DAN'S REPORT 2

REPORT 2

CONTENTS

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table of contents
Introduction The Past Generations Generation 1 Generation 2 Generation 3 Generation 3a Generation 4 Managing a Quality Driving Circle Setting Up And Running My Quality Driving Circle Session 1 Session 2 Session 3 to bottom

The Past Generations

I went back and took a look through the previous generations. I was surprised to see how each generation improved on their home pages. I went back and took a look at their work on traffic psychology and to summarize some of their works. I also needed to get some ideas on I might set up my Quality Driving Circle. It was pretty interesting because along with the home pages evolving, I also noticed that some of the ideas about traffic psychology have also evolving.

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Generation 1

The first home page I looked over was by Terri Slaughter. Some of the important points on traffic psychology were on tailgating, speeding, and convoys. I also liked her lab reporton traffic on walkways. I totally can relate to the situations that she presented in her report. I get very irritated some times and I will try some of the advice that she had to reduce my stress. The advice is easy to understand because it is very similar to the tactics used in the road to reduce road rage.

I also enjoyed reading about her realization about being considerate about other people. I too have recently been made aware of my own inconsiderate actions while driving. It is very true that the people driving doesn't realize that they maybe making passengers in their vehicles uncomfortable or even scared because of there driving.

The next page that I visited was by Todd Crawford. He, like myself, is from the island of Kaua'i, so I felt that I had to read his views on traffic psychology. I enjoyed reading his ideas on his driving makeover. I think we have some of the same ideas and habits. I feel that I can easily understand his thoughts, that's probably because I knew him since we were in high school. It's kind of weird looking up information that he wrote, but I guess that's another plus for the internet.

In Todd's report he wrote about his self-witnessing exercises. He did a lot to test himself and to observe others in their driving habits. I totally agree with him with his observation that many people tailgate. I hate it when people follow me to close especially at night when their lights glare in my mirror and on my windshield. He has a very thorough report on tailgating and I learned a lot from it and I would suggest anyone to read it.

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Generation 2

In Generation 2 I read Denise Tanaka'sreports. I found her report on her driving personality makeover on tailgating very interesting. She seemed to be very honest in her report, but although she seemed to be making some progress in her driving personality makeover I think she still needed more time to practice. She was only at the beginning of her goal to stop tailgating. She did bring up some very good points about why she gets angry, but didn't master her self control. But she was learning to be more aware of her actions, which to me seems like a good start.

Her report 3was very interesting. It contained a study on successful speeding. There were several tactics in the article that I thought was pretty interesting. One was on how to hide or shield yourself by using another speeder. When you see someone fly by you keep a safe distance behind him and then enjoy his screening you by getting caught first. Another was when you observe a cop coming up behind you get in front of a truck to use as cover and take the next convenient cut off to avoid being followed. There was one that I thought was kind of dangerous which required you to turn your lights on and off to confuse speed enforcement that may be in the back of the pack in order for you to slow down turn your lights back on and blend in with a convoy. Pretty sneaky, but dangerous, I think.

The second home page I read for Generation 2 was by Rochelle Tactacan. In her report 2are some very informative descriptions for tailgating, convoys, and speeding. I found these very useful for me to understand these terms more accurately. I liked the fact that it was short and easy to understand. She explained tailgating, speeding, and convoys and had links to the previous generations on these terms. Linking to other students home pages help me to understand each term and why some people may do these things even though they maybe aware that it is dangerous. For example, there are other students thoughts of why they speed. They bring up some interesting ideas on the reasons for their reasons for speeding. She has a link to Shane Akagi's page explaining the self-fulfilling prophecy theory on speeding. This is where you feel as thought you have to keep at the speed of traffic or even go faster to prevent your-self from holding back other traffic. People feel obligated to go at a faster pace to keep the pace of traffic from slowing down.

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Generation3

In generation 3 I read Michlle Alonzo's experiences with traffic psychology. In her report 3 I saw how she tried to modify her driving behavior to stop herself from swearing. This is not an easy thing as I could imagine and she admitted that it wouldn't. She realized that just knowing that her behavior was inappropriate was only half the battle. She started by observing when and how often she swore and then planned a driving modification program. She found that she had a lot of resistance and no matter how much she wanted to stop swearing and when the time came, so did the swearing. She took a look into some of the previous generations and was relieved to see that she wasn't the only one. She could gain some confidence in reading previous students attempts to try and modify the same behaviors, she wasn't the only one with a hard time. She got some advice from Rochelle Tactan's report and how she learned to control her swearing , by thinking of what other's may feel about her swearing, like passengers in the car with her. She learned to care about her passengers and therefore cut down on her swearing. I think that caring about passengers in the car with you is very important because it makes you more aware of behaviors that are inappropriate. I also believe that in the process of this learning you also learn to be a better and more mature person over all.

I found Sherman Lee's very informative and well done. In his report 4 was very well thought out and he was very courteous to the people he was trying to help. The report was on using traffic psychology to help modify other drivers behaviors for a happier driving experience. His approach was thoughtful trying not to be confrontational to the subjects, but direct and logical, to avoid resistance to the program. Although he had a well thought out programs for both of his subjects, he didn't succeed in modifying their behavior. He learned one of the major factors was lack of motivation. I totally can understand that, because even though I believe that traffic psychology can help me to be more safe and happier on the road, it's hard to change old habits. But I keep telling myself to try again because what have I got to loose.

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Generation 3a

Grant Muranaka's had a very informative report 1 about resistance to starting. I'm also having some problems with the people in my quality driving circle being resistant to try trying some of the ideas of traffic psychology. For example, they thought that I was pretty nuts suggesting that they make animal noises instead of getting angry when someone does something to offend them. I agree with Grants idea that "Many individuals may still show resistance to a Driving Personality Make-Over because they feel that their actions do not seriously affect those around them". Before being introduced to Traffic Psychology I never took into consideration that I maybe making other people in the car with me uncomfortable. Then I also realized that if I didn't realize the feelings of my passengers I also never took into consideration being courteous to countless fellow divers on the road. I know I have made many others on the roads angry, where if I had learned some Traffic Psychology earlier I would be a better driver on the road. But to try and be a better driver on our roads, we as traffic psychologists, have to figure a way to reduce this resistance that seems to be a chronic problem throughout the generations.

Another G3a page that I looked into was by Ross Takara. His report 1 on making a driving personality make-over had many points that I had not considered or thought of yet. One was called There Is No "I" In Team. I found this very interesting because it's a perspective that I have never really thought about, thinking as everyone one the road as a team. He points out that doing a driving personality make-over is not only to improve the self, but it helps to improves everyone's else's behaviors on the roads.

He also points out that people have a fear of change. I believe this and I think a lot of the resistance in my Driving Quality Circle comes from this resistance to change. He makes some good points that I can use to motivate the members in my group. He says that "People should look at change as a challenge and not be afraid of failure. Failure builds character, avoiding challenges and fear leads to weakness. Have no fear! Change!". I think if I can motivate the members by using some of his advice about change my group will have some success.

I also agree with him about the future of the internet entering the high school level. I think it will be very helpful because of the variety of information on the same subject matter. This would make learning easier for younger students because they might not understand an explanation by a particular author and when this happens they can find a different source that is easier to understand. Also by conducting this class in this way, it allows easy access for future students and to see how traffic psychology evolves over time.

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Generation 4

So far generation 4 was the easiest to navigate through. I liked reading through Cherilyn Okazaki's page because of it's easy to look through. The reports seemed to be well organized and ran continuously into the rest. I especially enjoyed reading her report 6 because it seemed very realistic and detailed. I could relate to her listening to slow music to try and stay calm. I like to listen to UB40 when the traffic is totally crawling on the freeway. I like to listen to mellow music while driving because if I start listening to raging songs it gets me all pumped up and I get too excited and therefore impatient.

She seemed to have a positive reaction to her self-modification program. She started by making self observations that seemed very detailed and then trying to change the negative behaviors on future trips. She seemed to very satisfied with her results and recommends learning some driving psychology for everyone. This report could also serve as an example of how rewarding learning these driving skills could enhance you attitude while driving.

She also had a very interesting report on the The Great Speed Debate. I think that it's good that states have the right to regulate speed their limits. But it would have to be in the appropriate areas and the roads would have to have be designed for what ever speed that they make the limit. There are roads that were designed to have higher speed limits and if it's needed they should raise it back to what ever it was designed for. I'm also concerned about auto insurance if they raise the speed limit. I'm not so worried about the price, although it is important, but what about people that don't have any insurance. If they're going at an excessive speed and get into an accident, which would be pretty ugly, who would pay? Us, the tax payers or even worse the victim and their family? The states should also get on the ball and get the people without insurance off the road. This would also help to reduce all our auto insurance premiums.

Shane CobbAdams had a very useful report on tailgating. This seems to be one of the most worked on subjects Throughout the generational curriculum. His report 2 on tailgating was a little complicated for me, but it was very interesting. He points out that over 3 million people are injured in car accidents every year. One point that he made was that tailgating is a choice that you make and you have to be aware of consequences that may occur because of tailgating. Is endangering your life and your mental well-being worth tailgating someone for cutting you off? I see it only as revenge and it's stupid to endanger your life and the lives of others for this kind of evil satisfaction. By giving in to such temptations you are compromising your morality and giving in to barbaric thought.

I plan to use this page in trying to encourage people in my Quality Driving Circle. There's a lot of useful information compacted in a nut shell. He had many good points showing the negative effects of tailgating. This report on tailgating helps open up my eyes, not just about tailgating but also mental and physical well-being.

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Managing a Quality Driving Circle: A Self Help Group For A Happier And Safer Driving Experience

My assignment was to set up a Quality Driving Circle. This is a support group for improving driving skills. By improving these skills I hope to help the members to have a less stressful and safer driving experience. Hopefully by forming groups we can help spread Traffic Psychology and by using support from the group and positive peer pressure, I believe we can change our driving behavior for the better. It's kind of like A.A. for driving.

Setting Up And Running My Quality Driving Circle: A Though Job

Finding 3 other people to conduct a driving circle wasn't as easy as I thought. One problem I had was to select a group that would at least take the project seriously enough to get a adequate result. I selectively picked the subjects after some serious thought. I decided to have two of my roommates and a friend that I thought would make an effort to try some new ideas. Another problem was to find a time when everyone could meet everyone seemed to have something to do on different times. Finally with some luck I got everyone together and discussed what I was trying to accomplish with this group. It seemed a little weird at first and there was some doubt if they wanted to participate, but with some persistence and begging the agreed. Resistance to change was a big challenge for motivation of the group. Although I believe that they tried to be open, we had a problem with changing our habits.

Session 1

In the first meeting, I introduced my subjects to some of the ideas and benefits of traffic psychology. I wasn't sure at first about what I should have them work on, but after some discussion I suggested tailgating. Everyone admitted that they tailgate, some more than others and for a variety of reasons. I asked them to try some self-observation while driving for a few days. I suggested writing their experiences after each time they drive somewhere. What they were feeling, like anger, frustration or satisfied, whatever they felt and what happened to them. I also asked them to write down why they thought they were tailgating.

In my driving quality circle I included two of my roommates and a friend that comes over so often he's like another roommate. I had to choose some people who would actually give it a try. I have to admit, I really had to get myself to have an open mind to get an understanding of traffic psychology, so to make it as easy as possible on myself I choose the most open minded people I knew who would give it a try. My two roommates were Ryan and Sherri and the friend was Mike. Sherri is a Family Resources Major and is going for her Masters at Chaminade. Ryan has a degree in Political Science and is about to graduate from the Honolulu Police Academy. Mike is trying to get into grad school at UH in English. They were sort of forced to do this, but I think it will help them later and I'm sure they won't regret at least trying.

HOME WORK

Before I ended the first session I reminded each person to observe when they tailgate and record as accurately as possible each incident after the ride or at least at the end of the day. I also asked if they could record other things such as their feelings at the time and the reason for the incident(s).

Session 2

In our second meeting I had the members of my group take a drivers personality test. I wanted to find out what kind of personality on the road, so that I could give them suggestions on how to improve their driving experience. After looking over the tests I had a better idea where to start individually on each of the group members' make-over . Sherri seemed to be too aggressive and impatient. Mike seemed to be an aggressive driver and Ryan seemed to be the least aggressive of the trio. Ryan seemed to have the least amount of aggression, but he as well as the others have to work their awareness while on the road.

The questions came from Dr. Driving's book Inner Power At The Wheel in chapter 6 The Nine Zones Of Your Driving Personality. I included questions from all nine zones, both positive and negative to try and get a better picture of their driving attitude. I also rode in the car with them while they drove many times before, so I have a good idea of how they drove regularly. My test was to confirm my observations and to help catch behaviors that I may not have noticed or experienced while in the car with them

Here are a few example questions from the test:

Answer 1-5, 1 being strongly agree and 5 being strongly disagree.

Do you feel impatient with the pace of traffic, feeling that you're being held back? 1 2 3 4 5

Do you remain calm and resist pressure in the face of provocation? 1 2 3 4 5

Do you care about other drivers or passengers feelings? 1 2 3 4 5

I corrected the test to what I thought was the appropriate answers. Sherri scored 11 out of 30 questions. Mike scored 18 of 30. Ryan scored the highest with 24 out of the 30 questions.

Since my focus was to reduce tailgating behaviors in my group, I thought of suggestions that might help them reduce this behavior. There seemed to be some lack of motivation from the beginning, but I tried to encourage them. But I also was not trying to deceive them into thinking that by following these suggestions will make a huge difference. I tried to explain that this would only be a small part of a long process, actually a life long process, that will, in the long run make them happier and safer drivers. I surely didn't want them to be disappointed if they feel that they gained very little by doing this one session. But I also explained that if given the time and effort could a little can become a lot and it will also help them to cope with other stresses in life. I kept on reminding them to keep an open mind and to use the suggestions to reduce tailgating behaviors that is dangerous for them as well as others in the car with them and on the road. I tried to introduce them to Traffic Psychology in the same way I was introduced to Transpersonal Psychology. I wasn't promised that I will have all my problems solved, but if given them chance it could help me cope and learn about the self inside of me. It will not be a quick and drastic change, but given the time and patients there will be a change towards a more desirable way of life. A more pleasant, kind, and wise way of life. I wanted to motivate them by using their own motivations to having happy life.

I wanted the group to help each other out by sharing their experiences while driving because in doing so, they realize that their not alone in their battle with change. Plus it made the meetings more fun and interesting with everyone participating in it because it is not just an individual effort it's a team effort. By making it a team effort it makes each feel more obligated to try some of the suggestions. I wanted to use some positive peer pressure to help encourage the change.

After looking at each test I thought of some suggestions for each person to use to lessen their tailgating behavior. I did it individually because after reading other students reports I realized that everyone had different results and different problems with resisting change. I wanted the members to get a positive start in their program. I also made a point to inform the group that everyone will probably have different results and not to give up.

After looking at Ryan's test and listening to his self observations I gave him some suggestions on how to reduce this tailgating behavior. The two most frequent times when he tailgated seemed to be to and from work. On the way to work, it would be when the person in front of him was driving too slowly. It wasn't that he was late, but just the fact that he wants to reach his destinations in the most efficient way made him inpatient and selfish. He thinks that he should be going at a certain speed and if someone's holding him back he feels that he's not being efficient. On the way home it occurred mostly because he wasn't really paying attention to the distance between cars. The roads are bumper to bumper, but still it only takes one car to hit another and cause a domino affect.

With Ryan I used Zones 3 (safety issues and alertness), zone 5 (self control and judgment), and zone 8 (social responsibility and wisdom). The main idea that I wanted Ryan to try is being more aware of his surroundings. I also advised that he learn to be more patient towards other drivers and that he doesn't have to please others by trying to rush the car in front of him. I suggested that when the urge comes to him to think of consequences and also the fact that you can't control other peoples driving. I also made him realize that by tailgating he's only being a bully, which he didn't realize. He likes to think of himself as a fair person and when he realized that he wasn't being fair to the other driver he saw room for some improvement. I told him remember "keep in control" of his feelings, be aware, and use to use logical reasoning with himself instead of getting angry or impatient.

Mike's plan used zone 1, zone 2, and zone 4. His main reason for tailgating seemed to be in retaliation. He says that when someone cuts him off he starts to tailgate them in order to show his disapproval. I tried to make him realize that his attitude was negative and respect for rules on the road is for everyone's safety. I suggested making an animal sound like a moo to reduce his anger as quickly as possible because anger only lasts a few seconds unless rekindled. I also told Mike to remember to stay in control of his anger and not let it control him because driving under impulse and not logical reasoning could result in an accident. He is a very nice person and I'm trying to make him realize that by tailgating he is not disciplining, but being aggressive toward others. I stressed being fair to others and reminded him that no one is perfect.

Sherri's plan I decided to focus on safety issues. Zones 1, 2, and 3. I wanted her to realize that her driving behavior is dangerous to herself and others. It was hard not to start preaching to her, but I needed to get my points across. I just wanted her to try some simple things to start off with and hopefully she would have a positive response and would be willing to try more. It seemed that some of her tailgating was caused by her being in a rush to go some where. I suggested that she leave earlier and be more aware of her actions and her attitude on the road. She seemed to accept this reasoning, but didn't seem too enthusiastic about trying to change.

Session 3

At the beginning of our last meeting I asked each person if they used any or the suggestions. They used some, but not all the time. There were times when they forgot or they realized what they have done after the fact. Lack of motivation seemed to be a factor.

Ryan seemed to be the most open minded from the start and seemed to have the best result. I think he tried the hardest of all the members and he said it helped him reduce his tailgating. He didn't stop completely, but he caught himself earlier and increased his distance. He still felt some resentment towards the other driver, but I explained to him the next step might be in changing his driving morals. I reminded him that he couldn't read the other persons mind and therefore could not know the intentions of the other driver. I asked him to try and be forgiving the next time he feels this resentment. I tried to encourage him by saying that he is doing the right thing by not getting angry and that it will help him to nurture his spiritual self.

I'd say that Mike had some improvement. He reduced the frequency of tailgating, but still did it when he got upset. He still showed a lot of resistance saying, "Why let them off". But I tried to explain to him that it's not letting anyone off, its about the evil that comes from revenge. I also reminded him that anger can compromise his judgment and therefore putting him in unnecessarily danger. He caught himself about half the time before he started to tailgate, but when he did tailgate he did it for a shorter period of time. He still felt angry, but like his tailgating it lasted for a shorter period of time.

Sherri only tried leaving home earlier and didn't change much of her behavior. She still tailgated and showed other negative behaviors such as speeding. I asked her why she hadn't tried harder and it seemed that she really lacked the motivation. She still would get angry at other drivers and even admitted that she didn't really want to change her driving behavior. I couldn't think of anything else to tell her to try and encourage her to keep trying. I think that when she's ready, she will be more receptive, but until then I hope that she doesn't get into an accident.

I was glad to see that I had some effect on some of the group. I think it's a start but, I also think that it is a long process to change ones behavior. I also think that a person has to be ready to accept a new way of thinking and if they're not ready it will cause even more resistance, like when church people walking around campus try and suck you into their cult, oh I mean church. There needs to be some kind of motivation and for me it was a grade. But just telling others that trying some Traffic Psychology will make you a safer driver and happier while driving doesn't seem to have the motivation needed. The more you try and inform people about Traffic Psychology the more it sounds like preaching.

But first things first, I have to try harder to modify my behavior before I try and help others. I feel that I have to experiment with it more to see if I can make it work for me before I can try to modify other peoples behaviors. I need to be confident in the practice before I try and pass it on to others

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by Daniel Kurisu
G5 Spring 1997
University of Hawaii at Manoa
kurisud@hawaii.edu