You're right, Ron, this is a hot (and important) topic. I'm sure we can all
philosophize about the causes, and my "nominees" would be the following:
First, the competitive nature of our society. We view many things and activities
as "us vs. them" or "me vs. the rest of the world" rather than seeing things
from a cooperative standpoint. If you are willing to consider more evidence of
that, I request that you go to the "Flaming Liberal" section of my Web site (
http://www.gordon-glasgow.org/crossrd1.asp ) for a more detailed proof. While
the writing covers far more than driving, it does address the main point about
competitiveness and what it does to our mindset. Ron's "Bottom Line" is quite
correct.
Second, and closely related is the commitment in this society to individual
freedom. When we adopt the attitude (and I'm not saying Ron did this) of "I can
do what I damn well please regardless of how it affects anyone else" we are
setting up a natural environment for conflict.
So just how does this apply to driving? First, we need to be aware that traffic
is a flow process, and what each vehicle does affects the overall flow. This
means we need to be constantly aware of what is going on around us, and try to
adapt to that condition. If the speed limit is 60 and everyone is going 70, it
is probably best to go 70 and keep the flow smooth rather than go 60 and be like
a rock in a stream. Traffic engineering studies have proven conclusively that
one of the biggest dangers in traffic is the speed DIFFERENTIAL between cars,
even if the speed is greater. In other words, a stream of traffic going 70 +/- 3
mph is safer than a stream of traffic going 60 +/-10mph. Also, I don't know
about your state, but in Washington, the official law is "Keep right except to
pass" although this is universally ignored, especially by Ballard drivers (local
joke - Toby will get it).
Interesting side point: in a recent study by one of the federal agencies, it was
discovered that the highest accident rates were among the SLOWEST 5% of the
drivers. The second-highest accident rate was the FASTEST 5% of the drivers. So
slower is not necessarily safer at all. It's a matter of car control and
awareness (more on that in a minute).
The second thing to realize is that we each get to take the consequences of our
own actions. If you slam on your brakes in front of someone and he takes a shot
at you, he's still responsible for taking the shot, but you are responsible for
intentionally provoking him.
I tend to run faster than the traffic most of the time - sometimes quite a bit
faster, depending on the conditions. And I get people intentionally slowing down
in front of me, which I find offensive. If they aren't in a hurry, that's okay,
that's up to them. But who gave them the right to obstruct me? My going faster
doesn't slow them down any, so what difference does it make to them? Conversely,
on those (rare) occasions when I see someone coming up fast behind me, I'll
evaluate the situation. If I have a clear lane in front of me, I'll get out of
their way and let them go, and I'll try to do it in such a way that they don't
even have to slow down. If I'm totally blocked, that's different. If the person
really wants to tailgate me and I'm blocked ahead by another car, I'll try to
change lanes and let him take it up with the car ahead of me. Or if I can change
lanes and make an opening where the faster guy can go on through, I'll do that.
Now, this may seem like a lot of effort to go to, but I consider it part of
being a responsible driver, and it really isn't that hard to do. The key thing
is to be paying attention all the time, first and foremost. Not talking on the
cell phone. Not reading a report. Not doing your makeup. Not eating your
breakfast. Driving. And paying attention. It's the most dangerous activity most
of us ever engage in, and it deserves - no, demands - that we take it seriously.
If everyone did that, we wouldn't have 35,000 people a year killed in traffic
accidents That's about 100 people per day! Unacceptable!
Tom's note about the accident brings up another point. We have very low skill
requirements in this country for getting a driver's license. For some reason,
the desire to understand how a car really works and to know how to handle it at
the limits of it's abilities is viewed with great suspicion in this society, and
I don't know why. People will brag about their skiing prowess, or their
basketball moves, and still see a car enthusiast as some kind of dangerous nut,
even though we all drive! I really advocate performance driver training for
everyone. I'm not trying to turn everyone into race drivers, but I think we
should all know how to handle a car at the further reaches of it's abilities.
I've managed to avoid accidents because I knew what my car can do and how to
make it do it, when many other drivers would have simply jammed on their brakes
and plowed right into the other cars.
Many people interpret "individual freedom" to mean that they can blame others
for their own irresponsibility. Instead of demanding that cars be turned into
giant, padded whoopee-cushions that will let us bounce off anything without
getting hurt, let's demand that drivers be able to prove that they can actually
drive before getting a license.
Let me end this on a slightly lighter note. I heard a definition once: "An idiot
is anyone going slower than me. A maniac is anyone going faster than me." ;-)
Drive aware and stay safe.
Ron & Julie Edgar wrote:
> I new this would be a hot subject! :-)
>
> The point of my post was not placing blame, for I am to blame for my part,
> it always takes two to tango.
> What I was opening for discussion for the group was the possible cause of
> Road Rage.
> Why are people today (even myself) harboring so much frustration and
> aggressions that it spills out when we drive??....
>
> Bottom Line, I never should have allowed this guy to upset me as I did.
> What it all boils down to is the world needs more love and understanding and
> less hate and judgment. If I had acted in love I would have simply moved
> over and let him pass.
--
Gordon Glasgow
Renton, WA
http://www.gordon-glasgow.org
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