Homework Week 12

Tail
As I was driving down the Pali, going home in traffic, I was preoccupied with issues about tailgating, that I had to do for homework. I realized that everyone does tailgate, whether they realize it or not. Did you ever notice yourself, keeping at least one car distance aprt in traffic? Waiting in traffic or at a stop light close behind a car is considered tailgating right? Or does tailgating only refer to a driver when they are going at least 20 miles per hour? What is the leaglity of tailgating? Who knows? I don't know of anyone who ever got a ticket for tailgating!!!!!So, because it is something not something enforced strictly, it will continue. The only way to decrease tailgating is to use the punishment of a ticket or fine as reinforcement, then it will serve as an incentive for all drivers to be more "sneaky" about doing it.......Think about driving drunk, even though the possibility of getting caught and losing your license is there, people still do it. They are just more "sneaky". But did they ever think about the consequences? I guess not, because they usually are too drunk to think straight...........An idea would be to have those breath ananilers at every location that serves liquor, requiring all businesses to have each driver leaving the premises get checked. Pizza Bob's at Restaurant Row has one!!!!!!Anyway referring back to the legality of tailgating, I think that there is no effective way for police to detect tailgating, HPD would have to come up with more specific guidleines for violation. For example, tailgating a car for a certain distance, but again, it would be too difficult a task for police to monitor. So unfortunately, the only way people will actually stop tailgating if they experience an accident resulting directly from tailgating.

Confessions and excusess of a tailgater. I don't mean to, I can't help it, the driver in front of me is too slow, I want the driver in front to know that I don't have all day, I was late, I had to go to the bathroom, that butthead next to me wanted to cut in front of me, he/she did it to me first, I never got busted for it before, my passenger made me do it,I hardly do it anyway, and eveeryone else does it.

I think that taigating results, when the "desired" driving conditions is not present. For example no traffic, or traffic lights. Other cars on the road are distractions and are mini barriers that you as a driver have to overcome in order to get to you destination.

Moral
Hmm..............the moral aspect of tailgating, I guess that would include values and conscience? I guess everyone will not look at tailgating as moral if they are victims, family or friends of victims, that was affected by tailgating in a negative way. I guess no one really takes "fender benders" seriously. Hey they only have to pay a couple hundred of dollars for repair. The consequence of tailgating is not as frequent or serious than accidents resulting from speeding. I guess people tend to rationalize for their tailgating. I guess tailgating would reflect our limit of patience we have within ourselves. Not everyone has the time to just cruise to places. Most people are usually on a schedule, and want to punctual.

Spirit
In a spiritual sense, I guess all tailgater think that they are accident-prone. Sure they encounter close calls, but always tend to make through, with the help of fate and luck. I assume that many drivers just think that god is on their side everytime they tailgate. It is like having a radar detector, you would think that the chances of you getting caught for doing something you not suppose to be doing if you can detect if a cop is in the vicinity.

Me
As for myself, I am a tailgater. I find myself to be more cautious of other cars around me when I am tailgating. Although I think that I am driving O.K> others around me may not be. There are times when I suddenly had to change lanes because a car I saw in my rear view mirror was speeding up to me, and sure enough after I changed lanes, that car hit the car that was initially in front of me. I guess not tailgating leads back to the issue of space and waiting. On the freeway, when an onramp is coming up you see two kinds of mergers, those who are "turtles" who merge into traffic slowly but politely, and those hwo are "snakes" who are those who have no patience, and just drive all the way up passing 6 cars waiting to merge. People do not want to let people cut into a line where they have been waiting in for "days", and see someone just jump in without waiting. Many things we do in our daily lives consists of waiting, waiting to use the bathroom, to waiting for a parking stall, so that frustration of always having to wait does build up, so the only way to relieve that stress, is to do things they have the power and ability of doing and controlling, "deciding to let people cut in front of them or not".

Preparation"
In reference to some of the topics discussed in last weeks class, I agree with what Dr. James had said "change is not successful, unless it is a lifelong issue". To change or conform, we as individuals need to be better prepared. Being prepared leads to more accuracy. One suggestion would be to meditate, release all other frustrations, because they are influeing factors that affect driving. Another different approach might be to get together with a group of friends and just "bitch" about everything relating to driving. This is a way of releasing all that frustration, helping you get back on to the road, a more calm and safe driver. Talking about things can make you feel better.

Advanced

Dr. Vercryussen that teaches PSY 449 showed us pictures of highways in Europe that have cameras every so many miles to monitor traffic, if we could incorporate more of these cameras we could also track down those consistant tailgaters. We could also use tapes to monitor certain driving habits of people. Catching those chronic tailgaters by camera could be noted down on their file, and when they do actually get into an accident, we can determine if that tailgating addiction was the cause for the "fender bender". Also refer to other ideas regarding testing the ability of a driver in my Homework 7
. Using those video to catch those who not only tailgate, but don't come to complete stops etc., HPD could establish somekind of system that monitors these little driving "bloopers", and either warn or suspend licenses for short periods of up to one day, this is a means of negative reinforcement. Refer to Ergonomics
for other ideas too.

Type
Why is it that people tend to stereotype "women" and "kid" drivers?! I always hear "those women drivers" or "those damn kids". What about men?!!!!!They are just as many bad/terrible/reckless male drivers than there are women and teenage drivers. How easily people tend to associate negative connotation to women and the young, but it continues, in private, of course the evaluationsand studies are made by old men, right? Back to the top

Any comments?