Attitude, Road Rage, & Driving
People have different views on relations to given things or circumstances. The different viewpoints are a result of the different attitudes that the people have. What one may feel to be pleasant, to another might be unpleasant. Attitudes are beliefs and feelings that people have towards given things, events or groups. When it becomes strong, one's attitude may influence his or her behavioral tendencies. Attitude can well be understood in its ABC structure. The Affection component of attitude influences one's emotions and feelings on a given object. The Behavioral component influences people’s actions in relation to a given object, while the Cognitive component represents the knowledge that people have developed about a given object or scenario. Rationally, people are expected to behave consistently in relation to their attitudes. In some cases, this might not be the case, but generally, attitudes do have influences on drivers’ behavior.
In addition to attitude having an influence on drivers’ behavior, there’s also self-talk. Self-talk is endless ideas that go through a person’s mind. Self-talk can either be positive or negative. As a result, self-talk influences drivers’ behaviors while driving. Positive self-talk affirms and supports the driver, making he or she develop a positive attitude that leads to carefulness while driving. On the other hand, negative self-talk leads to depression and anxiety that eventually leads to collisions if a lot of time is spent on it.
People, especially drivers, have to make a choice between positive and negative self-talk. Of the two, positive self-talk is important. It helps to curb negative emotions by making drivers more confident, motivated, and focused. Even though in most cases it comes naturally, practicing it often cultivates it in one's mind. Drivers have to choose to stay away from internal dialogue like “I almost crashed into that pedestrian as a result of him crossing without ensuring there was no vehicle,” instead choosing internal dialogue like “I avoided crashing into that pedestrian since I was being careful.” What was negative becomes positive and this is motivational.
In some instances, drivers may disagree, pushing them towards driving aggressively. Such aggressive driving as a result of drivers losing their tempers or getting angry due to disagreements is called road rage. Unlike reckless driving that involves drivers disobeying traffic rules, road rage is mostly provocational. They are drivers’ actions as a result of the actions of another driver or pedestrian that has annoyed an individual. Provocative actions may include tailgating, obscene gestures and over using the car horn. Road rage may either be habitual, which is learned, or situational, which arises out of the driver’s situation. For instance, receiving bad news while driving may result in unintentional reckless driving.
The consequences of road rage are disastrous. Annually, over 1,200 incidences of road rage are recorded, with some resulting in injuries and fatalities. As a result of these, road rage is a serious act. Most states, including Arizona, prosecutes offenders of road rage as criminals. With the help of positive self-talk, road rage can be avoided. Positive self-talk gives drivers the motivation and positive attitude that brings them calmness while on the road. As a result, they ignore obscene gestures, allow cars to pass, and stay away from erratic drivers. This limits the number of collisions, leading to reduced injuries and fatalities as a result of road rage.