Transcript ROAD RAGE

AGGRESSIVE
DRIVING ON THE
ROAD
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More drivers have started acting out their
anger when they get behind the wheel.
◦ Cut off
◦ Tailgated
◦ Slowed down by a vehicle in front of them.
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Angry drivers can commit incredible acts
of violence.
◦ Assault and murder
AGGRESSIVE DRIVING
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AAA Foundation of Traffic Safety studied:
◦ More than 10,000 incidents of violent
aggressive driving committed in 2009.
 It found that at least 218 people were killed.
 Another 12,610 angry drivers got injured.
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No national definition for the term “road
rage”
◦ It is commonly defined as a societal condition
where motorist lose their temper in reaction to
a traffic disturbance.
◦ In most cases, the traffic situations
encountered are typical of today's normal
driving conditions in higher traffic volumes.
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“Aggressive driving” refers to an angry
motorist attempting to intentionally injury
or kill another driver because of a traffic
dispute.
◦ Aggressive drivers react negatively and use
their vehicles to retaliate by making sudden,
threatening maneuvers.
◦ This makes “Road Rage” a serious issue of
traffic safety for yourself and others.
Aggressive driving behaviors are
triggered by a variety of stimuli.
1. ANGER……
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AT FAST DRIVERS
WHEN CUT OFF
AT SLOW DRIVERS
AT BROKEN TRAFFIC LIGHTS
AT TRAFFIC JAMS
AT YOUR PASSENGERS
AT TAILGATERS
WHEN MULTILANE HIGHWAYS NARROWS
WHEN OTHERS TELL YOU TO CALM DOWN
2. COMPETITION…..
WITH YOURSELF
WITH OTHER CARS IN A TRAFFIC JAM
WITH DRIVERS WHO CHALLENGE YOU
TO AMUSE YOURSELF WHEN BORED
WITH OTHER DRIVERS
RACING OTHER DRIVERS
STREET RACING AT STOP LIGHTS
3. IMPATIENCE….
AT STOP LIGHTS
WAITING IN LINES
WAITING FOR PARKING SPACES
DRIVING IN A SLOW LANE
WAITING FOR PASSENGERS TO GET IN
WHEN THE VEHICLE AHEAD SLOWS DOWN
IF BEHIND SCHEDULE ON A TRIP
AS AN PASSENGER, IMPATIENT WITH
DRIVER
WITH PEDESTRIANS CROSSING THE STREET
4. PUNISHMENT……
- DO YOU “PUNISH” BAD DRIVERS?
- COMPLAIN TO PASSENGERS ABOUT OTHER DRIVERS?
- CURSE/MAKE ONSENCE GESTURES AT OTHER DRIVERS?
- BLOCK CARS TRYING TO PASS?
- BLOCK CARS TRYING TO CHANGE LANES?
- RIDE ANOTHER CAR’S TAIL?
- BRAKE SUDDENLY TO PUNISH TAILGATER?
- USE HIGH BEAMS TO PUNISH BAD DRIVERS?
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Arguments over
parking spaces.
Cutting another
motorist off or
refusing to allow
passing.
Minor traffic
crashes.
Obscene gestures.
Slow driving
Loud music.
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Overuse of the
horn.
Failure to use turn
signals.
Violent traffic disputes are rarely the
results of a single incident, but rather
are the cumulative result of a series
of stressors.
 Traffic incident that turns violent is
often
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“the last straw”
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Persons who exhibit aggressive
behaviors cross all ages, race,
socioeconomic and gender lines.
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Even people who are usually “mildmannered” can blow their top behind
the wheel.
Aggressive Driver Profile
People who are characteristically
cynics, rude, angry or aggressive are
pone to get angry more often.
 Those people are “raging” at home,
at work, and on the road.
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Aggressive Driver Profile
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Majority of perpetrators:
◦ Males between the ages of 18 and 26.
◦ Hundreds of reported cases were 26 to 50
years old.
◦ In 86 cases the driver was between 50 and 75
years old.
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No one profile for aggressive drivers.
◦ Most are relatively young, poorly educated
males with criminal records, histories of
violence, and drug or alcohol problems.
◦ Many have recently suffered an emotional or
professional setback.
◦ Hundreds of others are educated men and
women with no such histories.
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While most of the drivers are male:
◦ Approximately 4% were female.
◦ Women used their vehicle as a weapon in 285
cases.
◦ In 31 known cases, women attacked police
officers, usually while the officer was
attempting to issue a traffic citation.
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Tailgating to pressure a driver to go faster
or get out of the way.
Flashing lights in order to signal drivers to
move to another lane.
Obscene gesturing.
Changing lanes without signaling.
Blasting the horn.
Frequently changing lanes by weaving
back and forth.
 Racing to beat a yellow light that’s about
to turn red.
 Traveling in the passing or left lane at a
slower speed, making it impossible of
others to pass.
 Driving with high beams on behind
another vehicle or toward on coming
traffic.
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Cutting drivers off.
 Slowing down after passing someone.
 Not making a right turn in the right-hand
turn lane.
 Not reacting quickly after the light turns
green.
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NEVER UNDERESTIMATE the other
driver’s CAPACITY for MAYHAM.
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BE PATIENT and
KEEP your COOL
in traffic.
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Do not make obscene
gestures
Use your horn sparingly
Don’t block passing
lane
Don’t switch lanes
without signaling
Avoid blocking the
right-hand turn lane
Do not take more than
one parking space
If you are not disabled,
don’t park in a disabled
space
 Do not allow your door
to hit the car parked
next to you
 Do not tailgate
 If you travel slowly, pull
over & allow traffic to
pass
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Traffic Courtesy
Avoid unnecessary use of high beams
headlights
 Don’t let the car (cellular) phone distract
you
 Don’t stop in the road to talk with a
pedestrian or other driver
 Don’t inflict loud music on neighboring
cars
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Traffic Courtesy
Assume other driver’s mistakes are not
personal
 Be polite and courteous, even if the other
driver isn’t
 Avoid all conflict if possible. If another
driver challenges you, take a deep breath
and get out of the way
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Allow plenty of time for the trip.
 Listen to smoothing music.
 Improve the comfort in your vehicle.
 Understand that you can’t control the
traffic, only your reaction to it.
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Many otherwise peaceful motorist become
enraged road warriors when they get
behind the wheel. If you’re one of them,
be advised that:
◦ a) cars are not bullet proof;
◦ b) a truly aggressive driver will follow you
home; and
◦ c) you’ve got to get out of the car eventually.
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If you are tempted to participate in a
driving duel, ask yourself:
◦ Is it worth being paralyzed or killed?
◦ Is it worth a jail sentence?
An impulsive action could ruin
the rest of your life.