Customer Reviews

Road Rage and Aggressive Driving: Steering Clear of Highway Warfare

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Date: Fri, 1 Dec 2000 From:BaxBell81@aol.com To: DrDriving@aloha.net Subject: Thank you for your Book Dear Dr. James-

I had to write and tell you how incredible your book is. After having written to you about a month ago and getting your supportive and helpful replies, I ordered your book through Amzon com. I found it extremely useful and chock full of practical suggestions. It has not only helped me as a spouse of rageful driving husband, but he agreed to read it!! His agreement followed your recommendation of asking all the family members to write him a letter of what his problem has cost us emotionally. My son of 26 choose to tell him directly rather than write, but the talk was also very effective.

We are also utilizing your idea in contracting before riding together, and he is using the more of "the supportive" driver techniques (rather than being oppositional and so arrogant).( Progress not perfection!!) We both have a long road ahead of us- no pun intended- but your help was a phenonmenal series of tools to aide in ameliorating this life threatening problem. I have to add that I myself am a licensed psychologist in private practice in Ohio and I am now recommending your book in recurrent cases where wives (usually) complain of this concern.

Again, my massive thanks for a fantastic and much needed book.-

Marilyn - Ohio

The authors of this book are regarded as experts on the subject- they also set up a website on driving, which is widely cited by the media.

Overall, this book is well worth reading. It's divided into 3 parts: part I describes the problem of road rage and cites some horrific incidents; part II is a "self-help" manual for reducing driving stress and improving one's "emotional intelligence"; section III consists of misc. topics and is a bit dated since this book was published in 2000. Each chapter cites a variety of references and academic studies; however, because of this, the writing and organization are a bit jumbled.

I'm fascinated by road rage because it's amazing how people with no criminal background can commit extreme violence with so little provocation....driving literally taps into the cavemen inside us all. Basically, reducing road rage is about emphatizing with other drivers (letting other drivers into your lane which is what you'd want in their place; or slowing down when someone makes a right-turn, which is again what you'd want in their place). It's also about becoming less competitive- realizing how futile it is. The final step is to NOT respond with insane fury when someone provokes you without cause (like giving you the finger)....in "Mean Genes" (2000), I read that evolutionary psychologists believe we retaliate so instantly and without thinking because we evolved in small communities where it was important to maintain one's reputation because we would encounter the same people time and time again- in the case of driving today, the chances of encountering the same driver again are near-zero, so we should just let it go...easier said then done. (Also, there's a BIG difference between retaliating with a fist fight and while moving in a hunk of steel at 70mph!)

One thing the authors get wrong is when they insist road rage is learned behavior (esp due to parental influence) vs. biology. Well, in that case (for biblical fundamentalists), Adam and Eve must have been abusive parents- how else could the cycle of violence have begun?

What are the symptoms of road rage and how can aggressive driving patterns and encounters be halted? In Road Rage and Aggressive Driving, the authors trace these problems to childhood roots and attitudes toward the law: they argue that road rage is experienced by most drivers, and tell how to use self-tests to estimate personal road rage tendencies. A three-step program to transform drivers from aggressive to supportive drivers is included.

Road Rage is a winner! It will resonate with readers who have been threatened on the road, trapped in a car with an irrational driver, or who want to shake off learned habits of driver aggression. It gives us a peek at the distorted reasoning behind driver aggression, as well as larger implications for our auto-centered culture. It is a fascinating, accessible, and well-documented look at the rapid and sometimes bizarre evolution of our experience on the road.

If you want to be good to yourself and be happier, calmer, more truly in control of your universe, read this book. It could change, not to mention save, your life.

The authors guide you to understand your driving self and show how to change highway stress, fear, anger, and assault into enjoyable time on the road. This book offers a different approach - linking checklists and exercises to explanations of specific emotions and behaviors so you can understand your particular driving attitudes and actions. There are many practical suggestions for avoiding road rage and transforming your driving experience, all supported by real-life examples and scholarly research.

The book deals with all kinds of drivers and driving situations, with special attention to how we can teach our children and be good examples for them so that there won't be a new generation of road ragers. It addresses multitasking to handle dashboard dining and the new technologies that add to driving distractions - cell phones, on-board computers, TVs, and global positioning systems.

Decreasing road rage and aggressive driving would be a huge benefit to society. But go ahead and be selfish - read this book for your own benefit, to change your road rage to driving delight. If enough people do the same, society will reap the rewards too.

[N.B. I created the index for this book]

If you know someone who becomes aggressive when they get behind the wheel, BUY THEM THIS BOOK!

This is the ultimate treatise on road rage. Dr. James and Dr. Nahl are the world's #1 experts on road rage, and they have spent years researching the causes, consequences, and cures of aggressive driving. Here they tell the real story of why we love to rage behind the wheel. They show us how to protect ourselves from aggressive drivers, and more importantly, how to achieve emotional self control.

Check out the authors' web site: http://drdriving.org

When I wrote Confessions of a Reformed Road Warrior in 1999, I realized I had touch upon a subject that Drs. James and Nahl took to a whole new level. Here it is, ten years later, and road rage has not gone away, although because of their work, I'm sure that many people who had suffered from aggressive driving or road rage which led to negligent driving (or worse) lived because of a few choice words of wisdom that James and Nahl had issued.

Road Rage and Aggressive Driving will help the person with a propensity for violent dispositions behind the wheel, and now I have taken that knowledge a step farther with Highliner: The Nature, Philosophy and Science of Automobile Driving, which delves deeper into why the road rager behaves the way he does. Chasing other drivers over a middle finger, wanted to run them off the road or literally beat the crap out of them--someone you've never met before--is certainly not part of a good drivers ed book or the best driving book, which should be the foundation of a solid drivers education program, like Drs. James and Nahl's book along with Highliner, which now give the driver powerful tools against deadly driving behaviors. Times may change, but standards must remain. Here are those standards.

This is all fine and good but what about the road racers, tailgaters and cellphoners?
Isn't some of our Ire a reaction to stupdity???

Hooray! Both Drs. James and Nahl have been providing loads of road rage information online at their DrDriving.org Web site for a number of years, and it's great to finally see the information in a single, comprehensive book. This book is somewhat personal in nature; the research began when Dr. James finally realized that his family members were concerned about his aggressive driving behavior. Are you the type to get hot-headed behind the wheel? Know a loved one who is? Consider reading the book yourself to understand the whys and how-tos, then share the book with the person. As psychology professionals, the authors provide a sound understanding as to WHY we drive aggressively. Combined with tips and extensive exercises, it makes for a very practical guide. Highly recommended.

Hard to read, nothing we don't know. Hey, get out of the fast lane you idiot!