by Dr. Leon James with
Dr. Diane Nahl
1996-2007
Oahu Fleet Safety Organization (OFSO) September 1996
Safety Facts
Self-Witnessing Exercise
What Kind of FEELINGS do you have while driving?
What kind of THOUGHTS do you have while driving?
What kind of ACTIONS do you do while driving?
Answers here
Budget Rent-A-Car Hawaii Car Show, Honolulu, February 1997
Displays DrDriving's Tips and Slogans
Answers here
NPR affiliate KPCC
Radio Pasadena, CA June 1997
What is the
definition of emotional
intelligence for drivers?
What is the alternative to road
rage thinking?
What is the antidote to road
rage?
Answers here
Weekly Magazine Seattle, Washington
Devona November 1997
The increase of motorists on today's road ways
correlates with increased traffic in other places as well. Such as banks, supermarkets,
etc,. Why is there road rage and not supermarket rage?
In a recent article in the Washington
Post, a Police officer stated that people on the roadways have no respect for
their fellow drivers, why is that?
How can we as a community take steps to decrease road rage in
our areas as well as encourage - good driving etiquette when we are constantly
victims of aggressive behavior?
How effective do you think recent measures to decrease road
rage have been?
And ultimately, what about the bad driver?
The Police can educate us on how to report aggressive
driver's but honestly what can we do about the scared, freaked out driver's who
are already too afraid to even concentrate on their driving? Or the people on
the telephone's who are too consumed with conducting their business on the road
ways to even begin to be considerate drivers? How can we educate them, without
sending a message to socially impaired driver's that it is okay to unleash their
unwarranted anger on America's roadways?
The Police can educate us on how to report aggressive
driver's but honestly what can we do about the scared, freaked out driver's who
are already too afraid to even concentrate on their driving? Or the people on
the telephone's who are too consumed with conducting their business on the road
ways to even begin to be considerate drivers? How can we educate them, without
sending a message to socially impaired driver's that it is okay to unleash their
unwarranted anger on America's roadways?
Answers here
The American Legion Magazine
Trent
D. McNeeley December 1997
Some automotive enthusiasts claim the epidemic mentality being pushed
on the media stems from a concerted effort on behalf of NHTSA and DoT to
increase their visibility, clout and funding. With no more carnage on
U.S. highways after removing the double-nickel speed limit, is this just
another way to try to catch speeders, replacing speed kills with road
rage kills?
One writer claims, tongue firmly in
cheek, that road rage can be traced to Oedipus slaying his father on the road
from Delphi. So, if this problem has existed for so long, why all the attention
now? Can it really be all just about more congestion on roadways?
You claim teaching defensive
driving actually produces paranoia, contributing to aggression. Some driving
school officials I spoke with say that's ludicrous, that they merely teach
people to anticipate and avoid accidents, and how to get the most out of their
cars as accidents are happening. How do you respond to that criticism, and what
other types of driving techniques can reduce predatory driving?
Should the federal or state
governments offer tax incentives to encourage people and businesses to take
advantage of driver's education programs, or spend the money more on enforcing
existing traffic laws?
Answers here
Ohio University in Athens, Ohio Adam Blue
February 26, 1998
Do you think having something
like the Database of Unsafe Drivers at
www.comnet.ca/chezken/duds.html
which lets web surfers vent their frustrations along with
posting license plate numbers of offenders, as well as proposed punishments,
perpetuates the problem of road rage?
Since statistics confirm a large
increase of the number of automobiles on the road today, do you think having
expanded streets and highways could in any way help to alleviate the problem?
I've noticed in some interviews
you've given on the topic or road rage, you refer to it as a "habit." As such,
do you support or protest its inclusion in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
of Mental Disorders (DSM)?
At times, I've found myself getting
angry just looking at a person who is on a car phone while driving next to or in
front of me. Are external conditions such as car phones contributing factors to
road rage?
Are the current states of
television programming and/or motion pictures a contributing factor to road
rage? Yes indeed, see my review here. In reference to question, what are some
examples of television and/or movies that may perpetuate road rage?
Answers here
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Joey
Ledford October 1998
James believes road rage is a habit acquired in childhood.
James differs from many experts in the fledgling field. Therapy, he said, is not
the cure for road rage. He pushes a three-step self help program he calls AWM.
Answers here
The Sunday Fort Wayne Journal Gazette Joe
Boyle February 1999
Officials try to curb `road rage'
Driver behavior in the Hostile Zone
James suggests driver's education from kindergarten throughout the rest of their
driving career.
Answers here
Are SUV Drivers More Aggressive? Discussion With Students
February 1999
Dr. Leon James
Answers here
Wisconsin State Journal Kerry G. Hill, National/Foreign Editor February
1999
Why are American drivers so
susceptible to aggressive driving and acts of road rage? What is road rage
reasoning? How serious is this problem? What public institutions should be
addressing this problem and how?
What can drivers do to make
themselves less likely to commit acts of vehicular aggression? Can you offer
some tips for dealing with aggressive drivers?
Where can people go (e.g., web
sites, organizations, addresses, books) for more information on dealing with
aggressive driving?
Answers here
Suncoast News New Port Richey,
FL Sandy Sanders July 1999
Has aggressive driving increased nationally in the last few years, compared
to say five or 10 years ago, and, if so, what do you attribute this to?
Is aggressive driving peculiar to one age
group more than another?
What type of things trigger aggressive driving?
What can motorists do to keep from becoming a victim or party
to aggressive driving?
Answers here
Bicycling Magazine Doug Donaldson April 2000
Why do drivers get so angry when they see
people on bikes?
Do you believe that drivers see cyclists as living outside the rules and thus is
cause for road rage?
What are some signs of road rage a cyclist might see in a driver?
What's should a rider do when they spot a driver with road rage, specifically
directed at the cyclist?
Answers here
The Washington Post Don Oldenburg
April 2000
I'm working on a short piece that looks at several recently released
racing and driving video games. I'm wondering if you've given any thought to
this genre of home entertainment which puts players behind the wheel of
everything from racing cars to dirt bikes. Most of these games are racers, other
are speed and bash games.
Any chance this kind of play acting could relieve tension after a long commute
home?
When talking about racing/driving videogames, it's easy to see that the extreme
titles, such as Carmageddon, where the point is to run-down pedestrians, could
be harmful.
Are we as drivers bringing more agendas behind the wheel today than we used to?
Not only eating, talking on the cell phone, doing business on the dashboard--but
also expressing our frustrations and anger from other parts of our lives through
our automobiles?
Answers here
Jornal Valor (Sao Paulo, Brazil)
Claudio Cordovil May 2000
How many deaths are caused by road rage each year?
Do you believe that we must consider road rage as a kind of public health
problem?
What aggressive road rage is becoming more common?
Is road rage increasing?
Are there differences in aggressive driving across countries--is it a universal
epidemic?
What is the efficacy of psychotherapeutic-like techniques in order to deal with
that problem?
Can it be seen as a symptom of society's growing loss of community, a decay of
moral values?
Answers here
South County Journal in King County south of Seattle
Mike Archbold August 2000
I'm doing a story on a major road closure
that began Monday that has motorists abusing flaggers on each end of the closure, from
verbal abuse to spinning wheels to throw gravel at them. I wonder if you might have a
comment or two on why people behave so poorly. Obviously they are inconvenienced but
the flagger didn't close the road. Is this just human nature?
Road closures tick people
off and should cities design projects to minimize disruption? The city did a lot of
work with fliers and signs telling people of the closure but they didn't seem to help.
Answers here
Individual Investor --
finance magazine. Michael Hirson August 2000
Since you've done so much with Internet message
boards in the course of your research, I was wondering if you have any thoughts on the
hostile behavior seen on message boards devoted to stocks.
We're doing a piece on a
phenomenon we're calling "Stock Rage," which explores the increasingly visible
rage that individuals show towards other individuals and institutions that have negative
things to say about a given stock.
Is there any link between the anonymity of the Internet
and the anonymity of driving that causes such hostile behavior? Let me know if you have
any thoughts on the matter.
Answers here
UCLA Women and Road Rage Darwyn Carson November
2000
What can women do - for themselves and (working within the family) their
teens who may be approaching driving age - to arrest this peaking epidemic?
Isn't this going against how women are usually perceived - as the peacemakers of
society?
Do you know who originated the term road rage? When was the term first used?
Could you give me a few ways women - (single and well as married with children)
might begin to deal with this problem.
Answers here
Chatelaine Magazine Shandley McMurray
December 2000
How would you define road
rage?
Could she have avoided this?
How can women drivers avoid being the victims of road rage?
Can you name 10 ways that women drivers can avoid being road ragers or
aggressive drivers themselves? (or what are the top 10 ways to dispel road
rage?)
Why did you write your book "Road Rage And Aggressive Driving"?
Do you think this topic is of more concern to women than men? If so, why?
San Francisco Examiner Judy DeMocker December 2000
I'm interested in covering, at least cursorily, the psychological
underpinnings of Road Rage, to better understand what makes it so difficult for
drivers to share the roads with bicyclists, skaters, and pedestrians.
So any theories on why bicyclists get targeted for hostile or aggressive
behavior more than, say, pedestrians do?
For motorists, what happens in them that they cannot recognize their bad
behavior or the consequences of it?
And, what are the triggers for this sort of rage? You say it's learned behavior
from childhood-- What activates it?
Is road rage just a socially sanctioned way of dumping repressed emotions?
Answers here
Live Chat with Epotec Dale Dallabrida February
2001
How do you define "road rage"?
How do you define "aggressive driving"?
Is aggressive driving on the increase?
What states have the biggest problems with aggressive driving?
I try not to be aggressive, but people who don't follow road signs and cut me
off do make me really angry. Any tips for coping with all the idiots out there?
Answers here
Boston Globe Article Tara Arden-Smith February 2001
I'm trying to explore is whether contemporary
litigiousness and increasingly official behavior-regulation has contributed to
the more extreme and fatal outbursts of rage.
It seems that several decades ago there were many more physical outlets for
anger that were reasonably innocuous, socially acceptable and certainly less
lethal, i.e. the schoolyard fistfight.
What kinds of predictive factors are associated with violent rage?
Answers here
IBD Story on Air Rage
It seems that we've been hearing about
more and more air rage incidents lately. Why do you think they are on the rise?
If you're a passenger and the person next to you or near you starts acting up,
what can you do if anything to try to prevent the situation from escalating?
What should you do if you're stuck in your seat and someone has already erupted
in a full-on rage?
What is the airline's role in trying to either prevent or resolve the incident?
Answers here
CultureNotes Webseed Publishing Network
Allan Stein October 2001
What is the clinical definition of parking lot rage?
Why does it happen, who is most susceptible to it psychologically, and how can
it be prevented?
Does parking lot rage signify a coarsening of attitudes and an erosion of public
etiquette?
Answers here
Men's Health UK Rob Kemp
November 2001
Are there any specifically identified reasons why men are more
prone to road rage?
What can be done to reduce the likelihood of our readers 'losing it' behind the
wheel.
Answers here
Gala December 2001
How common is "road rage" or aggressive driving today as opposed to 10 or
20 years ago?
Why has road rage become more common over the years? Is it just a sign of the
times or a reflection on our society as a whole?
How does road rage affect all drivers--from the angry driver to the unsuspecting
drivers?
What advice or tips would you give to our readers/commuters who feel as if
they're going to blow their top and slide into aggressive driving?
Answers here
First For Women Magazine
Robin Rinaldi September 2003
Definition of Aggressive Driving
Types and Levels of Aggressive Driving
TEE Cards--Traffic Emotions Education
Anger Control Methods
Attribution Bias in Driving Exchanges
Symptoms of Confrontational Thinking
Test Your Road Rage Tendency
Checklist: Aggressive Thoughts and Feelings
The Gender Effect
Answers here
Garzia Magazine, Italian Edition Deborah Ameri
July 2007
Could you define what traffic or driving psychology
is?
Did you spot any differences regarding driving
psychology between women and men?
Can the way we drive reveal something of us?
Is it true that cars are like a home, an extension
of ourselves?
What can driving represent for people? Escape?
Responsibility? Just duty?
Why some people are very aggressive while driving? (more women or men?)
How do men generally perceive women who drive? And vice
versa?
In Italy we say: "woman who drives is a danger". Is
that true?
Is it possible to classify different types of drivers? if yes which ones?
Answers here
New Yorker Elif Batuman August 28, 2007
On to the questions. I
familiarized myself a bit with your background from your web site, but please
correct me if I got anything wrong.
What factors motivated your name
change from Jakobovits to James? And when did this change take place? (From your
list of publications, the earliest use of "James" appears to be in 1978, the
last use of "Jakobovits" around 1992.)
Would it be accurate to say that
your academic approach shifted around the early 1980s, from "traditional"
methods of linguistic and psycholinguistic analysis, to a spiritual/
Swedenborgian/ dualist approach? (If not, what would be a better way to put it?
I'm not very familiar with this terminology.)
Was there a particular moment when
you became interested in the idea of spiritual causation of natural phenomena
(i.e. in subjects "beyond the scope of investigation" in analytical
linguistics)?
Did I understand correctly that you
"discovered" Swedenborg in 1981 in the university library? Was this by chance?
How did you become so absorbed in S's works?
The transformation to "Dr. Driving"
(beginning with the incident involving your wife's grandmother) occurred in
1982, the same year as your first published work on Swedenborg. Any connection?
To summarize questions 1-3: what is
the relationship (in time or otherwise) between the name change, your interest
in Swedenborg, and the reform in your driving habits?
A minor fact-checking question: is
it true that you originally adopted the name "Dr. Traffic," and then changed to
"Dr. Driving," to avoid copyright infringement on "Mr. Traffic"?
Where were you born, and where did you grow up? What languages did you grow up
speaking? What was your family's religious background?
What are your thoughts about the
use of comedy in driver education?
My sense is that Americans more
commonly acknowledge the emotionally fraught nature of many other aspects of
everyday life (real estate, cigarette-smoking, diet, stock market, etc.), than
that of driving. (At least, this was the case with me, before I started
researching this article.) Would you agree? If so, why do you think it is?
And definitely let me know if
there's anything you would like to add on these subjects that I didn't ask
about, or if you have any questions for me.
Answers Here
Frank Mungeam Car vs. Bike Encounters October 11, 2007
1. In terms of motorist road rage, what are the primary triggers...and who (age, sex, vehicle type) is most prone to rage?
2. To what extent do the causes of car vs. car rage ALSO apply in car vs. bike situations?
3. With more cars spending more time in traffic, and more people biking...are cyclists at growing risk of motorist rage?
4. What kinds of things do bicyclists do to irritate/anger motorists?
5. How might the rage dynamic be DIFFERENT with cars vs. bikes (i.e., does it matter that the driver is anonymous and the rider is not? The driver is protected and the bicyclist is exposed?)
6. What should a bicyclist who encounters a raging motorist do to stay
safe?
7. What can bicyclists do to avoid triggering motorist rage?
8. I've interviewed bicyclists that admit THEY experience feelings of rage while riding on the road. What can riders do to diffuse their own rage?
What happens to the driver in
a hit and run crash?
What are the rreasons drivers have for leaving the crash scene?
What are some statistics and facts about hit & run drivers?
Google Results for Hit & Run Driver Psychology
Does traffic have any psychological effects on
the human mind? If so
what?
How might traffic affect a person's personality?
How does traffic affect a person's daily life?
How can people reverse or adapt to the effects traffic has on the mind?
Basically I would like to know if we can associate to each type of car a peculiar personality. This imply that you should think about European cars, not American ones. For example: can we say that who is driving a big BMW or a SUV has an aggressive personality? Can we say that who is driving a Mini is an introvert person? Can we say that who is driving a family car (Volvo) is a very caring person? Etc.... If you have any research, any study or any personal opinion in this topic is perfect for the article.
We have a very interesting situation in our country in relation to people being allowed to drive unaccompanied on learners permits. We also have a very high failure rate when tests are taken. We have found a case study of a 31 year old male who lost his nerve. Would you perhaps be interested in commenting on how people can overcome their nervousness?
Please find the information about driving in Ireland underneath this:
(...) "Every year I get a few cards from traveling readers advising me that, for them, trying to drive in Ireland was a nerve-racking and regrettable mistake.
(...) Basically, what's needed is a change in road culture, a cultural paradigm shift, Lonero argues. He made that case in a recent paper entitled Finding the next cultural paradigm for road safety, which he produced for the Washington-based AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
Some people have reported that they sometimes get the urge to driver their car into a telephone pole or oncoming traffic. Ws this serious? Should they be worried about it? What is the cause of it?
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