Children and Road Rage 

    Although most people label themselves "good" drivers, the reality is that the majority of people drive aggressively.  Our aggressiveness generally is not due to a lack of control, but unconsciousness.  Some people use tests find out if they are road rage denial.  A techniques from Dr. Driving, brings "bad" driving behavior to light with a modified self-witnessing technique that consists of "thinking aloud."  The self-witnessing exercise calls for drivers to observe their unconscious and actions while driving, by talking into a tape recorder as they drive.  Most participants are shocked at the what they say and do while driving.

    Although adults may not be aware of their actions, children are highly perceptive and synthesize what they observe.  In a report by Kendra Morgan, she practiced self-witnessing with a small child.  The activity illustrated just how observant children can be.  In her report, Ms. Morgan found that children are very aware of safety issues such as buckling up and "red means stop!"  From my own experience, I have found that children also notice when we become exasperated with other drivers, swear under our breaths, speed or drive with aloha.

    Another way in which children can be influenced is through the media.  Like many of us, I did not consider regulating television programs to exclude examples of poor driving.  Mainly, this is because I did not notice the plethora of poor driving perpetuated in the media.  Do to the lack of research, it is unclear how all of this will effect the drivers of the future.

    In keeping with the idea of social learning, it is not only important that parents model responsible driving, but also teach children to be sympathetic to the needs of others.  Dr. Driving postulates that road rage is not a mental disorder, by a societal disorder.  He believes that as a society, we have lost our sense of morality.  As a result, we have become selfish, impatient citizens with no sympathy for others.  He maintains that high emotional intelligence in vital to being a good driver.  In his three-step program, Dr. Driving teaches drivers how to become more courteous behind the wheel.

                                      The three-step program of

                                      1. Acknowledging that you are part of the aggressive driving problem
                                      2. Witnessing yourself behind the wheel
                                      3. Modifying yourself one step at a time

    I believe that by teaching our children to be aware of their actions and to sympathize with the plight of others that more than just our road ways will be better!
 

Vince & Larry's Safety City-NHTSA Site for Kids