How Road Rage Works

Ever wondered about the psychology behind road rage? Read on to find out more!

So what do you think of when you hear the term "road rage"? It's one of those catch phrases everyone has heard, and yet there is no common definition we can all use. Often, people use terms like "road rage" and "aggressive driving" interchangeably.

And while some might say that aggressive driving includes everything from cutting someone off on purpose to tailgating to making obscene gestures andcursing at other drivers, others might claim road rage refers only to incidents where violence erupts between drivers and passengers -- in or around cars. (There are just as many who might reverse those two definitions.) One thing is certain -- road rage is a dangerous phenomenon that can happen to any one of us, either as a perpetrator or a victim.­

Driving a car is stressful -- it's inherently dangerous because even if you're the safest driver in the world, there are a lot different variables that you can't predict, like weather, traffic, accidents, and road work. And what about all those other people on the road? Some of them aren't just bad drivers, they're engaging in risky behavior. Some of them even do things specifically to make you angry or prevent you from getting to where you need to go.

That's the thought progression someone might have just before switching into road-rage mode, leading a driver to make irrational decisions very quickly. All of a sudden, you might be thinking: They need to know that what they're doing is dangerous and stupid, and you should show them. In fact, you should punish them.

There's no denying that driving can be a risky and emotional experience. For many of us, our cars are an extension of our personality, and it might be the most expensive possession we own. When we drive, we're aware that there's potential for injury and property damage. Driving might be an expression of freedom for some, but it's also an activity that tends to increase our stress levels, even if we're not aware of it at the time. Driving is also a communal activity. You might think of driving in terms of your own individual experience. But once you pull into traffic, you've joined a community of other drivers, all of whom have their own goals, fears and driving skills. Psychologists Dr. Leon James and Dr. Diane Nahl say that one factor in road rage is our tendency to concentrate on ourselves while dismissing the communal aspect of driving. It's very easy to perceive another driver's actions in terms of how it affects us, which in turn makes it easy to transition into anger [source: James, Nahl]. Once an expert witness to Congress on traffic psychology, Dr. James, known as "Dr. Driving," believes that the core cause of road rage isn't due to traffic jams or more drivers on the road -- but how our culture views aggressive driving [source: Dr. Driving.org].

In our culture, children learn that the normal rules regarding behavior and civility don't apply when driving a car. They may see their parents engage in competitive-driving behaviors, maneuvering the car with multiple lane changes or traveling at high speeds in a rush to get to a destination. Some popular films and television shows portray aggressive driving as a positive, or at the very least, an exciting activity. To complicate matters, for years pop psychologists suggested that the best way to relieve anger and stress was to vent your frustration, essentially giving into and feeding your negative emotions. However, psychological studies show that venting doesn't help relieve anger at all. In a road rage situation, venting can help escalate an incident into a violent encounter. Americans also tend to view a person who backs away from confrontation as a coward, creating a sense of pressure on a driver to not give up any ground even when no one is judging him. With that in mind, it's no surprise that violent encounters happen occasionally. Almost everyone is predisposed to engaging in irrational behavior while driving -- Dr. James even goes so far as to say that most people are emotionally impaired when they drive [source: James]. The key, psychologists say, is being aware of your emotional state and making the right choices, even when you are tempted to act out emotionally.

Read more: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-driving-safety/accidents-hazardous-conditions/road-rage1.htm

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Amazement Square, The Rightmire Children's Museum

Have you checked out the Rightmire Children’s Museum?

Amazement Square, The Rightmire Children's Museum, is dedicated to motivating children and adults of all backgrounds toward greater creativity and understanding of themselves and the world through hands-on learning. The Museum's exhibits and educational programs encourage all participants to explore the arts and humanities, culture, science, technology and their interdisciplinary relationships. Located in the historic J.W. Wood Building in downtown Lynchburg, Amazement Square offers four, spacious floors of interactive exhibitions, workshops and educational programming. Amazement Tower, a meandering tangle of pathways, tunnels, illuminating stairs and glass elevator, connects all the Museum's exhibitions, and is the tallest indoor, interactive climbing structure in the United States.

For more information: http://www.amazementsquare.org/welcome.php

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Are Drowsy Drivers As Bad As Drunks?

Interesting article that raises the question of are drowsy drivers as bad as drunk drivers? You may be surprised by the findings.

Drowsy drivers don’t attract as much public opprobrium as drunk or distracted drivers, but maybe they should.

According to a newly released survey of 2,000 motorists by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 41 percent of drivers admitted they had “fallen asleep or nodded off” while driving at least once. Eleven percent said they had done so within the past year, and four percent said they had fallen asleep behind the wheel in the previous month.

Moreover, one in four motorists admitted they had driven when they were “so sleepy that they had a hard time keeping their eyes open” within the past month.

Given the mushy nature of the data, it’s hard to make accurate estimates of the number of accidents caused by fatigue. After all, haven’t all of us nodded off at one time or another?

Nevertheless, AAA’s researchers concluded that as many as 16 percent of all fatal crashes involved a drowsy motorist – a much higher estimate than earlier studies which attributed less than four percent of fatal accidents to fatigue.

“Researchers have always thought that drowsy driving is under-reported, and that’s what this study found,” said AAA spokesman Dan Bleier. “We know that it’s a problem, and people need to pay attention to it.”

There were some other interesting findings: Men are much more likely than women to drive while fatigued, and motorists between the ages of 16 and 24 also are high risks. Though most of us would associate drowsy driving with long overnight trips, a substantial number of incidents occurred during short trips in the afternoon.

Ten Dead, Five Hurt

If AAA is correct, drowsy motorists are almost as dangerous as drunk drivers, who caused one third of all fatal accidents last year.

“Time For A Rest?”

Indeed, several automakers have tinkered with such devices. For example, Mercedes-Benz has developed a system called Attention Assist, which is standard equipment on E-Class, CL-Class and some S-Class sedans.

If the system’s sensor detects erratic steering, an audible warning sounds and the instrument panel flashes the message: “Time for a rest?”  Such initiatives “give the driver feedback to wake up and get off the road safely,” says Justin McMaull, AAA’s director of state relations.

But somehow, it doesn’t seem plausible to expect exhausted motorists will pull over simply because the dashboard is flashing an icon of a coffee cup. Behaviorists might argue that motorists won’t change their behavior unless they can be punished for it.

That approach is getting a test in New Jersey, which passed a law banning drowsy driving in 2003. Jersey motorists involved in a traffic accident are considered to be “knowingly fatigued” if they’ve been awake more than 24 hours. Maximum penalties include a 10-year prison sentence and a $100,000 fine.

But drowsy motorists are harder to identify than drunk drivers. You can’t give a motorist a Breathalyzer test for fatigue, McMaull notes. It’s hard to prove in court, which may be why no other state has followed New Jersey’s lead.

Still, McMaull says the law isn’t useless. “The idea is to send a message to motorists,” he says. “And prosecutors can use it as a legal tool after a serious crash.”

Is the problem getting worse? It isn’t clear. This is AAA’s first survey of drowsy drivers -- perhaps subsequent studies will reveal a trend.

In the meantime, motorists should use some common sense:

1.    If you’re on a long trip, pull over for a break every couple of hours.
2.    Have some coffee; it will perk you up for awhile.
3.    A companion in the car can keep you awake and share driving chores.
4.    Break up long trips with an overnight motel stop. Don’t attempt an all-night drive.
5.    Stay away from alcohol. A fatigued motorist on booze is double trouble.

Read more: http://autos.aol.com/article/drowsy-driving-worse-than-drunk/

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All Hallows Eve Service at the Old City Cemetery Chapel

An all Hallows Eve service will be held at the Old City Cemetery Chapel from 5pm to 6:30 pm on Monday, October 31st. The Old City Cemetery Chapel is located at 401 Taylor Street in Lynchburg. Refreshments by jack-o-lantern candlelight in the Earley Memorial Shrub Garden following service. Seating is very limited so arrive early!

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Your Pet Passenger

 

Keep your pet safe while driving, not only for your animal’s health and well-being, but for your wallet’s sake as well!

States Cracking Down On Dogs Behind The Wheel

If it's any indication of the danger free-roaming pets face in a vehicle, New Hampshire, the country's only state that does not have a mandatory seat belt law, actually requires dogs to buckle up.

Live free or die, goes the state's motto, but Spike and Spot don't have that liberty. And with due reason. Seven other states, Connecticut, California, Massachusetts, Nevada, Washington, Oregon and Rhode Island require owners to kennel or tether animals because of the severe danger the sudden stops and potential collisions pose to pets. An unrestrained dog can land you with a ticket between $50 and $200.

Animal lovers would almost always rather take their pet with them to run errands or on a road trip than leave them at home or at a pet motel. But for all that love for canines, most drivers have seen "dog people" take things too far, driving with their dogs in their laps or lying around their shoulders like a neck pillow and, yes, sometimes at the wheel.
And it's a double dose of danger: for the distracted driver and the unrestrained animal.

Find out more here: http://autos.aol.com/photos/driving-doggie-style-the-best-vehicles-for-pets/

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How are cars becoming more user-friendly?

Are we approaching an era of self-driving cars?

“Fred Flintstone had a car that he had to power with his own feet; by that standard, all of today's cars are pretty easy to use. But cars are becoming even more user-friendly -- so user-friendly, in fact, that they may not even require a user at all. That's because much of the new car technology involves taking over the role of the driver.

For instance, no longer does a driver need to mind the blind spots, as certain cars come with detection systems that will alert the operator to obstacles in other lanes. If a driver should start to drowse off and drift into another lane, the steering wheel will shake or a voice will alert the driver to what's happening. Gone are the days of manually changing the cruise control speed when the car in front of you slows down -- now, adaptive cruise control uses radar to track the speed of that car and adjust the speed on its own. And since cars with adaptive cruise control can sense just how much space separates them from other cars, they can go into panic mode when cars ahead start hitting their brakes.

But you needn't fear a world of self-driving cars just yet. According to a survey conducted by Harris Interactive, drivers want features that improve safety, but they're not ready to turn over complete control of the road to a machine just yet [source: Adams]. In other words, while drivers may like alerts about a car in their blind spots, they want to be the ones that adjust their cars to account for it. And the same survey found that drivers are willing to keep their eyes on the road despite the goodies that new cars are offering; fancy features like WiFi or temperature-controlled cupholders are at the bottom of drivers' wish lists, perhaps indicating that drivers know they need to focus on driving, not on checking the latest sports scores online.

While today's drivers may be wary of cars that do too much for them, that doesn't mean they don't appreciate a little help and convenience. Keyless ignition systems save drivers the hassle of looking for their keys, new fuel tank caps that don't require a lot of turning can save time at the gas station, and self-repairing paint, which covers a scratch as soon as it occurs, eliminates the ordeal and expense of the body shop.”

Read more: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/under-the-hood/trends-innovations/cars-more-user-friendly.htm

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Weather Emergencies Make Vehicles Lifeboats: How Prepared Are You?

Are you prepared for an emergency? Read on to find out what you should have with you in case of an emergency.

With Hurricane Irene bearing down on the East Coast and many Americans trying to evacuate the area in their vehicles, there is a very real threat for people of winding up on their own or even stranded in their vehicle, which becomes a kind of lifeboat.
But what is in that lifeboat to help an individual or a family cope with adverse conditions? Too few drivers keep basic tools and other necessities and helpers to endure a night or more alone in a car, or the basics to get a damaged car back on the road.There are a few small things you can carry to make life on the road easier. If you're going to be on the road every day, these items will prove themselves useful in the long haul. Fit as many into one carrying case as you can unless the vehicle has cleverly designed stow-away slots for specific items.
First-aid kit: It's an obvious one, but how many drivers actually carry a first-aid kit? In the critical minutes before emergency care arrives, you could give an accident victim the care they need. Many luxury vehicles come with well-equipped kits, so check before you buy.
Blanket: This one goes hand-in-hand with the first-aid kit. A victim at an accident scene may need to be kept warm to prevent shock. And if you're broken down in unexpected weather, the blanket may keep you warm when your vehicle cannot.
Spare tire and jack: A well-maintained spare tire and jack can mean the difference between a fifteen-minute inconvenience and an hour-long, $75 ordeal. While other drivers are waiting to be towed to the near tire depot, you can change your own and roll for more than fifty miles to the shop of your choice. Make sure to check the condition of your spare each month or so. If you often travel in remote areas, replace a "temporary" spare with a real fifth tire that fits the vehicle.
Water and food: This is a no-brainer, right? A few bottles of water and shelf-stable or vacuum packed snacks. Don't buy snacks that will be compromised in a hot car. And change them at least twice a year.

Do you keep an emergency kit in your car?

Spare wiper blades: This may seem like overkill, but it's not. Foul weather can wear down wiper blades more quickly than you think -- especially in wintry climates with snowy, salted roads. Keep them on hand and change when the windshield gets bleary. Most blades can be refilled in less than a minute; the replacements are available, usually for less than $5, at local car-parts stores or from your dealer.
Jumper cables: You can always find another driver to give you a jump-start - but can you always find a set of cables? A good set of cables costs less than $20, and offers instructions on how to jump your car if you're not sure. Most major department stores, such as Kmart and Target, stock these in addition to the car-parts stores.
Sharpie and paper: In the event you have to leave your vehicle, you want to be able to leave a note.
Phillips and standard-style sizes: This tool is far more versatile than a regular screwdriver because you can pick the bit type and size that exactly fits the fastener you're trying to remove. Some kits come with a small selection of sockets and drivers for those Torx (star-shaped head) screws that are increasingly commonplace. It's an essential tool to have and keep with you in the car.
A roll of duct tape or electrical tape: Duct tape has been the emergency mechanic's best friend for years; with it, you can temporarily bind a leaking radiator hose or quickly patch up shattered glass. Electrical tape is great to have on hand when you need to keep an exposed electrical connection from touching something it shouldn't. Toss a roll of each into your tool kit.
Pen magnet: This handy tool can help you dig out keys that fell between the seats, or retrieve a tiny screw you dropped someplace inaccessible to your hand. Get the telescoping type that looks and functions just like a radio antenna. There are also flexible models that can be bent to work around obstacles. Both are great to have in certain circumstances where almost nothing else will do.
Emergency cell phone: If you are one of the few who don't have a regular cellphones, invest in an emergency-use cell phone that tucks away in the glove box. These phone are inexpensive (the plans call for a very limited number of calls per month or even just 911) but can be lifesavers if you have or witness a serious accident. You can also use them to report possible drunk drivers and other emergency situations.
Flashlight, disposable lighter and Flares: The flashlight and lighter are self-explanatory. Flares can be used to signal for help, mark off your car from oncoming traffic and even work as emergency lighting.

Read more: http://autos.aol.com/article/car-evacuation-emergency-safety-kit/

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