Report1: G5 Looks at Traffic Psychology Resources on the Internet

Getting to Know Dr. Driving and Traffic Psychology

Go to the Bottom

Professor's Home Page

Class Home Page

Table of Contents

Dr. Driving on the Internet

Inner Power at the Wheel Book Chapters

Interview with Dr. Driving on Road Rage

Three Step Program for a Healthier, More Zestful Traffic Life

Dr. Driving Says..Problems and Solutions

Introductory Statement about Dr. Driving Says...

About the Authors

Chart of the Nine Zones

Comments by visitors

Driving and Traffic Resources on the Internet

Psychological Principles to help us be Rational and Humane Driver

Self-Witnessing Exercises

Index of topics on Driving and Drivers

Dr. Driving Selection of Traffic Safety Issue

My Reflection of Driving Newsgroup

My Favorite Traffic Psychology Resources

Introduction: Adjustment to Traffic Psychology Concepts

Have you ever felt frustration going from point A to point B? Movement is a natural and essential part of life and we use different means to reach our destination, such as walking, biking, driving, running, flying, swimming, etc.. For Traffic Psychology purposes, my topic is about driving. However, Traffic Psychology concepts apply to many aspects of our lives. As long as mobility is something that you do daily, this topic is applicable to you. Traffic psychology, a title that speaks for itself, is about how people's behaviors are affected and influenced when driving or sharing the road. This is only the surface definition of Traffic psychology. Traffic psychology incorporates all the concepts of other branches of psychology, such as social psychology, cognitive psychology, and affective or personality psychology.
In this report, you will find my summaries on each of the 13 items on Dr. Driving site and its' relation to Traffic Psychology. You will also have a brief insight about the issues and problems of driving. You'll see the different perspectives of driving in the driving newsgroup debate( rec.autos.driving). You will then understand how all these issues relate to Traffic Psychology concepts and its implication on driving.
As for myself, I found Traffic psychology as eye-opening. I didn't realize I have problems when driving. I always thought that I am timid and easy-going when it comes to driving. I don't toot my horn when someone takes a long time to go. I believed that I was a patient person. If anything, I felt that I was a victim of other people's hostility. I justified my action like beeping my horn at someone who nearly caused me an accident was well deserving. Yes, I felt upset and irritable for several hours after the incident, but I thought that was a natural reaction to the incident.
Dr. Driving taught me ways to cope with the situation and to control my anger, since my reaction is unhealthy and caused me much unhappiness. I felt helpless since I can't control everyone's behavior on the road, otherwise, I will be getting angry all the time when driving. Learning to overcome my anger and frustration is like an added power to my strength. I have the power to not allow other people's behaviors to influence my actions and feelings. Traffic Psychology, unlike other branches of psychology, uses a self-modification technique. Instead of learning about other people's behavioral problems and the etiology of its psychopath like how I normally do as a psychology student, Traffic psychology taught me self-focus by acknowledging and correcting my own psychopathic behavior through application of its concepts. Currently, I am adjusting to the Traffic Psychology concepts.
Dr. Driving on the Internet : My Summaries and Reaction

1. Inner Power at the Wheel Book Chapters

Let me briefly cover the areas you will be visiting onDr. Driving's site. First, you will arrive at your first destination at Dr. Driving's site, in which you will see a list of the 13 items to browse. When you choose a link called Inner Power at the Wheel Book Chapters, you will find a table of contents of the book which has 14 chapters. This page contains Dr. Driving's and Dr. Diane Nahl's tips for hassle free driving, which gives several segments of the book. There are four chapters available where you can visit on line by clicking to these four links. The four chapters are:
Chapter 6: The Nine Zones of Your Driving Personality
This chapter contains the 3 steps to a personality make-over plan. It talks about the nine zones of self-witnessing, which involve the three domains of human behavior in traffic. The three domains are affective, cognitive, and sensorimotor. The steps go from easy to difficult, starting from Zone 1 and gradually moving up to more sophisticated and deeper levels, which is Zone 9. There are three phases of internalization for each zone.
Phase I include Zone 1, 2, and 3, covering traffic safety issues.

Phase II include Zone 4, 5, and 6, which is about self control issues.

Phase III include Zone 7, 8, and 9, is about social responsibility issues.

Chapter 11: The Social Psychology of Driving
Conventional morality, traffic scripts, driver's self-serving bias, and gender stereotypes in driving are a few examples of the issues listed on this page. Here you will find topics that deal with the social aspects of traffic psychology.
Chapter 12: Driving on the Information Superhighway
Want useful links about driving and Traffic psychology? This is the page for you. You'll find a lot of information and links relating to Traffic psychology.
Chapter 14: Musings of a Traffic Psychologist
A page of various issues such as convoys, masculine and feminine model of driving, and health & driving issues with several scenarios depicting of CARtoons. One funny scenario is about Dr. Nahl and Dr. Driving. It gives you a better feel for the authors' driving personalities.

In the synopsis of Dr. Driving's perspective, he talked about how emotional rage of driving affects even nice people. Dr. Driving talked about the love-hate relationship of cars, we love automobiles but we hate the aggression and anger we feel while driving. Pretty much like how I feel about computers. According to Dr. Driving, people make irrational justification for feeling angry on the road to act out their fantasies of revenge. In his book, he listed the 3 steps to become a virtuous driver and has given suggestions for self-help using different styles to meet ones' need. This page gives a brief glance at the components in the book. The book also included test, exercises, scenarios, and self-witnessed reports. I clicked on a link of Dr. Driving's Cartoon vignettes and found it very interesting and funny. I can read about other people's scenarios and can laugh since it is similar to what I feel when I go through similar situation.
I think the purpose for this page is to give you a better understanding of the issues involved in traffic psychology. It is a self-help process in changing your negative reactions and bad driving habits. If you think that Dr. Driving will offer advice on how to control other people's bad manners or how to punish someone when they do something that you think is wrong, then you are in for a surprise. His method of treatment is self-modification. This page talks about how you can find real power on the wheel instead of acting out your aggression. It relates to traffic psychology because its emphasis is on the psychological level of driving.
Go to the Bottom
Top of Page
2. Interview with Dr. Driving on Road Rage
In this site, you will find interviews with Dr. Driving. People talked about their anger and problems on the road and he would give advice to overcome their rage. He talked about the 3 steps known as AWM (Acknowledge your feeling, Witness yourself as a driver, and Modify your behavior). He pointed out how anger can damage your body and mind. I agree with him when he said how we can't change other people, but we can change the way we feel or react to bad situation on the road. Retaliation will not lead us to anywhere but trouble. I think a lot of people reject these statement because it is one of the hardest thing to do. It is easy to get angry at other people but it is hard to change your attitude and behavior. Being a good and courteous driver will rub off to other people. He appeared on many multimedia stations talking about how we can overcome our rage on the road.
I feel the purpose of this page is to help readers relate to the situations that the interviewer posed as if we would ask those same questions and to see what Dr. Driving has to say about that. It helps me to be open minded to both parties. I know I can relate to the questioner's situation, but after reading Dr. Driving's response I can understand his rational reasoning. It is frustrating to hear a response that we can't do anything to change or to control other people's behavior. It makes me feel a sense of helplessness and vulnerability. But then I realized that I can find inner power from traffic psychology because there are ways I can cope with a bad situation so other people's behaviors no longer have an effect on me.
3. Three Step Program for a Healthier, More Zestful Traffic Life
Here are the steps of the AWM program again, but this time you can see creative ways to apply to your life. There's a link to a summary of the 18 psychological principles on this page to help us become rational and humane drivers by giving more advice on ways to alter your attitudes and behaviors. Its purpose is to help you think rationally. This is the cognitive domain of psychology in Traffic psychology. Sometimes we think we are very rational people, but the fact that we even think we are rational makes us irrational.
I feel the 3-Steps program is simple to remember although it can be difficult to follow through unless you receive group support. When I get angry on the road because of someone's careless action, I couldn't help but think that the person is an "idiot". I felt like running them over. Then, suddenly I remember the psychological principles and told myself to not think irrationally. But, by then, I am choked up with anger. So my brain is trying to reason rationally but my heart is telling me that I don't want to think rationally because I want to feel angry at that moment. I felt that I have the right to feel angry, not realizing that I am hurting myself in this process. Sadly, I became a person who thrived on anger. Thus, I think it is easier to have a group support or a passenger to help me to overcome this struggle between my cognition and affect.
Go to the Bottom
Top of Page
4. Dr. Driving Says..Problems and Solutions
Sometimes we interpreted other people's actions by imagining what they are thinking. We could be wrong about their intentions, so therefore always give people the benefit of a doubt. Dr. Driving suggested that we act with humane and forgiveness. Retaliation will just hurt ourselves because it is unsafe for us and other people who are sharing the road and makes us unhappy. According to Dr. Driving, what goes around comes around and acts of retaliation will damage your morality, spirituality, and rationality. These are related to the concepts in traffic psychology. In this page you will find people telling their problems and Dr. Driving's response. The discussion continues to part II and part III. Why are our actions affected so much by what other people do? I felt the pressure to go faster than the speed limit or to park quickly when cars are behind me and Dr. Driving called it "learned helplessness". I think the purpose of this page is to give readers safe and moral solutions to problems that you may experience on the road. Its implication is that you must decide how you want to solve your problem, with kindness or with hatred.
Go to the Bottom
Top of Page
5.Introductory Statement about Dr. Driving Says...
If you are still not convinced that you need Traffic psychology, then you can read these questions about the symptoms you may experience in your traffic life. To find out if you need a driving personality makeover, you need to answer these questions on this page truthfully. I'm sure everyone is qualified to have a driving personality makeover. I feel the purpose of this page is to help you become aware of your emotions and experience while driving. Being a good driver also means being emotionally fit. You probably notice by now that every section on Dr. Driving's site emphasizes the three main domains, since they interact and affect each other. Someone once told me that about less than 10% of your life is affected by external cause but over 90% is how you react to it. Your reactions determined whether you will have a successful and happy life. When I looked back at my life, I sometimes wished that I could respond better in certain situations. I learned that I need to work at my affective level in order to think and react better. When I am emotionally fit, I can handle situation in a rational way without letting my negative feeling cloud my judgment.
Go to the Bottom
Top of Page
6. About the Authors
Sometimes it is difficult to take advice from someone you don't know and trust. Hence, this page gives the readers a little information about the authors' educational backgrounds, interests, and professions. Its purpose is to get the readers to know a little about the authors. It helps readers to understand that the authors are real people who have similar problems we faced in traffic. They are not fictional character. They have a great deal of study in this area and have found ways to overcome their road rage. I was impressed with the type of work they are actively involved in. It helps me to see the connection between traffic psychology and their interests. It is difficult for me to make a reasonable excuse to dismiss what Dr. Driving and Dr. Nahl's are saying since I know they are knowledgeable in this matter and have experience on road rage.
7. Chart of the Nine Zones
This area has a chart of nine zones for you to visit. Click here to visit the first phase which includes zone 1 to zone 3, which is about safety issues focusing on correcting feelings, thoughts, and actions. The safety issues deal with knowledge, alertness, and attitude. The second phase talks about self-control issues containing zone 4 to zone 6, emphasizing emotional control, judgment, and calmness. The third phase deals with social responsibility (Zone 7 to Zone 9) by focusing on altruism, wisdom, and kindness. The purpose of this page is to help readers to understand the breakdown of each component so they can work on each step at a time. You can't change over night, so I think this breakdown process is helpful since it guides you step by step.
Go to the Bottom
Top of Page
8.Comments by visitors
Want to read what other people say to Dr. Driving? Here is a page of thanks, comments, and traffic stories. It's insightful. It helps to know the Dr. Driving's suggestions so if you are in the similar situation like these people, you'll know what to do. I am one of those person who do not take face value of what people said. I am more persuaded by their shared stories and experience. I want to know that they do know what it feels like to be in that situation before giving me advice. I am more resistant to taking advice from someone who doesn't care how I feel. Reading other people's comments and stories helps me to feel a sense of connection. It's like a community of group support.
9. Driving and Traffic Resources on the Internet
The purpose of this page is to give you information about traffic, incidents, analysis, economical cost, etc. It provides links to many subtopics of traffic and driving, including topics covering traffic psychology on the World Wide Web, traffic fellowship. This is a resource center to look up any information about driving for your research. You can look up for statistical number for the damages and economical yearly cost with the increase accident rates on the road due to road rage. I think road rage has gotten out of control since many people do not think about the increase in their insurance bill when they act out their anger on the road. If safety and financial cost reasons do not deter their actions, then it becomes suicidal since they don't stop to think of the consequences of their action.
10. Psychological Principles to help us be Rational and Humane Driver
The title speaks for itself. Its purpose is to help you become a rational and humane driver and this page lists the principles to remember. This page ties in with the page on Three Step Program for a Healthier, More Zestful Traffic Life. If you recall earlier, I mentioned how I struggle between my emotion and my cognition, and how I degrade reckless drivers. Well, this page helps me to care about other people's suffering by being a humane and rational driver. Since it is difficult to remember these principles when I am angry, I tried to recite them to myself when I get into my car. Change is a continual process but it must start somewhere. A little effort to change is better than none. Without effort for improvement, I will just remain the same. As human beings, our goal is to move forward, to advance ourselves. Without learning, we can't adapt and survive.
11. Self-Witnessing Exercises
There are different incidents involved in these witnessing exercises. These exercises, as you write down what other drivers do to make you angry, asks for your usual reactions and what would you feel like doing at the moment of the incident, and asks you if you are satisfied with the answer. If you are not satisfied, then are you ready to change? I think this is a good way to stop the irrational thoughts from processing. However, I think it is difficult to think rationally and ask yourself these questions when you are so angry. While facing a bad situation on a road, I think being accompanied by a driving partner is helpful until you master these exercises.
Go to the Bottom
Top of Page
12. Index of topics on Driving and Drivers
I think it is very useful to have an index of topics on driving. Instead of skimming through several pages to get to the topic that you are interested in, you can find your topic easily in this page. Its like driving all over the place to find a location, instead of looking at the map for that exact location. It saves time and the frustration of searching.
13. Dr. Driving Selection of Traffic Safety Issue
Dr. Driving selected several debates on safety issues between Dr. Driving and the visitors. It is available on this page for you to see. It is similar to what I read on the Alta Vista search. The purpose of this page is to help you see both sides of the argument and what is the appropriate way to act on the road.
Go to the Bottom
Top of Page

My Reflection of Driving Newsgroup:

On the bottom of Dr. Driving's site page, there is a summit button which takes you to a driving newsgroup on Alta Vista. Clicking through the threads of links that Dr. Driving was active in, I found a lot of interesting debates. There are many issues that went on this page. The first issue was about Dr. Driving's encouragement about what he called "Slaying the Dragon" inside you, meaning killing the evil, hostile, and aggressive part of you. He went on saying how we should promote humane and compassionate behavior and not be angry at other people for making what we called "stupid mistakes". Dr. Driving argued that we should not degrade other people by calling them "stupid or idiot" because in this process, we are degrading ourselves. Many wrote in response to this issue. Some said that giving positive feedback like a smile to someone who nearly done you harm or did offensive behavior means that you are promoting and rewarding them for their bad behavior. Dr. Driving argued that it is not in the manual or anywhere that says that you're responsible for teaching other drivers a lesson on manners. According to him, it is not safe and right.
Reading these debates made me feel the tension and anger of these people. I was surprised how well Dr. Driving responded. He did not get angry or repay hostility. Throughout the debate, he preached honesty, compassion and kindness. I can understand why those people are angry for what Dr. Driving stands for. I can relate to how they feel. I get mad at those people who drive like maniacs. I feel that they are heartless and irresponsible for the lives they could destroy out there. It makes me scared and angry to think that they could be hurting me or my loved ones. The thought of losing my loved ones makes me upset and angry at those irresponsible people. At the same time, I realize that repaying evil for evil is not right. That's why a lot of religions like Christianity and Buddhism teach love and forgiveness. I can see the similarity between Dr. Driving's credo and most religions. Dr. Driving also talked about how anger can destroy your spirit, mind, and body. Your mind, spirit, and body are interconnected and affect each other.
The second debate went on to other topics such as speeding, hostility, and anger. On the topic of speeding, Dr. Driving says that it is immoral to break laws and to take away someone's rights by coming to close to them urging them to go faster than the speed limit. Dr. Driving responded to tailgating issue by suggesting positive ways to overcome the situation.
Throughout Dr. Driving's many articles including this debated issue, his message and philosophical position remained the same which is to change yourself not others, getting rid of the your bad thinking and habits in driving and to treat others with love and forgiveness even when they do you wrong. I know some people feel that it is superficial and self-righteous to say those things since it is difficult to practice. Thus, they get angry at him for preaching these messages. I believe that as hard it is to hear those messages, it is the truth. I can't change other people. I can punish them for their bad behavior but I still couldn't change them. Punishing them is not my responsibility. I can't take the law into my own hands. I will be doing it out of hatred and anger which will not make me feel any better about the incident. I will end up damaging my spirit, body, and mind by allowing hatred and anger to grow on me. It is natural to react negatively to bad situations, but I can try to overcome its severity by responding positively. I can't go through life trying to solve everyone's problem. I have enough of my own to work with. I can't play "God". I could be hurting myself and the safety of others.
I understand both points of view in the driving debate. It is Dr. Driving's right to speak for what he stands for. After all, this country guaranteed us the freedom of speech. Those that responded negatively to Dr. Driving's message also have the right to feel the way they feel. They have the choice to change or to continue acting the way they do. It is not Dr. Driving 's responsibility to change them. He can point out the danger in their behavior. To me, Dr. Driving is not imposing his philosophy on them or taking away their rights for saying those things to them or vice versa. Since on that same line of argument, you could say that other peoples negative reactions to Dr. Driving is a form of attack on Dr. Driving's right to speech.
The purpose of this whole debate is to help you to see both sides of the argument and to decide on your own which argument is more convincing for you. I think Dr. Driving handle these problems positively and calmly. If you stand for what you believe for in a peace way like Dr. Martin Luther King, your message will eventually reach those searching souls. Dr. King went through hardships and trials of persecution before his great contribution is realized by others. Undoubtedly, his legend lives on. He left a positive mark on history and changed the lives of many. My advice for Dr. Driving is to continue spreading his message in a peaceful manner for you can only win evil and hatred with love. One day someone will realize his contribution to society. Health, safety, and love are good points to focus on.

My Favorite Traffic Psychology Resources

1. Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety
Because it has everything, including the latest press release, latest testimony, general information, policies and issues, policies statement, fact sheets, and information about auto safety features.
2. The Arts of Driving
It contains tips on adjusting your mirror, traffic signals, how to drive safely, avoiding tickets, save money, etc. There are also several cool traffic links within this site.
3.Highway 17 Page of Shame
It has a list of links that you can click on to get to different topics. I enjoyed the link from this page about repeat offenders which contains pictures of vehicle that are responsible for the mess on the road. It also has a page of questions and answers.
4. Universal Driver Training
It's a site about how training is provided for institutions and companies to drive defensively.
5. Driving on Information Superhighway
I like the fact that this site contains numerous links to other traffic resources on the internet.
6. Principles of Traffic Psychology
It has a lot of information about every aspect of Traffic Psychology. It's a wonderful site to understand what Traffic Psychology is about.
7. Health and Driving Issues
It talks about the health aspect of driving. How it effects a person's health?
8. Driver's Self-Analysis
Deals with different scenarios in traffic and how driver processes and analyzes other driver's act.
9. The Poetry of Traffic
Talk about the "realization of the bond" we have with other drivers on the road.
10. Types of Traffic Relationships
It's about realization of the type of driver you are and correction of bias.

My Home Page Instructor's Home Page Class Home Page Top of Page `E-mail`