IMPROV Online Traffic School
Chapter 10: Other Impairments

Acknowledge, Witness, Modify

With the knowledge you have received from this course, you can acknowledge that there may be room for improvement. Observe your driving habits (and be honest, no cheating). Then modify your behavior. It's that simple.

While most think of impaired driving as driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, stress, fatigue, emotional distress, anger, sadness or just a plain old bad attitude can be just as dangerous. Driving when impaired is a deadly choice, and denial may be the greatest impairment of all because it eliminates choices.

What is aggressive driving?

It's a dangerous habit that falls into three categories:

• Lack of courtesy
• Breaking the rules
• Angry driving

What makes you aggressive while driving?

• Someone slowing you down
• Breaking the rules
• Anger directed at you
• Someone taking your parking space
• Endangerment (cutting you off, tailgating, fender bender)

Let's look at some major ones

Stress

Every day life can have a negative effect on your driving abilities. Work, school, an argument with a friend, the kids, traffic: all these things at times can promote stress. When you're in that state of mind and you can't think clearly because you are STRESSED OUT, it's dangerous to drive. It's as dangerous as getting behind the wheel when you're impaired from alcohol or other drugs. When emotions are running high think twice before getting behind the wheel of your car.

Did you know that stress is at a much higher level for people behind the wheel now then it was 10 years ago, even two years ago. A poll taken last year found that 22 percent of all Americans wanted to hit a co-worker. Not some rude customer who comes in, but a co-worker, that would be someone that you share your life with everyday for eight hours a day.

If you don't believe this is true when you're in the car on the way home from work or school watch someone who stays stopped at a red light after it turns green if they are the first car. Count one thousand one, one thousand two, and see what happens. You will not even get to one-thousand-two before someone starts blowing the horn, passing the other car and giving the person the evil eye. The driver in front only held them up for two seconds and they act like it has been two hours. That's how stressed out people are today.

Fatigue

With kids, jobs and daily demands it's no wonder that many people are sleep-deprived. I am sure you would agree that taking a nap before a long trip is much better than falling asleep on the freeway.

 

Anger

We've all heard of Road Rage… Anger may lower your trigger to react. Even a minor thing can set off a violent reaction. Next time you want to react, stop yourself, take a deep breath… and see if you feel the same.

Attitude

We discussed it earlier, and here is a wrap-up of what all bad things boil down to —

Three major factors that contribute to crashes

• Driver's Attitude
• Condition of the Car
• Driver's Physical Condition

Me me me… Let's face it, there's no denying, people are all very self-centered and self-serving. Too often, people do only what's best for them. It's especially true when we're behind the wheel. If you don't allow enough time to get somewhere, what do you do? We rush, tailgate, weave in and out of traffic, speed up at a yellow light and don't let others in our lane.

It's all about me, me, me. I've got to get somewhere fast and who cares about anyone else.

STRESS + ANGER = ROAD RAGE

You see this on the news all the time. You never know if that other person has a gun or other kind of weapon. So if you're going to get into a contest with them flipping them off and cursing at them and telling them to get on the side of the road - you better consider consequences. There are even cases of soccer mom pulling a gun out… and you don't want to mess with an angry soccer mom.

Let's review things that really make you angry.

• Someone cuts you off.
• They don't use their turn signal.
• Somebody cuts across four lanes of traffic.
• Other people don't let you in when you need to merge into traffic.

The first step in solving the problem is to realize you may be part of it. Acknowledge, witness and modify your behavior. Ask yourself, is this really going to affect my day? Will I even remember it in few minutes. The answer is, probably NOT… just take a deep breath and go about your day. Don't take it personally!

If someone makes you angry:

• Get off at the next exit. Go to a safe place and try to find a police station if they're following you
• Breathe properly. When somebody makes you really mad, breathe through your whole body. Put your hand on your diaphragm, near your stomach. You want to blow it up like a balloon. If you breathe incorrectly, it will go into your chest and stop. You want to blow up your diaphragm like a balloon and hold it for five seconds, and breathe out with sounds. Do this 3 times. Try it now! You can use this relaxing technique at home, at work or in your car. … it really works!!!!
• Rank what happens to you on a scale of one to ten. Each of us has a one and a ten in our life. Let's say at work you get a paper cut that would be a one. If somebody called you at work, and said your parents just died in a plane crash - that would be a ten. The next time somebody cuts you off on the road, doesn't signal, or makes you angry, rank it. Put it on a scale of one to ten. Is it worse than a paper cut? They almost hit me. Is it as bad as my parents dying in a plane crash? Not really. Psychologists say if you put things in perspective, you're more likely to become less angry. If you stop and think about it, you probably can forgive them on the spot.
• Pretend you know the other person. When someone cuts you off and makes you angry, tell yourself that's my priest or my pastor, or my second grade teacher that I like so much, or my friend that helped me in school. If you say this to yourself, and you think of them in a good light, you will get less angry.
• Listen to soft music, relax. Don't add more stress to the situation by listening to loud music. You will get more stressed out because the beat makes you want to go faster.

REMEMBER

• Relax.
• Breathe.
• Rank them from one to ten.
• Pretend you know them.
• Or realize they don't know you.

CONTROL YOUR EMOTIONS

If you can't control your anger, stay off the road. Do you know what aggressive driving is? Take this quick self-assessment test. Using the guide below choose the number that best describes you while driving and facing certain circumstances.

1 = If you never have negative thoughts.
2 = If you sometimes have negative thoughts.
3 = If it happens frequently.
4 = If you feel negative all the time while you're driving.

Be honest with yourself, and take a minute to think about your answers.

First we're going to look at your level of road annoyance.

		1	2	3	4
1	When you become annoyed with another driver, how often do you find yourself cursing out loud or muttering to yourself?
2	When someone cuts you off, how annoyed do you generally become?
3	When someone in front of you is going too slow, how annoyed do you become?
4	How annoyed are you when someone tailgates you?
5	If you are involved in a fender bender, how annoyed do you become?
6	If other drivers make obscene gestures at you for what they perceive to be your mistakes, how annoyed do you become?
7	If other drivers beep their horns at you for what they perceived to be your mistakes, how much does that annoy you?
8	When you are stuck in traffic, how annoyed do you become?
9	If someone takes your parking space, how much does that annoy you?
10	When you get annoyed while driving, do you find that it affects your life after you get out of the car?

What was your average score? If you tended to be a four or even a three most of the time, then you are at risk of becoming excessively angry and your health is being impacted.

The next quiz looks at how your driving is influenced by different moods.

1 = Never
2 = Sometimes
3 = Frequently
4 = All of the time

		1	2	3	4
1	When you are very tired how inclined are you to be more irritable and angry?
2	When you're already angry, how much more likely are you to express your anger while driving?
3	If you have had anything to drink, how much more likely are you to express your anger while driving?
4	If you are feeling ill, how much more likely are you to express your anger while driving?
5	If you have children arguing in the car, how much more likely are you to express your anger while driving?
6	If you are hungry, how much more likely are you to express your anger while driving?
7	If you have passengers, how much more will this add to your anger if you feel disrespected by another driver?
8	How much of a release of tension is angry driving for you?

What was your average score? If you tended to be a four or even a three most of the time, then you are at risk of becoming excessively angry and your health is being impacted.

Beware of fatigue.

If you're ever driving and you get very tired, the best thing you could do for everybody is to get off the road. Go to a 7-Eleven or a gas station and rest for a while. It's amazing how five minutes of rest can help you when you're fatigued.

Other Suggestions for Staying Alert:

• Turn on the air conditioning
• Roll down the window
• Turn the radio on
• Sing with the radio
• Take short stops and walk around the car

Here's our very own version of the

Top 10 List of Aggressive Driving Offenses

Number Ten   Getting into a fight, throwing something or using a weapon!

Number Nine   Using high beams to retaliate!

Number Eight   Braking suddenly to punish a tailgater!

Number Seven   Yelling out the window at another driver or honking to protest!

Number Six   Making obscene gestures at other drivers!

Number Five   Speeding!

Number Four   Tailgating or following too closely!

Number Three   Going through red lights!

Number Two   Changing lanes without signaling…or crossing several lanes at once!

Number One   Drinking and Driving!

Let's Review:

• Driving when impaired is a deadly choice, and denial may be the greatest impairment of all because it eliminates choices.
• Attitude is a #1 contributing factor in many crashes.
• Aggressive driving is a lack of courtesy, breaking the rules, and angry driving.
• Here is a simple formula: stress + anger = road rage.
• three major factors that contribute to crashes: driver's attitude, condition of the car, driver's physical condition.
• Fatigue is impairment that is just as dangerous as alcohol.
• Anger will impair your driving. If you can't control your anger, stay off the road.
• Advancing age is considered impairment. Check your vision and hearing regularly.

Your chances of being involved in a car crash are:	1 in 25
Your chance of being in a plane crash is:	1 in 15,000,000
Your chance of being involved in a train crash when you are on a train is:	1 in 1,000,000
Your chance of being involved in an automobile crash once a year is:	1 in 25
Your chance of being in a collision, sometime during your life, in which someone is injured or killed is:	1 in 75

Not really good odds. But we're afraid to fly, we may be afraid to ride a train, but not afraid to drive an automobile. Now, with the knowledge you have acquired here you can avoid becoming a statistic…up to you…we'll see you on the road.

Just remember… it's a jungle out there!

---