. Think about all the emotions and feelings
that you feel as a driver and see how they compare with my commentaries.
To further this report, you could explore more newsgroups
in a way that relates to my comments about road rage. Another newsgroup
which you may search on is the psychology of these newsgroups or the psychology
of road rage. Those certainly would be a nice addition to my page as well
as yours. Maybe I'll learn some new tips from you!
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