Traffic Psychology:Definitions

Generational Viewpoints and Definitions of Traffic Psychology

Traffic Psychology is an infant in the discipline of psycholgy, having had its start only in the early 1980's, under the direction of Dr.James and his students. You may be wondering, "what in the world is traffic psycology? Is it the thoughts and behaviors of automobiles, and the cognition of buses and recreation vehicles?" No, it is none of those things. After all, as far as we know, transportation vehicles are not capable of having these types of thoughts,right...right? Okay, so maybe they do think in their own way, but we have no way of measuring or perceiving it scientifically. But we all know of some one who gives their car a name and talks to it while driving, right? Does the car respond? Only in the language that the driver understands, apparently. When the driver gives the car a command by stepping on the gas pedal, the car obeys. A car tends to give its driver a sense of shelter, protection, and sometimes in- vincibility; hence when one steps into the embrace of their car, their personality can and usually changes. Think of a time when you were driving, and some one pulled out in front of you, forcing you to brake hard; what did you do? If some one were to run in front of you while you were walking down the sidewalk, forcing you to slow down, would you do the same thing? What if you find yourself behind a car going 30kph in a 105kph zone, what would you do? Now imagine that you are hurrying along a narrow walkway to a shop at the other end of a shopping mall before it closes, when you find yourself behind a group of wise-craking and slow-moving teenagers who, instead of moving aside to allow people to pass, walk obliviously side by side. Would you even think of following them closely, in an effort to force them to walk faster? No, not unless you have insatiable masochistic tendencies? So why do we act differently when we are in a car? Why do we sometimes tailgate, shout obscenities, and get so agitated on many occasions while driving? These behavioral changes are the focus of traffic psychology. What is Traffic Psychology? Well, to fully grasp the discipline, please read these definitions, each different from the other, by other students.

Jae Isawas both concise and informative. I shall only quote the bare definition, but you can use this link to read more if it stirs your interest. Isa states:"...traffic psychology is the study of behavioral patterns and psychological theories regarding various issues of traffic in any shape or form..."

The next report I was intrigued at was byAlan Furukawa. Traffic psychology is defined by its benfits here. "..traffic psychology allows us to reflect in our driving persona by opening up our awareness to our everyday li ves when we get in ther car..."

The final student report that is worthy of mention is fromLori Kim, who,like a true pupil of psychology, emphasizes the importance of "..examining your thoughts and behaviors whenever you are in traffic..."

If these reports have not slaked your interest, then check out the homepage of, none other than Dr. Driving himself, fondly known as one of the founding fathers of Traffic Psychology, Dr. Leon James. There you will learn how to modify your driving behavior to become a better driver. I hope you all enjoy this topic. Please feel free to e-mail me with your comments and suggestions.