Erik C. B. Olsen, M.S.
28 July 1993
Reference to Type A and Type B behavior patterns have been
made. The aggressive and defensive driver prototypes can aid
in understanding one's own attitude in order to develop safer
driving habits.
II. Personality expression:
One's personality may be expressed through their choice of vehicle, attitude and behavior.
III. Influences:
One's driver attitude may be influenced by one's upbringing and
environment and may be situation-specific.
IV. Learning:
New, safer habits may be developed by using these examples as
a basis for further introspection.
According to the law (Bach, 1992), drivers are supposed to drive at speeds
that are "reasonable and safe." Do they? How many drivers can drive 55?
Do you? Have you every tried it? Bach also says that one must drive at a
speed that does not endanger life, property or put anyone, or anything in
jeopardy; we will soon see two cases: one demonstrating how not to be
and one exemplifying Bach's recommendations.
PERSONALITY TYPES AND DRIVER TYPES
The dispositional psychological view lends its idea of "types" of
personalities or behavior patterns (Liebert & Speigler, 1990), from which
the aggressive and defensive types may have come. The aggressive driver
label may have been derived from the well-known "Type A" personality
label. The influence of this view is apparent by the similarity of many
characteristics typical of Type A personality. The type A person is
commonly known in the public view as one who is highly stressed, often
late, under tight deadlines and having high blood pressure and coronary
problems as a result of their "pressurized" lifestyle. An aggressive
driver may display some of these same characteristics.
On an opposite end of the spectrum, the characteristics of the well-known
Type B personality are apparent in the defensive driver. The defensive
driver is calm, cool and collected. He or she handles stress well and
seems to enjoy life more than the aggressive driver. The defensive/Type
B seems to handle potentially stressful situations with a methodology
which is proven, consistent and predictable. In addition, a defensive
driver may also feel good about actions taken and is concerned with the
well being of others involved.
AGGRESSIVE DEFINED
For the purposes of this paper aggressive is defined as "inclined to move
or act in a hostile, control-seeking manner." An aggressive driver is one
who drives and takes actions which are apparently hostile, controlling and
overly blunt.
CAR AS EXPRESSION AND EXTENSION OF PERSONALITY
The automobile has been for years an expression of status, well-being, and
power. Upon deeper reflection, one can also view one's car - i.e., color,
mileage, condition, type - as a direct expression of his or her internal
personality. Advertisements often depict vehicles which are "Dodge
Tough," "The Heartbeat of America," "Practical, reliable, and sporty," and
on and on. The idea that one's vehicle is a direct extension of one's
personality is simple and obvious: Meet Josh and Ed.
JOSH THE AGGRESSIVE
Lippa (1990) writes of the basic principle that aggression begets
aggression. In the case of "Josh," we see that as an aggressive driver,
Josh is constantly at war with the driving world. To him, people seem to
be out to get in his way, cut him off, and basically irritate him. He drives
aggressively in order to feel as though he is in control of the road. His
vehicle, a huge, jet-black, 4 x 4, Dodge Ram truck is a blatant symbol of
manhood and power, and he drives in a manner to which all within 100
meters are aware. Josh enjoys his vehicle and drives for the fun of it as
he quickly causes excess wear to the road and his tires. Josh sees driving
as a recreational sport and a chance to enjoy life. He enjoys other
activities in life as well, but always has excitement as he drives to each
destination.
DEFENSIVE ED
Ed, our defensive driver, displays all the attitudes and behaviors of a
reasonable and safe driver. He is seen by some as extreme in that he is
somewhat anxiety-filled and introverted. His car, a beige, 4-door, 1979
Honda Civic, is in fair condition (it's still running on the original
engine-193,239 miles!). Ed is conservative in his views of the world and
protects himself as he drives. He is constantly checking his mirrors,
follows the speed limit and always stops completely at stop signs.
INFLUENCES
Back to our aggressive driver, Josh's personality has been influenced by
his upbringing and his "gotta prove myself" mentality. He is aware of his
image and is proud of himself. He's more than likely related to Narcissus
in that his truck is always waxed and polished so that he can catch his
reflection from any angle. An aggressive driver is one who is in the habit
of demonstrating the selfish behavior of "inflicting oneself" upon society
via his or her driving habits. Aggressive driving is demonstrated by
disobeying laws, including speeding, failure to stop and obey
signs/signals, disrespect for others, blatant cutting off of others, and a
general sense of "don't get in my way or I'll show you," attitude. This
may have originally been a defensive tactic for the purpose of safety or
avoiding a potential accident, but often becomes a "way of driving." This
way may have developed from habits, formed early, stemming from
showing off, experimentation, and a general enjoyment for danger and
control on the road. Josh has a habit of not signaling when making a lane
change.
Josh assumes that people will move out of his way- "They better!" He has
a record of 2 speeding tickets in the last year. Constantly blaring, what
he calls, "music" is heard from the cab of Josh's truck, "The faster, the
louder!" Josh is mainly concentrated on himself, his mirror (to check out
his hair) and the radio volume, smooth engine revolutions and gleaming
polish of his truck as opposed to outside activities. For Josh, driving may
be an expression of anger and a release of stress; perhaps Josh's driving
acts as a catharsis, the symbolic letting off of steam, to lower his overall
stress level. Then again, maybe aggression does beget aggression.
Defensive Ed's upbringing was one of protection and as the first born in the family, he exemplifies a person who follows the rules and enjoys enforcing them. Our defensive Ed is habitual in his signalling, follows the posted speed limits and knows that one may have to even go a bit slower in certain areas. He limits his radio listening, is very aware of the road, other drivers, his mirrors, his lights, the signals and signs of the road and of course, the current road laws and safety recommendations. He also enjoys his stereo to listen to informative tapes, but always makes sure that it is not too loud, in case a bicyclist happens to ring his or her handlebar bell as a warning to him.
For Ed, driving is enjoyable, like all things in life. He focuses on safety
and comfort and uses his vehicle for practical means. If he wants to have
fun, he'll go Jet-skiing, fishing, sky-diving, etc., but he will not endanger
himself or others while in his car. "Defensive" means preventative
driving - anticipating and avoiding conflict. A prototypically defensive
driver follows all traffic laws, is excessive in his or her "courtesy" while
driving and has lots of time to get from place to place. This driver thinks
clearly, arrives at his destination at ease and enjoys taking his time
while driving. While his strongest motivation is to protect himself, he
goes to great lengths to make sure others are protected and safe. One who
is a defensive driver may be seen as altruistic in his or her driving habits.
He may even step out of bounds when angered, and display occasional
outbursts if others are not following the law; he may find himself going
excessively slowly to "show others" that they are wrong and he will
display certain unhappy gestures toward others if they give him a hard
time about "going too slow," when in fact he just "following the law."
According to Lippa (1990) defensive people are typically happy. Happy
people are not as self focused and are more sensitive to others needs. In
the driving context, the defensive driver is considerate at intersections
and waits patiently while the elderly lady crosses the street.
... "Drivers involved in accidents often report that they did not see what they hit ... Driving is, for the most part, a visually guided task .... Driving safely requires the acquisition of enough visual information to allow navigation without conflict with other vehicles, pedestrians, or debris. During times when the acquisition of sufficient visual information for the driving task might be difficult, such as driving at night, accident rates increase." (Phillips, et. al, 1990).
* Half of all fatal accidents are alcohol-related.
* The cost of our automobile insurance premiums have risen; 25% of premiums paid has something to do with drinking under the influence (DUI).
* $2 billion year in the U.S. in spent for property damage repairs due to DUI.
* 2,500 brain cells are killed by one drink of alcohol.
* Attitude can affect how fast one is affected by drinking. When one is
excited, their body temperature rises. This causes one to drink faster.
* The three top causes of fatalities are (Bach 1992):
1) pedestrian violations
2) speeding
3) running red lights
* The 2 most dangerous times to drive are Saturday morning between 1:00 am. and 1:59 am. and Friday between 5:00 pm. and 5:59 pm. (CHP, 1990).
* 32.4% of all licensed drivers who were in fatal accidents were between 20-29 years old in 1990 (CHP, 1990).
* Males accounted for 78% of drivers in fatal accidents in 1990 (CHP, 1990.
* In 1990 (CHP, 1990), 20-year-old males were the most dangerous
drivers: with the highest percentage of fatals and injury accidents where
driver was "at fault."
* Driving is a right, not a privilege.
* Always wear your seatbelt; buckle your lap belt.
* Always signal. Use arm signals too.
* Prepare maps before leaving with highlights and easy to read, written out instructions.
* Have a "navigator" to read directions and handle maps.
* Prepare music selections before driving.
* Use cruise control to "break the speed habit," to achieve better mileage,
and for smoother travel; it is also easier for other cars to predict your
movement.
* Clean mirrors and lights periodically.
* Check lights to make sure they are working properly.
* Leave extra space in front of you when driving: 1 car length (15 feet) for each 10 miles per hour; avoid habit of tailgating. This will deter others from following too closely.
* Blink lights to communicate:
-For trucks to turn into your lane: Headlight blink = "OK"
-For vehicles behind you to "back off."
* Always pass on the left; never pass on the right.
* Never drive with only your parking lights on.
* Put on make-up at home.
* File/cut your nails at home.
* Shave at home.
* Only use the car phone for emergencies. Stop the car to use for prolonged periods. Studies show that dialing a car phone can lower your attentiveness 20%. (State Farm, 1993).
* Have a note pad and pen handy and easily accessible.
* Report all smoking, pollution-producing vehicles:
-Northern California: Call 1-800-EXHAUST
-Southern California: Call 1-800-CUT SMOG
Provide licence plate, description, location & time of day.
* Take the bus.
* Walk.
* Carpool.
* Have a "designated driver."
* Think.
Vietnam, my friends is over. I've learned about The War in history
classes, from superiors, from the supermarket, and by thinking about it.
Introspection does have benefits. From similar sources, I have also
learned, changed and hopefully, successfully communicated my views of
driver attitude and behavior. Unfortunately, the war of driver-related
death is still raging. We've been losing battle after battle, year after
year. As was heard in Driver's Education class during my sophomore year
of high school, "Don't become another statistic." Investigate your driver
attitude.
Bach, Michael. Lectures presented in Administration of Justice 025:
Traffic Investigation. Criminal Justice Training Center, Golden West
College, Fall 1992.
Baker, J. Stannard and Fricke, Lynn B. (1986). The Traffic-accident
investigation manual. Illinois: Northwestern U Traffic Institute.
CHP (California Highway Patrol). (1990). Annual report. Sacramento:
State of California.
Fricke, Lynn B. (1990). Traffic accident reconstruction. Illinois:
Northwestern U Traffic Institute.
Liebert, Robert M. and Spiegler, Michael D. (1990). Personality: strategies
and issues. Belmont: Brooks/Cole.
Lippa, Richard A. (1990). Introduction to social psychology. Belmont:
Wadsworth.
Phillips, Erich S., Khatua, Tara, Kost, Garrison, and Piziali, Robert.
(1990). Vision and visibility in vehicular accident reconstruction. In
Accident Reconstruction: Human, Vehicle, and Environmental Factors.
Warrendale: SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) Paper number
900369.
State Farm. (1993). Car phones: A hazard on the road? Distractions can cause accidents. California Report, Summer/Fall, 4.
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