Report 8
The USENET
The USENET is the portion of the internet in which people discuss mutually significant topics by posting articles that they srite. The rec.autos group regularly discuss several topics like speeding, tailgating, the use of car phones, anger while dri
ving, and driving habits. These topics are phrased a little differently on the USENET but none the less are vehemately debated and discussed.
Fast Driving a.k.a. Speeding
The need for Speed. Many people seem to have it, if you read through the postings on rec.autos. Some people claim that it is their constitutional right to drive as fast as they want to while others are vehement about following the laws that govern s
peed limits. The recent repeal of federal speed limits has caused this topic to receive a lot of attention. Some people believe that since places like Europe have no speed limits that we shouldn't either. While others make the argument that American ro
ad ways are a lot more crowded and have different driving conditions. Some other people think that there should be speed limits but they should be in the range of 75 to 100 miles per hour and conversely there are those who propose 8 miles per hour speed
limits for residential areas. Both ideas sound good to me. I think in the end, a balance will be found which will incorporate all of these ideas. The things that scares me however, are attitudes I see in some of the postings. Some people have very rig
id attitudes that don't leave room for new ideas, facts, or compromise. This is dangerous and limiting. Dangerous because they are often inflexible to improving ideas and limiting because they rule out other opinions even when they come from professiona
ls.
Car Phones -- a traffic hazard
With the cellular revolution in full swing, the use of car phones has become a recent topic of discussion. A lot of people comment on the fact that using a cellular phone while driving diverts the drivers attention and is a hazard to everyone. Othe
rs counter that people eat, put on make-up, read, ect., so why not use the phone. Most driving professionals concur that the less distractions a driver has, the better the driver is able to handle the vehicle. Many people have used this argument to prop
ose hands free phones as a standard and I must say I like the idea. I don't put on make-up while I drive, but I sure would prefer that someone making a phone call while driving not have to take his eyes off the road to dial a phone number.
Left lane use for Morons
Slow cars in the Fast Lane
Left lane use for the
intellectually challenged
All a.k.a. Driving Habits
The attitudes in this category of discussion scare me the most. You can almost tell by the threads they use to discuss the topic that these people have a problem with anger management. Most of the people that post to these threads focus on how othe
rs cause them great pains by going slow in the left lane. The problem is that many of these people consider 50-60 miles per hour to be slow, even when the speed limit is like 55. They don't realize that they have no control over other drivers and get fr
ustrated, if not raging mad, about things they have no control over. A lot of people who discuss this topic are very aggressive and often report wanting to commit violent acts against other drivers. If there is any proof that traffic psychology is need,
this would be it. The debates are one sided and focus on futile avenues and directions for change. It is almost like all the hot headed, over angry drivers, post articles here as part of displacing their anger. The only problem is that this kind of co
mmunal venting only feeds others and themselves to be angry again later. They never deal with the real problem.
Road Rage a.k.a. Anger Management
This thread is a more generalized and well debated topic that almost all drivers can relate to in one way or the other. Road rage or anger while driving is probably one of the most common yet most dangerous aspects of driving. People often discuss inci
dents that upset them or that were very dangerous. Traffic psychology could be of great help in this area because it could teach these drivers the right perspective in which to view these incidents. Most postings I have read focus on what the other driv
ers are doing and not on their own behavior. Any good traffic psychologist will tell you that this is a flawed perspective because within the context of driving the only person you have effective control over to create meaningful change is yourself. I o
ften see postings that say, "this guy did this, or I couldn't believe what that other guy did." These people should have been asking, "Why did I get mad?" or "What did the situation make me feel or think?". This kind of subjective analysis is the first
step toward better understanding the root cause of the problem and making effective, meaningful changes.
Why I tailgate a.k.a. Tailgating
The way they phrase this topic, already hints that these people are trying to justify their behavior of tailgating. Like there is a viable reason to tailgate someone. Most postings of this nature feel that it is okay to tailgate others if they are imped
ing your movement and keeping you from going the speed you want. Even if the speed you want to go is illegal. This makes for a lot of debate about legality. Some people are adamant about their innate correctness in being able to drive 55 or 60 miles pe
r hour in the fast lane. These people cite the maximum speed limit and say, "I can't be forced into breaking the law. Others meanwhile have no problem admitting that they will tailgate someone going slower than them until they move, even when that perso
n is already driving at higher speeds of 50 to 60 miles per hour. This very dangerous activity and the even more dangerous attitude behind it, make a strong case for the need of traffic psychology to expand and be incorporated into the large scale drivin
g scene. I see people out there justifying dangerous, possibly, and eventually lethal activities in the name of what I consider foolish, misguided perspectives. These people aren't aware of the psychological aspects of the problem and therefore can't gr
asp the fundamental problem, let alone fix it. They simply give in to
anger and feed into a vicious loop of justifications and frivolous yet
dangerous retaliatory activities.
Implications for Traffic Psycholgy Theory and Approach
This kind of attitude provides the
biggest and most complex obstacle for traff
ic psychology. That is why I believe that Traffic Psychology should be incorporated on a larger scale and taught at the high school level before people start getting their licenses. Education about affective, cognitive and sensory-motor analysis in a mea
ningful subjective manner need to be taught to all drivers. This would help them understand what's really goinging on out there, instead of just letting them get mad about it.