Generation Two
Generation Two had the previous generation's reports as reference material for their traffic psychology curriculum and their reports provide further in depth material relating to this field. Leticia Lujan says that
Michelle Ota's statement regarding self witnessing is a good start toward understanding why a person may need to observe their driving behavior in the first place. Michelle says,
"For the purpose of traffic psychology, I believe that it is essential to someone's research. By self-witnessing, you acknowledge all of the little problems that you would normally not even notice, and you realize that your behavior is normal, but not always appropriate. It also allows us to modify our behavior and be more aware of it".Nicely put Michelle, but easier said than done. I think for the purpose of modifying our behavior, it is more difficult to observe and criticize ourselves in relation to driving than it would be for someone else. Therefore, it might be helpful if we drive with another person and at the same time keep an open mind to constructive criticism.
I agree with Michelle because if I am going to change any "unsafe" driving habit I may have such as "speeding", then I must learn to be consciously aware of my surroundings and my attitude while driving. But it is not so easy for me to observe these bad habits by myself. I have noticed that my sister brings to my attention when I do something that is uncalled for. For example, she might say slamming on my brakes at the last minute is not a good idea because this causes them to go out faster. At first I become defensive, but after I think about what she is saying, I become rational and I alright with her suggestions. Learning to work through such issues involves "Self Control" (Dr. James' discusses these in his Chart of the Nine Zones) and begins with self-witnessing my unsafe driving techniques.
Generation Two
Generation Two had the previous generation's reports as reference material for their traffic psychology curriculum and their reports provide further in depth material relating to this field. Leticia Lujan says that
"Everyone need's traffic psychology".I would have to agree with her because there are many people out there (some more than other's) who could benefit from an "attitude adjustment" toward becoming less aggressive drivers. My boyfriend is a perfect example. He becomes angry with other driver's very easily. He blames them for everything! Although it may seem that for the moment you are the only aggressive driver on the highway, it is important that you become of aware of the possible tendency to create aggressiveness in other drivers.
I am very familiar with being aggressive for the reason that I possess this natural instinct. In my attempts to become a practicing traffic psychologist, I have to be very honest in saying that at many times I find myself reverting back to the "aggressive driver"
I've always been. Just a few weeks ago, I was angry with my boyfriend and decided to drive uncontrollably showing no consideration for him or my sister. I drove recklessly around Makapu point, through Waimanalo and Hawaii Kai. When I finally arrived to wherever it was I was going, I was so angry that it took me about half an hour just to calm my nerves. I recognized afterward that it was not necessary for me to behave in such a manner that it could involve endangering all of our lives. Thus, my need for traffic psychology is never ending.
Sheldon Tawata does not forget that traffic psychology not only involve drivers, but that our pedestrians are just as important because they share a part of the road with us too. There are laws that pertain to pedestrian's "rights and duties". This is true, but I would have to disagree with his statement that
"there are a lot of pedestrian's that abuse their rights. They feel that they are almost invincible to their surroundings."Perhaps Sheldon's perception is that exposing pedestrian's to their rights will give them just cause to abuse their rights. I do not think that pedestrians feel as though they are invincible to their environment, but drivers should be extra cautious of their surroundings and watch out for people mover's on two feet.
I often find myself driving though a crosswalk that is signaling "WALK" for pedestrians, especially if I am in a hurry. My attempts to make a right turn at a red light, without giving thought to the "right of way" for the pedestrians is rude of me. One day I was driving through the parking lot at the mall. I knew that this lady wanted to cross, but I wanted to get to a parking space. As she stepped off the curb, I proceeded to go through the crosswalk which resulted in her calling me a "-----". Pedestrians deserve the right , just as driver's , to be aware of laws that entitle them to their right of way". Therefore by exposing a pedestrian to their rights does not necessarily mean they will become "invincible", rather it enables them to be aware of laws that protect them.
Generation Three
Let the generations continue with Michelle Alonzo and Sherman Lee from Generation Three.
Speaking for myself, I have a lead foot, thus I can't help but driver over the speed limit. Michelle Alonzo provides various websites that pertain to driving over the speed limit. One particular page that she lists which is Speeding provides a few statistics regarding fatalities resulting from speeding. It is sad to think that such fatal injuries resulting in permanent disability or death is caused by a driver's desire to go over the speed limit.
It is a good idea for myself to keep such factors in mind when I am going 50 mph in a 30 mph zone. Again, as I mentioned previously speed is an area that I must work to improve on. The need for speed becomes essential when I'm in a hurry and pressed for time. It is as though my "automatic self" takes over and I begin to speed without even realizing it sometimes.
Sometimes a person can become comfortable with driving a certain speed limit. For example, I learned to drive in Los Angeles where everyone drive's fast. It is almost expected that you drive at a minimum of 55 m.p.h. When I moved to Hawaii, I had to learn to adjust to the slower speed limit conditions. However, I still find myself driving at a speed that I became so accustomed too. I realize now that this is no excuse; nor should it be for other drivers. The ability to "re-learn" how to drive within current speed limits conditions can be done if we really apply ourselves.
Sherman Lee's report entitled My problem is that I'm too tense and I can't enjoy driving is designed for the driver who just can't seem to enjoy driving anymore. His method of support for drivers who have lost interest in driving comes from "contributions" of other drivers who have felt the same way. This is a very unique is approach. I like it because the message that it gives to a reader who happens to come across his page is that they are not alone. Sharing your personal contributions with others is a great idea for providing solutions for cheering each other up.
If I am not enjoying driving the first thing I have to ask my self is "Do I have any control over the situation that is making me unhappy?" Say for example the music on my radio is blasting, obnoxious and giving me a headache. I simply turn the radio off, and refer to the surroundings of my environment. If for example, heavy traffic persists as a result of an auto accident, there is nothing I can do about this; therefore I might as well sit back and relax since this is going to be a long ride. I believe that in order to enjoy driving you have to evaluate the current situation and thinks of ways to increase positive feelings while in traffic. My personal modo is "If there is nothing I can do about it then oh well".
I think that a person's interest in driving is a result of their "self-control". If a person allows themselves to become irritated with a situation that is entirely out of their control, then they must learn to re-focus the negative energy and create a more positive driving environment for themselves.
Generation Three-A
Here we see the generations really taking off with their pages in relation to traffic psychology. When you visit them you can really see how the generations have progressed and become more elaborate with graphics and icons. Their reports reveal not only a sense of understanding in the subject matter, but also the content becomes much more thorough.
We've talked about drivers (in an adult sense), children, pedestrians, but Phuong Wataoka
remembers high school students and right she should! After all, they are the future generation of many traffic psychologist to come. High school students would benefit from implementing traffic psychology as part of driver's education. I feel strongly about this because driver's education should not only cover the right's and wrong's of the road, but should also discuss the attitudes and behaviors that make up the characteristics' of a good driver. Teaching them from the beginning is a good start.
My youngest sister who is 17, is driving now and I think that her vulnerable behavior is prone to future "road rage". Her personality is similar to mine, in that she will be probably display severe "road rage" on the highway if she does not learn to contain it now. I am hoping that as she reads my reports she will gain some insight into becoming a sensitive and considerate driver. Especially since she is just starting out, her bad driving habits haven't had a chance to set in. Exposing her to topics relating to traffic psychology is a good beginning.
A driving personality makeover is the first step toward altering your driving behavior. I will discuss this further when I implement the driving personality makeover test in my Quality Driving Circle. A few of my group members may experience some resistance to changing and Grant Muranaka's report regarding resistance to starting a driving personality makeover is a good overview. His examples from past generations are good references to the many feelings a driver may have as they begin to take this first step. As Grant has stated,
"many individuals show resistance to a driving personality makeover because they feel that their actions do not seriously affect those around them".I can personally attest to this type of thinking because before I took this class I did not for a minute think that my actions affected others. But they do!!! One morning while driving through Waimanalo to take my car in for servicing this lady almost cut me off. I got angry because she endangered my life and I called her a bad name. Well, she saw this and then proceeded to follow me and tell me off. Now I did not think that I did anything wrong. I was resistant to think that my actions were not warranted. Since I have been in involved with traffic psychology I now understand that my defensive actions could have brought me more harm than was actually caused. I am slowly learning to rationalize certain driving situations for the purpose of preventing others to become angry with me.
Generation Four
What can I say except that Generation Four did a really great job with their reports on Traffic Psychology. Their topics were not only informative, but they also displayed a lot of supportive ideas through past generational curriculum. For example, Cherilyn Okazaki's section regarding tailgating was very thorough and concise. Her inclusion of self-witnessing reports from prior students' pages enables the reader to gain a clearer understanding in relation to "Tailgating". In her personal opinion
"tailgating does make people happy when they do it. Technically, that's making something positive out of the situation. It may make you happy, but, it is not the best thing in terms of respect for the other driver."
When I tailgate I think I'm more scared than I am happy. The reason for this is that I know one careless move on my part, or one sudden stop from the person in front of me could result in drastic measures. I have to remember that I am not only endangering my safety, or the person in front of me, but I am also endangering the safety of the person behind me. Tailgating is really not a "happy" thing to do because the consequences will be very "sad". I agree with Cherilyn, it is not the best thing for other driver's nor does it show respect to them as fellow highway users. My advice "Lay off the bumper!"
Shane Cobb-Adams's summation of the A-C-S chart (psychological domains from Dr. Driving's Chart of the Nine Zones) is really very helpful. The reason for this is that if you happen to look at Dr. Driving's Chart of the Nine Zones it may appear to be a little confusing. Shane's presentation of what each of the domains represents (affective, cognitive, sensorimotor) can be easily understood. His brief synopsis and explanation of Aaron Takahashi's report on Tailgating reveals how each of the domains reflects Aaron's habit of tailgating.
Tailgating for myself is an A-C-S Self Control Issue. Many times I think "The person behind me is on my tail which means I must be driving slow" (Affective). "I don't want the other driver to be angry with me "(Cognitive), therefore "I will speed up and tailgate the other person" (Sensorimotor). If I could only possess self control over my emotions, judgment, and the ability to remain calm then I wouldn't need to think in such a manner. Personal reflection of my driving habit informs me that Dr. James' chart is a good method for developing into a practicing traffic psychologist.
Creating a driving personality test is not a simple task. Based upon Dr. Driving's Chart of the Nine Zones, I had to select three areas of interest that I felt were important. The only problem that I had was selecting the one I personally think has precedence over the other's. I have come to the conclusion that the affective, cognitive, and sensorimotor domains (zones 4, 5, and 6) of the Self Control Issues phase are the most important. My reason for choosing these ideas is that I believe a driver's perception of Safety Issues and Social Responsibility Issues begins with themselves. You may disagree with my thoughts, however I strongly believe that behaviors and attitudes have a lot to do with how driver's obey laws and take responsibility for their actions.
Dr. Driving's Chart of Nine Zones is designed for the purpose of measuring one's progress as they begin to make attempts at a driving personality makeover. The three phases of the Self-Control Issues, along with their domains, Self-Control, Feelings,Self-Control, Thoughts, and Self-Control, Actions are relative to the emotional control, judgment, and calmness that driver's display while in traffic.
Here are a few samples from the driving personality test that I developed:
Zone 4: I feel the need to drive impulsively ahead of other drivers because I am entitled too if other's are driving too slow.As you can see, I have selected three questions from three different areas from Dr. Driving's chart. The first question pertains to rude or opportunistic mannerisms which result from lack of emotional control. The second question concerns the subjective thought process in relation to their judgment. They are clearly not thinking within reason. The last one relates to how effectively the driver may or may not handle a situation. Their actions may irrational and unpredictable, or relaxed and steady. If you would like you can take the complete test for yourself. Just go ahead and Click Here
A. Strongly Agree
B. Do not Agree
C. Do not know
Zone 5: I feel justified for speeding or failing to completely stop at a street light or stop sign if I am in a hurry.
A. Strongly Agree
B. Do not Agree
C. Do not know
Zone 6: I have the right to insult other driver's by giving them obscene gestures or using bad language when they do something wrong.
A. Strongly Agree
B. Do not Agree
C. Do not know
to take my test.There were certain areas from My Report 1 that I felt had a direct relation to My Report 2. For example, Three Steps for a healthier, more zestful traffic life was important because part of managing a quality driving circle was getting my members to acknowledge their inappropriate driving habits at the wheel. This is a very important first step; primarily because getting them to admit to their traffic behavior will enable them to become more aware of their actions.
Also, the test questions and ideas were taken from Dr. James Chart of 9 zones which I wrote about in My Report 1. If you refer back to my brief review of what these are about, it will provide a better idea of what my group will be working on.
My circle consists of three other people, besides myself, (two females, one male) of which none of us are related (except for the male; he is my boyfriend). I must be quite frank in telling you that I did not know what to expect prior to starting the group. I thought that they would think this group is a waste of their time, or that the topics were boring and not important. The thought also crossed my mind that maybe this group was going to be a waste of my time. I was a little apprehensive before meeting with my group, but once I made the initial step I felt confident that is would be a success.
I assigned each driver the task of self-witnessing their driving. I asked them to do this before our first meeting. My goal was to get their notes, give them the driving test, and measure how consistent their driving habits were compared to the results of their test. I asked them to be specific, for example, noting what they experienced while stuck in traffic, or their reactions to other driver's bad habits. I do not think this was a very accurate measure. Perhaps they did not take it serious enough, but the consistency between their notes and the test were not as similar as I thought they would be. I think mostly because when I got their feedback when I conducted the first meeting, their responses were "I'm a good driver" or "I really didn't notice myself getting easily angered". This was not the responses that I was looking for. I was looking for more specific answers however, I think when I assigned their homework I thought they understood what I meant. Perhaps I was too general and my members reported back to me what they thought I wanted to hear. The difficulty with this is that I needed the specifics that pertain to their particular driving techniques. Then I gave them my test and I was able to measure their driving habits better.
The scariest part was giving them my driving personality test.
Okay, so what is a driving personality test? It is a 18 item, multiple choice test that I made up using ideas from Dr. James' Chart of the Nine Zones. The test discusses different issues relating to these nine zones and the circle is set up for in depth discussions regarding these issues. As I mentioned earlier, I provided a a few brief examples from my test, as well as a link from my test for you to take!!
Actually I was only able to give the test to two of my group members (females A & B). Surprisingly they performed similarly to one another in regards to scoring, but as for their answers they were quite different. Female A had a lot of "unsure" answers, whereas Female B answered with mostly "strongly agree". This was pretty interesting. When I asked female A why most of her answers consisted of "unsure" she responded with "Well, it depends on the situation". For example, one of the questions asked
I am a compulsive lane changer.Female A answered "unsure". When I told her that the answer should be strongly disagree she said "But how can that be?" I told her that you would know if you were a compulsive lane changer by observing your behavior.
This gave her just cause to observe her driving the next time she got on the highway. She said that she really never noticed or it just depended who she was behind. Even if she did lane change frequently she did not take notice of it. Female B was fairly honest with her selections because she only answered two questions with "unsure" and the reason for this was that they questions may have been a bit ambiguous for her.
When I organized my sessions with my group my game plan was to focus on "self-control". My modo was If there is nothing you can do about the situation then get over it an move on. Wallowing in negative thoughts is easier than getting over it. I no this from first hand experience because my "automatic self" would much rather be upset and yelling at other drivers than handling the situation rationally. I have learned to adjust my thinking with the rational that "There is nothing I can do about". Once you learn that there really is nothing you can do about a situation, then the stress of the situation will alleviate stress.
One issue I brought up in one of my meetings was taken from one the test questions. It involved feeling the need to drive impulsively ahead of other drivers especially if they are in a hurry and that person is driving too slow. Surprisingly they both answered this question with "Strongly Agree". I decided we should discuss possible solutions or recommendations for modifying this kind of reaction. One solution that was mentioned by Female A was that timely preparation by giving yourself ample time to get to an appointment was a possibility. We discussed this and decided together that this was a good solution. The reason for this is that by giving yourself enough time, as well as an allotment for traffic conditions you are creating a safe driving environment for yourself and other driver's.
Another topic for discussion related to question #14 from my Driving Test. They both answered "Strongly Agree" which was the correct answer. I was satisfied with the fact that they had answered the question correctly; but it was also important that we discussed alternative suggestions for redirecting the anger or hostility.
What is the rational excuse for getting back at drivers by cursing at them or giving them foul finger gestures? There is no excuse except for lack of self-control. I mentioned this to my group members and after pondering it for a while, we all decided this was a good idea. We all had stories of when people did something to really make us upset, but instead of reacting rudely, it made better sense to exert the energy into creating a more positive situation. Say for example your singing along to a favorite song on the radio; someone does something that upsets you and instead of getting back at them with the famous middle finger you emphasize a lyric or note from your favorite song. I suggested we try this. Also, as Dr. James suggests try making animal sounds. Like a barking dog or a mooing cow. My member's didn't care for this idea.
I had the pleasure of driving with all three of my members (female A, B, and male A). The females were less aggressive than male A. This did not surprise me. One thing that I noticed about female B was that she drive's with a lot of emphasis on what her car does. In other words, the feel of how her car is driving, the noises it makes, how fast she is going, etc. She is very conscientious of how good or bad her car is operating. When I asked her why she gave so much attention to this her response was "If my car is not in good working condition this could cause future problems on the highway for other drivers as well as herself". I thought this was very courteous of her to be concerned with the effects her car trouble may have for other highway users.
Female A basically drives "ahead of herself". What I mean by this is that she very keen to road conditions. She frequently observes what other drivers are doing by frequently looking in her side view and rear view mirrors. If female A needs to stop suddenly, she makes sure that she drives at least one car space between the others. I felt very comfortable driving with both drivers because they were not loud, obnoxious or rude to other drivers. They did not allow themselves to become aggravated by how others were driving, rather, they were perceptive of their own driving behavior.
.
Male A is my boyfriend and no doubt criticizing his driving has a profound effect on how he criticizes me. He is very HOSTILE !! He becomes angry at the whole driving population if one person does something wrong. Instead of getting over it quickly, he stays angry for a while. He says this makes him feel better. He insists on catching up to drivers so he can give them a piece of his mind. I told him that this is not only unnecessary but also very dangerous. His remarks are that he doesn't care and everyone is a "Half-wit". If someone does not let him into a lane he really becomes angry which results in him forcing himself into a lane (sometimes abruptly) causing other drivers to become angry with him.
The reason that I am not comfortable with his driving is because often at times his driving scares me. I told him that he is not considerate when it comes to his passengers. He quickly brings to my attention the many times that I happen to lose my temper, and I admit that "yes" I lose a sense of self-control at times. However, I try to rectify the situation by acknowledging that I am being in considerate or hostile. When I try to bring up issues relating to traffic psychology he just "blows them off" by emphasizing that his "right to be angry is justified".
As far as the driving test is concerned, it really didn't play a significant role in detecting what type's of driver's I had drafted for my group. It provided some insight into their driving techniques, but for the most part, I didn't really find the two females to be hostile or aggressive driver's. I found them to be quite pleasant and safe (safe than myself!) It was interesting to gain a different person's perspective when it came to running through yellow lights, making full stops, or how they project their anger. For the most part, the test revealed that they take much responsibility for their own actions. Driving with them also supported this.
I would suggest that spreading Quality Driving Circles may be a good idea of people or not forced to be recruited but rather come forward on their own. For example, advertisement in the newspaper or community circulars. I think that by making people feel that they are going to be recruited into a quality driving circle, they may feel offended like they really need it or something. But they may work, I really don't know. I think that in order for them to be successful you have to have people who are really dedicated toward modifying their driving behavior's. Once lesson I have learned is that unless someone is really committed toward modifying their behavior, traffic psychology is not for everyone.
Leadership would have to involve people who have successfully gone through the Q.D.C. program and are committed to improving the quality of driving. It should really be people who have been practicing being a traffic psychologist for at least a year and have had some sort of opportunity to assist with community related projects such as Dr. Driving does.
I think that in order for it to be successful people should really take lessons at a young age. Probably around the same time that they take driver's training. The earlier people learn to be non-aggressive drivers the better. As far as chronic offenders, some type of community work for a minimum of three months might help, but really they have to be committed to change. Most importantly they would have to want to change. Perhaps educational seminars on the pro's of changing may be helpful. Making video tapes available for viewing would be a good approach.
My advice for G6 and beyond is to start talking about your groups early in the semester. Get a really good idea of who you may want to be in your group. Perhaps Dr. James' overview of the semester will give you ample time to organize group member's that really are interested in being committed. As far as time constraints, it may be a little difficult. Try to get people that share similar schedules with yourself.
Honolulu Traffic Cam
This is a page about Hawaii's Honolulu Traffic Camera System: I thought this would be interesting for people who are new to Hawaii, visiting, or live far away and might be interested about Hawaii's daily Traffic.
Real Time
this was interesting because it gave information about "real-time" traffic photos. In other words, live coverage. This is better than pictures still photography. Go ahead and select a city from any state that is listed here and take a look at the current "real-time" traffic Photo.
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety provides a special selection in relation to Beginning Drivers. Click on this valuable source of information for the youth of our society. This page covers topics that all young student drivers should be aware of. Since the youth are the "future drivers of America" it is important that they are instilled with a sense of understanding when it comes to such topics as Underage Drinking, Attitudes, What parents can do, and even what to expect from other teenage drivers. This is also useful for adults, because it gives them a better understanding or rather some "insight" as to what to expect from the up and coming drivers of today.
In my personal opinion, I believe that no one driver can ever be up to par on their state laws when it relates to driving. This web site offers "facts" regarding Child restraint use laws, DUI/DWI laws, Helmet laws, and Young drivers laws. This last one really goes hand in hand with the Beginning Drivers web site. Click Here to find out further detailed summaries of why these issues are so hot!!!!!
Generally speaking, the driving society should be educated when it deals with traffic fatalities. The AAA Foundation has designed their own web site for the purpose preventing crashes before they happen. There are helpful driving hints and reminders about the do's and don't of the road. AAA's modo is "Saving lives through research and education". Thanks again AAA for providing great insurance as well as safety tips!!
Everyone can use some Transportation Resources off the Internet. Go ahead and check this one out. This site provides resources relating to Highway, Transit, and Rail Systems, as well as Airports and Airlines. I liked this page for the reason that, although my report is dedicated to "driving", it is important to remember that our behavior is important in all aspects of transportation.
Just when you thought Dr. Driving was the only person on the traffic information highway that could provide us with helpful information, the discovery of Ask Mr. Traffic hit the web site's as well as the airways. He is a California Traffic School comedy teacher who lectures via airwaves and seminars to promote his messages relating to driving issues. This is ideal for the younger generation who are starting out as beginning drivers because this provides an opportunity to learn from a more relaxed, comical perspective.
Mr. Traffic may not be a licensed driving therapist, but Dr. Driving is not the only doctor dedicated to helping drivers overcome their traffic problems. Check out The Driving Therapist. Sy Cohn, MFCC, is a Marriage, Family and Child counselor who has been helping people for over 30 years overcome their problems.
Dr. Driving, I think you've got some Cyberspace competition.
Check this page out and learn how to Beat all Traffic Tickets! Don't be misled, it's not about talking your way out of one, but rather it's a cognitive approach to abiding by the laws. The beginning statements are a bit ambiguous, but read on and select the laws. This will be a little bit easier to understand.
NHSTA:National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are advocates in the field of "reducing death's, injuries, and economic losses resulting from Motor Vehicle Accidents". Their focus is on the driver's mental attitude and behavior, as well as the relationship of the road they share with others. I thought this was a good "tie-in" to the field of Traffic Psychology because their website offers resources relating to all types of traffic issues.
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