Ways to Reduce Road Rage - Report Example

Analytical Paper Media campaign to reduce road rage Importance of traffic rules The traffic rules are intended to maintain law and order on road. Besides, in a wider perspective, it helps the government to maintain law and order in the society as a whole. The traffic rules help one to be patient while driving, waiting at the traffic signals and to be safe while driving. Joel Best makes clear that: “Road rage offered an opening for promoting other safety issues; claims about improving drivers’ training” (Best, 2001, p. 114). The increase in road rage forces the authorities to promote safety measure like improving drivers’ training. Moreover, the sign boards and signals that can be seen in both sides of the road helps the driver to be conscious about the importance of limited speed while driving, attention to other vehicles and pedestrians. As the rules and regulations are formulated to help the individual citizen to perform his or her rights and duties in a successful manner, it helps one to be aware of one’s rights while driving or travelling and to be duty minded towards other drivers, travelers and pedestrians. Initiative by the government to avoid road rage Government and the authorized department on road safety should give importance to public safety and give proper training and education against motor vehicle violence. Besides, education on road rage would help driver to become a responsible driver. (1) Provide brief classes to drivers and youngsters about the importance of road safety and the problems created by road rage. (2) Convince the drivers the possible serious consequences about the negligent and precarious driving. (2)Make them understand how to handle and avoid unsafe driving circumstances. (3)Educate drivers self evaluation and self modification methods that facilitate them to understand the importance of human life. The process of widening the Roads is essential because it helps to reduce the chance for traffic congestion in important places. Government must provide financial support for secure roads and make public attentiveness for safe and sound roads. Besides, the authorities must boost the media which expose the misconduct and misbehavior from the drivers while driving and must use it for advertisement and campaign purpose against road rage and safety. Karin Sternberg makes clear that: “When suddenly enraged drivers commit acts of road rage, they may have a flash of hatred and destructive intent toward those who have harmed them, whether in reality or imagination;” (Sternberg, 2008, p.17) misbehavior while driving create hatred in other drivers and will cause severe problems, reality or imagination. The usage of monitoring equipments like close circuit camera, speed detector, breath analyzer etc can detect violent actions and misbehavior on road and is essential to prevent road rage. How to handle this animal rage? Source: CSLCartoonstock.com Available at:- http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/r/roadrage.asp The authorities must show keen interest and vigilance to fix cameras on appropriate places and must provide maximum punishment to traffic rule violators who are involved in the road rage activities. Andrea Campbell makes clear that: “Road rage and bloodshed on American highways have spawned many states to enact vehicular homicide as a specific felony, rather than charge an offender with manslaughter for causing a traffic death.” (Campbell, 2002, p.29) The increased number of road rage and bloodshed force the authorities to enact effective laws to reduce the same. The breath analyzers must be fixed in main areas to detect drivers who are in the influence of liquor and other harmful substances that badly influence driving. Besides, the sign boards and hoardings must be fixed in appropriate places and it will help the public to be conscious about the importance of traffic laws. In addition, the Government must show keen interest to ensure that roads function properly and the rules are followed strictly. Initiative by pedestrians to avoid road rage Each and every individual is responsible to save one’s and others life on the road and must follow the traffic rules which reduce road rage. For instance pedestrians must not walk on roads, they can use pavements. They must not misbehave to the drivers because it create imbalance in one’s emotional equilibrium. The pedestrians must obey the traffic rules and it will lead to road safety. Herbert Jack Rotfeld makes clear that: “Teenaged drivers throughout the United States joke about how many “points” they got from hitting various types of pedestrians” (Rotfeld, 2001, p.70). Some teen-aged drivers are reckless and misbehave towards pedestrians and create problem while driving and it eventually leads to road rage. Beware of serial killers on road Source: CSLCartoonstock.com Available at:- http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/r/roadrage.asp While crossing the road, pedestrians must make use of the zebra lines. Crossing the road is very risky deal on congested roads and misbehavior from the side of the pedestrians may cause hatred and ill feeling in the minds of the drivers and can cause road rage and related issues. When crossing the road, Senior citizens must always seek help from others or trained dogs. Some drivers feel satisfaction by violating traffic laws but Pedestrians must not provoke those drivers because it may lead to road rage activities. While crossing the road, the blind and physically challenged people should follow instructions by traffic police or other persons to avoid road accidents. The School children must be educated to follow the instructions from teachers and traffic department on behavior in any public place, especially on the road and the walk ways. The teachers must guide their students to follow the rules and regulations and can avoid road rage by helping the students to indentify the importance of traffic laws and road safety. Parents should take care of their children and must compel them to follow traffic rules. Initiative by private/ vehicle owners/ drivers to avoid road rage All the drivers have equal responsibility to follow the traffic rules. But some reckless drives show less interest to follow the laws and create problem while driving. They consider that they will not follow traffic laws but others must follow the same. So, the drivers who handle private and public vehicles must be aware of their role in road safety and must avoid situations that create road rage. Slow driver Source: photobucket.com Available at:-http://www.google.co.in/imgres?imgurl=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v237/mage_g4/Blog/road_rage_finger.jpg&imgrefurl=http://fulminationswithoutfoundations.blogspot.com/&h=305&w=470&sz=16&tbnid=hnIj7PYxKPt6VM:&tbnh=84&tbnw=129&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dimages%2Bon%2Broad%2Brage&hl=en&usg=__ATHJjYfZ3w1CIFuNyytnhl0QmMk=&ei=vIK4Sq3EFoPW7AOWs43_AQ&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=6&ct=image They must show mutual respect and non competitiveness with other drivers. Drivers should not compete with time but he or she has the responsibility to maintain time in a healthy manner. James P. Morgan makes clear that: “In a road rage incident, a driver becomes furious and engages in behavior that does or could not seriously injure another driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist” (Morgan, 2004, p.116). The road rage incidents create imbalance in drivers and this leads to further serious problems like misbehavior and eventually bloodshed on the road. The drivers should not listen to anything that distracts his or her attention from driving. If others are violating any traffic rules, the driver must report it to the authorities because it helps to maintain law and order. Keep away from me Source: photobucket.com Available at:-http://media.photobucket.com/image/road%20rage/ken2903/Road-Rage.gif?o=7 Beside, proper communication among drivers can save valuable life. They must obey traffic rules and value the importance of rules and regulations related to road safety. The drivers must be aware of speed limits near to work zones, schools and hospitals. Initiative from the side of individual driver The individual driver must be aware of the importance of sleeping. Otherwise, less sleep will result in emotional aggressiveness and eventually, misbehavior while driving. The individual driver possesses the responsibility of an individual and as a driver. He or she must not violate the traffic rules and regulations. Who are you to question me? Source: digital-photo.com Available at: - http://www.digital-photo.com.au/gallery/d/15503-3/Road-rage_MG_1207.jpg For instance, most of the individual drivers consider that rules and regulations on road are not for them, but for others. Alice Adams and Andrew Ryder reflect that: “When an incident happens between two drivers one or both drivers may experience some anger. At this point, the drivers can go their separate ways and the incident will be over.” (Adams & Ryder, 2002, p.94) Some silly problem between two drivers creates much tension but they can avoid this situation by ignoring the reason and can proceed without further problem. From the perspective of an individual driver who is ready to follow the rules and regulations on the road, one must be aware of one’s strengths and weaknesses and one must not try to follow the misbehavior of other drivers. What to do? Source: photobucket.com Available at:-http://www.google.co.in/imgres?imgurl=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v237/mage_g4/Blog/road_rage_finger.jpg&imgrefurl=http://fulminationswithoutfoundations.blogspot.com/&h=305&w=470&sz=16&tbnid=hnIj7PYxKPt6VM:&tbnh=84&tbnw=129&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dimages%2Bon%2Broad%2Brage&hl=en&usg=__ATHJjYfZ3w1CIFuNyytnhl0QmMk=&ei=vIK4Sq3EFoPW7AOWs43_AQ&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=6&ct=image So, the best possible way to get rid of road rage is to keep oneself aware of the problems created by road rage and it’s after effects. So, the individual driver must be aware of the fact that speed thrills, but kills and road rage create the atmosphere of imbalance in one’s emotional equilibrium and may lead to severe health problems. Individual Responsibility of citizens to be responsible on road and to keep oneself and others safe The individual citizen possesses some responsibility towards his or her society. At the same time if he or she is a driver, the responsibility increases because here the responsibility is to keep oneself and others safe on the road. I am the boss on this road Source: photobucket.com Available at:- http://www.google.co.in/imgres?imgurl=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v237/mage_g4/Blog/road_rage_finger.jpg&imgrefurl=http://fulminationswithoutfoundations.blogspot.com/&h=305&w=470&sz=16&tbnid=hnIj7PYxKPt6VM:&tbnh=84&tbnw=129&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dimages%2Bon%2Broad%2Brage&hl=en&usg=__ATHJjYfZ3w1CIFuNyytnhl0QmMk=&ei=vIK4Sq3EFoPW7AOWs43_AQ&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=6&ct=image For instance individual driver must limit the speed of his vehicle and must not consider driving as racing with other vehicle. Here, the government can seize the vehicles which violate traffic laws and can implement temporary suspension on driving license holders. John Peter Rothe is of the opinion that: “Responsibility shapes and monitors shorter- term motivation, requiring the capacity to assess one’s own performance on the road and to keep it in line with personal and social values.” (Rothe, 2002, p. 225) Responsibility of an individual exposed while driving helps to assess one’s personal and social values. Be cool… Source: CSLCartoonstock.com Available at:- http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/r/roadrage.asp The drivers must be cautious to avoid impolite driving contrives because it eventually leads to anger from the side of other drivers who feels the same frustration. In addition, road rage may lead to acute stress which badly affects one’s emotional, mental and physical health. I feel frustrated Photo courtesy of iStockPhoto Available at:-http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/reviews/top10/tips.to.prevent.road.rage/angrywomen.500.jpg H. Patricia Hynes and Russell Lopez reflect that: “Episodes of road rage may reflect a reservoir of frustration and anger on the roads.” (Hynes & Lopez, 2008, p.150) The root cause behind road rage is frustration and anger created by different situations and problems in human life. Individuals can adept certain techniques over come road rage and related problems. For instance, one can make use of breathing exercise, listen to music, practice relaxation techniques like progressive muscle relaxation (P M R), play games in one’s mind like cognitive interventions, and can manage one’s time without wastrel. One can organize one’s travelling schedule according to the wastrel of time and can keep oneself away from road rage and related problems. Evaluation Campaigns usually aim to make aware of importance of some duties, rights and responsibilities of any citizen in the society. When one tries to evaluate the effectiveness of the campaign that aims to create awareness about road rage and related issues, one can see that this campaign is deals with all important areas related to traffic rules, road safety and road rage. For instance, the Personal mal-adjustment theory states that agitations or violent actions are rooted in failure in one’s personal life. M.U. Qureshi makes clear that: “Personal maladjustment theory sees agitations as a refuge from personal failure. Agitators find their supporters among the unhappy, young persons whose lives lack meaning and fulfillment.” (Qureshi, 2006, p.60) Personal maladjustment theory states that agitations or misconduct on road is deeply rooted in failure in one’s personal life and can be considered as an escape mechanism. Some people feel that their life is meaningless and feel frustration. They involve in violent actions to escape from the frustration. When the driver feels the same frustration, it leads to hatred and ill feeling towards other drivers, travelers and pedestrians which leads to road rage and bloodshed. The areas which deal with the importance of traffic rules help one to be aware of rules and regulations that are to be followed on the road. The second part of the campaign helps one to understand the responsibility of the government to maintain law and order related to public safety. Ian Austen makes clear that: “As the high-profile attorney general for Ontario, Michael Bryant had championed severe and controversial traffic safety laws.”(Austen, 2009, p.A4) Some of the government official does not pay attention to traffic rules. For instance, the Attorney general for Ontario, Michael Bryant violated traffic safety laws. The third part which deals with the role of pedestrians in road rage is helpful to understand the responsibilities of pedestrians. The fourth point helps to have deep understanding on the responsibility of private/ vehicle owners/ drivers. The fifth point mentioned in the campaign helps to identify the role of individual drivers in road rage. The sixth point makes clear that Individual Responsibility on road to keep oneself and others safe is most important and it helps to reduce road rage and related issues. So, one can see that campaigns are helpful to create awareness on road rage and it leads to proper behavior while driving and less chance for road rage and related issues. Besides, it helps one to keep away from mental, emotional and physical problems related to road rage. Works cited Austen, I. (2009, September 2). Canadian Politician Charged in Death. The New York Times, p.A4. Adams, A., & Ryder, A. (2002). A Survival Guide for Truck Drivers: Tips from the Trenches Medium/Heavy Duty Truck. Cengage Learning. Best, J. (2001). How claims spread: cross-national diffusion of social problems Social problems and social issues. New York: Aldine Transaction. Campbell, A. (2002). Making Crime Pay: The Writers Guide to Criminal Law, Evidence, and Procedure. Allworth Communications, Inc. Hynes, H. P., & Lopez, R. (2008). Urban Health: Readings in the Social, Built, and Physical Environments of U.S. Cities. Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Morgan, J. P. (2004). Focus on aggression research. Nova Publishers. Qureshi, M. U. (2006). Encyclopaedia of Social Problems and Social Welfare. Anmol Publications PVT. LTD. Rotfeld, H. J. (2001). Adventures in misplaced marketing. Greenwood Publishing Group. Rothe, J. P. (2002). Driving lessons: exploring systems that make traffic safer. University of Alberta. Sternberg, K. (2008). The nature of hate. Cambridge University Press. Read More