Steering Clear of Highway Madness: A Driver's Guide to Curbing Stress & Strain [Paperback]

John A. Larson (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 189 pages
• Publisher: Bookpartners (June 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 188522138X
• ISBN-13: 978-1885221384
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,547,696 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Recommended for Problem Drivers, February 7, 2001

By 

M. D. MCGINLEY "Chief Highliner" (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Steering Clear of Highway Madness: A Driver's Guide to Curbing Stress & Strain (Paperback)

Because the focus on the book is about avoiding anger, Dr. Larson guides the reader to understanding the cause of underlying anger, as well as constructive suggestions for how to either manage that anger or diffuse it altogether. By better understanding why someone gets angry behind the wheel, for example, our author intelligently points out that there are specific reasons behind it that can be addressed without costly anger management sessions. Good books about driver's ed and driver's education are hard to come by, and driving psychology and a good driving book should be on everyone's nighttable. A driver's bible is needed. To ace the driving test also means preparing teen drivers for the asphalt jungle and also to avoid road rage and negligent driving, not counting reckless driving or any kind of driving behaviors that put people at risk. Highliner can definitely help in that area with over 900 pictures of driving scenarios and driving commentary and grading, together with Steering Clear, which make powerful driving tools against inattentive driving and distracted driving, not counting aggressive driving and road rage.

Steering Clear of Highway Madness by Dr. John A. Larson is an excellent treatment about road rage and aggressive driving, as well as a good book about stress management. Coupled with a fair compliment to Steering Clear of Highway Madness, is Highliner: The Nature, Philosophy and Science of Automobile Driving. Now readers have excellent driving tools at their disposal to help diminish and eliminate road rage and overly aggressive driving, in addition to negligent driving and reckless driving. Dr. Larson points out the dangers inherent to angry driving by illustrating how it can lead to driving problems. The 15 Chapters over 189 pages is a nice balance of knowledge without excessive information. I found it useful because I, myself, have suffered from the various types of drivers Dr. Larson points out:

* The Narcissist: 'That guy shouldn't be allowed to drive!'

* The Passive-Aggressor: 'Try and make me!'

* The Speeder: 'Make good time' (although many drivers are not late or trying to make good time, speeding is simply their drug of choice)

* The Competitor: 'Be Number One!' (this was definitely me!)

* The Vigilante: 'Teach 'em a lesson' (this was how I used to treat other drivers, but not anymore)

Steering Clear of Highway Madness should be required reading by anyone with a habitual offender tag, including negligent drivers and reckless drivers, although good driving books are hard to come by. I should know, because I've been there. Automobile driving and driving psychology are passions of mine, not just because I want other drivers to better learn the rules of the road and develop a driver's code of conduct, but more importantly, not to become like the aggressive drivers or road ragers and rather to behave properly like a Highliner behind the wheel. In other words, in a sudden moment of clarity, I realized this book was for me without first understanding why. My lack of closure of past negative events helped me to learn not to take out my frustrations onto other drivers, but to act more like a human being behind the wheel and not an animal, and the result is a solid set of rules of the road and driver's code of conduct that will help to eliminate bad driving and lead to driving right and an overall good driving book that can boost driver's education and a solid driver's ed program on a personal level.

Although this is an older text, it is still worth keeping on the nighttable as a refresher, or just when the edge of good driving is starting to dull again. The beauty of 'Steering Clear...' is that it is well written, direct and yet humorous at times, which means that even a driver without a college degree can benefit from its directions.