Instructions For This Report
HOW MUSIC AFFECTS DRIVERS: COMMENTS FROM GENERATION 7
A LOOK AT ROAD RAGE: THE PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
THE REVOKING OF DRIVERSā LICENSES
VIOLENCE ON THE ROAD
SPEEDING, TAILGATING & RECKLESS DRIVING
SLOW DRIVERS IN THE FAST LANE
PAYBACK
I got caught speeding twice in my life and both of the times it was because I was listening to the music in my car and did not realize how fast I was going. Maybe it's all about the "training" that Dr. James has been talking about, but when my favorite music comes out, I just lose myself!
On a different day, I was driving and realized that music was off. It was a bit of surprise because I was so calm and relaxed that it was almost like I was meditating. So I recommend that you guys sometimes stop listening to the music in your car. It's really different!
It probably is true that music can affect our mood while weāre on the road which in turn can affect our level of driving aggressiveness. In explanation of Mr. Sasabeās self observation that he drove better when the music is off, Iāve noticed the same effect as well. When youāre not listening to music and not talking to another passenger, your concentration is fully on your driving. This translates into a very calm, nearly serene feeling of just driving your car. You and your vehicle are one. Of course you can still get angry or frustrated at other drivers, but without music to feed or affect your mood, youāll be in better control of your mental awareness and less likely to commit an action youāll regret later.
I really think that music has an effect on the way a person drives. When I want to drive fast I play a CD that has a powerful or fast beat. My favorite is the Top Gun sound track. If I want to relax while driving I would put in a mellow CD like Kalapana or some type of soft rock. I don't listen to rap so I don't know the effects of listening to this type of music.
I really think that some music causes bad driving behavior than others. I can see people being more aggressive after listening to heavy metal then to classical music. I has been proven in studies that playing of classical music in malls helps to reduce the amount to violence in metal than to classical music. I has been proven in studies that playing of classical music in malls helps to reduce the amount to violence in these malls. I do this in two ways by mellowing or relaxing people and by staying away from a certain section of the community that causes a lot of the crimes.
The comments made by Mr. Shintani reflect my view that music does indeed alter and affect our moods. There have been quite a few studies done to confirm that students who studied while listening to Mozart performed better on tests than students who listened to other types of music or no music at all. I can also relate to Mr. Sās comments about the Top Gun soundtrack. When Iām playing that music and driving my Integra, I just feel the urge to speed and take my car faster. Itās partly because the lyrics are about going at higher speeds and altitudes in a jetfighter, and also because the beat of the music is steady and fast. It seems to make me want to follow the rhythm and beat of the music by taking my car faster. Then when I listen to music that is mellower with a slower, calmer beat, I tend to mellow out and just drive at an adequate speed following the flow of traffic.
I definitely agree that music has a role in how you drive. Fast music, and loud music, makes you more excited, and makes your heart pump faster. In turn making you drive faster. Slow music relaxes you and you get more mellow. If you don't believe it, then ever tried driving really fast with classical music. It just doesn't work. maybe the solution is to make everyone listen to classical music. I did hear an interesting fact, babies in the womb become calm children when mothers listen to classical music. Maybe classical music is our solution????
I'm a townie so I consider myself fortunate. I live in Kahala so I drive for 5 minutes and get to school. I often ask my friend that has to drive from Pearl City to get to school by 8 how he does it. He just says he has to deal with it and has accepted it as part of his life. What i did to try to alleviate his road rage is make a tape of his favorite songs. My theory is when he listens to his favorite songs then he doesn't notice the traffic as much, and time passes by more quickly. I sing (sometimes) in the car. That makes the time fly by faster. I also enjoy it and it takes my mind off the congested road. Could this be a possible solution for the commuters to school?
Wilfredās comments are quite interesting. Iāve stated in preceding comments about this subject that I do feel that music has a mood altering effect on those who listen to it. Like Wil said, fast paced music tends to get you excited, while slow, relaxing music calms you. I think itās just a natural reaction because as anyone who can hear will tell you, loud sounds startle a person. A fairly loud sound going at a constant rate as in a heavy metal tune, rap piece or dance music just makes a person want to move along with it for reasons I canāt seem to explain. Relaxing music can make a person feel more calm or even fall asleep as Iāve found from my own experience. Maybe itās just that human beings are wired to respond to sound in different ways, and so we respond differently to different types of music. The solution to driving aggressively just may be listening to relaxing music to keep the driver calm, although this probably wonāt take care of all problems.
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Subject: Re: Road Rage - AA Survey
Date: 1998/01/17
As you say, the phenomenon of road rage is grossly exaggerated. But drivers reacting adversely to stress caused by driving is not.
Fair point. I do not believe, however, that this is something that is fixed and unchangeable. First, let's take a look at the AA report's analysis of the underlying causes (although it does seem to draw a little too much on pop psychology):
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In addition, there are a number of factors that explain why driving, in
particular, should cause this frustration to manifest. Studies of animal
behaviour have shown how rats and various primates can respond aggressively in
response to overcrowding. It is reasonable to suggest that humans respond in a
comparable manner.
Human beings are territorial. As individuals we have a personal space, or territory which evolved essentially as a defence mechanism - anyone who invades this territory is potentially an aggressor and the time it takes the aggressor to cross this territory enables the defender to prepare to fend off or avoid the attack. This may extend no further than a matter of a few feet or less. We may be prepared to reduce the size of this territory according to the available space (eg on a crowded tube train) but this can cause tension.
In most cases if the territory is "invaded", if someone stands too close, our social education tends to result in defensive body language rather than physical aggression. The car is an extension of this territory. Indeed, the territory extends for some distance beyond the vehicle, again providing room for the defender to prepare to fend off or avoid the attack. If a vehicle threatens this territory by cutting in, for example, the driver will probably carry out a defensive manoeuvre. This may be backed up by an attempt to re-establish territory - in spite of the rationalisations we used to account for our behaviour, flashing head lamps or a blast on the horn are, perhaps, most commonly used for this purpose.
However, this may not always succeed in communicating the full depth of our feelings. As it is usually difficult to talk or even shout to the offending driver other non-verbal communication (offensive gesticulations) may be employed.
Confrontations of this nature are not uncommon and are usually defused as the vehicles move away from each other. In some circumstances, the defending driver may wish to go one step further and assert his dominance. Many drivers admit to having chased after a driver to "teach him a lesson" often pressing him by moving to within inches of his rear bumper. This is comparable to the manner in which a defending animal will chase an attacker out of its territory. However, the result of such behaviour in drivers is, of course, potentially fatal.
Some of the worst cases of road rage have occurred where the opportunity for the vehicles to separate and go their own ways does not present itself. Gesticulations and aggressive manoeuvres have been exchanged in a rapidly degenerating discourse. Worked up into a rage one or both drivers have then got out of their vehicles and physically attacked their adversary and/or his vehicle.
Increasing levels of congestion on the roads
have undoubtedly played a role in raising tempers among drivers and may partly
explain why our survey revealed that the majority of motorists feel that the
behaviour of drivers has changed for the worse in recent years. Conflicts
between drivers have also arisen because of unclear road prioriries where
drivers have disagreed as to who has right of way, for example.
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You will probably seize on this description of the driver's artificial environment as proof that there is nothing that can be done to stop road rage. This is not so - as long as people are made aware of the way these factors influence their behaviour, they can recognise the signs and avoid getting themselves drawn into a cycle of aggression. The report recommends:
"Be aware of the precursors. Follow our general recommendations for avoiding stress and fatigue [snipped]. In particular, try to disassociate yourself from problems that have no bearing on the journey.
"Never assume that an apparently aggressive act was intended as such. We all make mistakes. So don't bite back. If we take an example from studies of animal behaviour in the wild, the dominant animal in a group will rarely get involved in petty fights and disagreements. Although confident in his ability to defeat any opponent there is always the risk of injury.
"Finally, draw reassurance from the fact that if you feel that someone is driving like an idiot every one else does."
This explanation of aggressive driving behavior uses a good deal of evolutionary theory to exemplify why people who are normally calm and rational everywhere else become aggressive beasts while on the road. In a speech class, we reviewed some theories explaining territoriality. Within these theories, there was a good deal of support explaining how people tend to react when they perceive threats being made on their territory or personal space. Usually, it was said, people tend to follow a flight response; they try to get away from the threat. But people will sometimes use aggression to retaliate a perceived threat. This would explain why people drive aggressively. When a driver perceives a wrong committed to him/her, that driver may either just let it go, or in an example of aggressive driving, feel the need to retaliate against what was seen as a threat. Maybe if people are made aware that this goes on instinctively, they would stop to think twice before doing something stupid on the road. Driver education would be a good solution.
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Subject: License not required in CA? WAS: solution to
road rage? No.
Date: 1998/01/30
As for your proposed legislation, most of the people I know have a speeding ticket, many two within the last ten years (including my mother, who absolutely DOES NOT speed; she rarely breaks 54 on the highway). A permanent revocation of the licences of these people will lead to exactly one thing: hordes of unlicensed motorists. Perhaps you prefer that state of affairs? Such revocation can only exist in a society with excellent mass transit--that is, a place where people do not NEED cars. Such a community is a long way off in this country. Back to the drawing board.
This reminds me of something. Here in PA, there is a court case currently underway where a man is challenging the constitutionality of requiring driver's licenses. The main gyst of the case is that requiring a driver's license is infringing on the right to travel freely within the country's borders. Someone told me that a similar case was fought and won in a couple States, one of them being California, however the state of California has kept the decision pretty hush-hush. Does anyone know about these "Right to Travel" arguments, and if it is true in CA? Thanks.
In response to this proposed permanent revoking of an individualās driverās license, I agree with Mr. Hudac that if people get their licenses taken away for good, they will probably just resort to driving without a license. I donāt personally know of any people who drive without a license, but come on, Iām sure that this does occur. As weāve discussed in class and as discussed in our text, the ability to drive a car is integral to a personās function in society. People need to get around to go to work, school, pick up necessities, and so on. If a license is the only official way of allowing people to drive, and considering the importance of a personās need to be able to drive, there shouldnāt be a permanent revoking of driverās licenses.
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Subject: Re: SHOOT & KILL ALL ROAD RAGERS - KILL EM ALL
Date: 1998/07/29
Can I make a suggestion? Allow me to make one. Learn the difference between "road rage" and agressive driving. You assholes are just like the press; you can't figure out that there is a difference.
If I am driving my Concorde up the interstate at
68 behind you and you are at 62, and one of us doesn't change, I will be
tailgating you. Unless I am getting close to make a pass, this is agressive
driving. If you flip the bird and I roll down the passenger window and plink
one in your "x-ring" from a handgun, THAT is road rage. If you start pulling
shit like braking hard or accelerating or lane changing to remain ahead of me,
that, too, is road rage.
Comments:
Although it is important to recognize a distinction between aggressive driving and road rage, it is even more important to see that there is a link between the two. Aggressive driving is can spawn into road rage if a personās aggression is fed. So it is vital that drivers on the road realize aggressive driving isnāt okay. We collectively need to learn to respect the rights of other drivers who share the road with us. Only by doing this can we ensure that road rage doesnāt occur.
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Subject: Re: Speeding, Tailgating, and Reckless Driving
Date: 1998/07/07
Which is why the smart ones keep their activity
on the track and not on the public highways. No true professional driver is
going to endanger others for the sake of a thrill. Of all people they should
know the severity of the results when they make a mistake.
I have raced off and on for the last eleven years and i can tell you quite honestly that because of other drivers who are not paying attention, haven't decided where they're going, or are just plain being stoopid, I have to use the skills I have learned on the track everyday.
Sometimes that means exceeding the speed limit, making a sudden lane change, and other things people associate with race drivers. I am not ashamed nor afraid of my agressive driving. I have found that i have a choice. i can either drive defensively or I can figure that every other asshole on the road does not know how to drive. I have found since I started driving from the latter perspective that my sheet metal doesn't end up looking like a twisted mess anymore because some idiot that i thought saw me, didn't.
As far as I am concerned there are two kinds of drivers: Maniacs and lunatics. The difference being that the loonies don't have the foggiest notion what the hell they're doing or if they do have failed thus far to indicate such knowledge. The maniacs on the other hand know that the lunatics are out there and not only continue to drive with the loonies on the road but look out for them and take evasive action when they're around.
I just thank my lucky stars i drive a 1976 Chevy Nova with a V8 and dual exaust so I have the power i need just incase some idiot pulls up on my rear bumber on the freeway and refuses to get off because s/he doesn't think that my 80 in the 70 zone is fast enough. for them I slow down a bit, shift and leave 'em eating dust.
It is thinking like that exhibited in the above excerpt from foolhardy individuals that is the cause of so many problems on the road. So many people are too quick to feel that someone is ćwrongingä them and feel the urge to teach the other driver a lesson. I wish these individuals would just think of the possible consequences before they do anything so unintelligent and potentially fatal.
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Subject: Re: Biggest
aggravation
Date: 1998/07/28
I may have gone a little overboard with my message. I was really responding to the following in the original message:
"You know, I'd love to, just once, pull up behind one of these people and start pushing them forward with my front bumper. That would be so great! I'd love to see there reaction."
People who drive too slowly in the fast lanes are dangerous, and there's nothing wrong with "wishing" they would move over. Unfortunately, there are many out there who cannot leave it at that, and who become aggressive--much worse than driving a little slow.
The main problem I have with the argument you (and many others) present is that it seems like a big rationalization for driving in a dangerous manner. "I wouldn't drive like that if those slow drivers would just get out of my way!" "I'm not to blame, it's those ignorant people who need to learn how to drive. Blame them!" "Maybe if you and your slow ass driving buddies would get out of the way there would be less aggressive driving out there!"
Or you just gave me a new one: "If there were not so many folks out there playing 'self appointed traffic cop', and trying to force their will upon others, there would not be so much tension and rage."
So let's all complain. The weather made me do it! I killed that family in the van because of the "idiot" back there who wouldn't let me pass. You know what? That family is still dead, and I hope the 2 seconds you saved causing the accident was worth it, buddy.
Slow drivers, stay out of the left lane. Aggressive drivers, take responsibility for your own actions. Read the statistics--you will cause an accident.
What is so bad about wishing the slow people would move over into the right
lanes where they belong? If there were not so
many folks out there playing 'self appointed traffic cop', and trying to force
their will upon others, there would not be so
much tension and rage. I have never once caused an altercation by simply
moving over and letting someone pass me.
Does it ever scare you to think that someone [as shallow as you] could be
driving behind a loved one of YOURS right now, say your mother or grandmother,
with the same asinine rationalization for always having to pass whatever car
happens to be in front of them? I read somewhere that aggressive driving
causes more accidents than drinking, and it's attitudes like yours that make
driving such a stressful experience. It's ironic that you call people who are
slower than you (the ones you want to ram with your front bumper) "ignorant"
and "doofus" drivers, since their probably enjoying life more than you are.
The biggest aggravation I have in my life, bar none, is slow, ignorant
drivers!!!
Tell me, why can't they stay to the right and let me pass?!?!?!?!?!
I find it very disconcerting that there are individuals on the road who wish to impose their will on other drivers. Iāve found that it makes life so much easier to just accept that there will always be differences in driving styles of the people on the road. So what I do is try to let people be, and if they do some aggressive stunt on me, I just take a deep breath, and forget about it. I keep listening to music and just go on with my driving, because hey, life goes on. Why should some idiot (or at least someone I think of in that way) get to live on in my mind even when he/she is already visually and physically gone? Thatās something to really think about. Addressing the issue of slow drivers in the fast lane, I do feel that they are a minor irritant. But when coming up against such drivers, itās better to get around them if possible, or either that, just drive and try not to get upset, because when you get angry, thatās normal. But to let the anger turn into something else, thatās just like punching yourself, because really, youāre only hurting yourself. When you think about it, the slower driver isnāt being a nuisance on purpose (I hope) and that person is less of a threat on the road then someone whoās speeding and may end up losing control of their vehicle.
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A Drivers Revenge
Subject: Re: Rude Drivers
Date: 1998/08/01
Does anyone know how to get back at rude drivers? I was going five miles over the speed limit and this lady still kept tailgating me. She then over took me, gave me the finger for no reason and sped away. I managed to get her licsense plate.
Some people may have legitimate (in their own minds) reasons for speeding. Maybe she was pregnant and on her way to the hospital or maybe she was just on her way to get pregnant.
There are plenty of assholes who deserve revenge. Don't sweat the small stuff.
Itās too bad that there are rude drivers on the road. But we really canāt do anything to them. I really donāt know what can happen if you report a person who drove in an offensive manner on the road. But what I do know is that although they may have done something to irritate you on the road, it takes a pretty inconsiderate person to impose on other drivers in that way. Such individuals are probably pretty unhappy out of their cars too. This may not be the case though. So realistically, you just have to deal with people like that by just letting them be. Itās unfortunate, but itās true, and a part of life.
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LABELING DRIVERS
Labeling Drivers
Subject: Re: Korean Driving
Date: 1998/08/01
Koreans are indeed very aggressive when it comes to driving but technically, they are one of the best drivers if not the best. I actually saw one driver driving backward in a very narrow (narrow is really narrow in Korea) uphill zigzag road without any problem. As one American journalist commented: Americans miss accident by feet whereas Korean miss by inches!
You have got to be kidding...Korea is number #1 in the world for vehicular homicide. They are the worst drivers in the world...fact!
Comments:
Once you start labeling and grouping any group of people together either by ethnicity or gender, or even age, your creating a big problem for yourself. People are unique individuals, similar in many ways, but also very different. You canāt go and generalize about any specific group of people because youāll end up proving yourself wrong if you find yourself interacting with many different types of individuals. Itās just so much better to keep an open mind and just acknowledge that people are both good and bad. This truth transcends all race, creed, social class, gender, etc. So when drivers do offend you, donāt get mad at a whole group of people, because all of those people didnāt just wrong you. It was just one individual, and not all. By being aware of this truth, we can avoid perpetuating such stupid, ignorant thinking like hatred and prejudice. Peace to everyone.
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SUV DRIVERS: ARE THEY MORE AGGRESSIVE?
Maybe there are some people who do become more agressive drivers when placed behind the wheel of something that represents a lot of strenth and power, but my experiences with SUV have not been the case. My boyfriend drive a Grand Jeep Cherokee. Yes he is an aggressive driver, but not anymore reckless than when he drives my honda prelude, or his toyota tacoma. When I drive his SUV, then this large vehicle has the reverse effect on me. I feel very nervous driving this huge vehicle, and thus become a more cautious driver. I could be nervous because this is not my car, but then why don't I experience the same anxiety if I am driving my friend's toyota celica. I can only speak for myself, so to each his own.
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