Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, when questioned one night on a television talk show about what makes her so popular, responded: “I’m like a bad car wreck on the freeway. You know you shouldn’t stare but you just can’t help it.” 

We can’t help it, can we? While hardly unique, an accident that brought the State Route 60 in Rowland Heights, California to a crawl one afternoon provides a perfect example. Just past the State Route 57 interchange, three crumpled compact cars limped to the right shoulder and died. The respective occupants and a highway patrol officer surveyed the situation, rounding out the classic picture of an accident scene. For a few miles in either direction cars passed by at the speed of a funeral procession so their drivers could ogle the unfolding scenario. 

Admit it. Most of us do stop and stare — with costly consequences, too. The statisticians at the some urban traffic-safety centers calculate that rubbernecking causes more unnecessary traffic congestion than any other behavior.  

So why do we do it? Are we really that morbid? Do we really revel in the misfortunes of other people? 

“Not at all,” answered Mark Rafter, former assistant professor of psychology at Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga, California. “We stare because that’s the way we are built. It is perfectly normal for us to respond to unusual stimuli with an increased level of attention. In fact, having a sense of curiosity is healthy.” 

Rafter also said that this “novelty interest” increases our chances of survival. Instinct

dictates that we examine any unnecessary phenomenon — such as the brightly flashing blue and red lights of an emergency vehicle — lest it be a threat to our own safety. 

“There are other factors as well,” Rafter added. “Freeway wrecks provide us with the rare opportunity to double check our best guess as to the cause of the delay.” 

Goodness knows that we are granted plenty of time to wonder what happened when stuck in a long backup. When we finally arrive upon the accident scene, we are usually presented with conclusive evidence of just what the problem was. Then there is the frustrating fact that the very slowing of traffic that a collision creates lends us the perfect chance to really get a good look at it. Evidently our voyeuristic tendencies tend to complicate matters.

However, being the individuals that we are, not all of us stare with the same intensity, according to Rafter. 

“Each person strives to maintain their own optimal level of arousal,” Rafter pointed out. “Extroverts need to seek out exciting events to get to normal, so they really stop and gawk, whereas introverts require much less stimulation and tend to look away from tragic occurrences.”

In the final analysis, there’s really no need for us to feel too guilty about where we cast our eyes, at least according to one expert. On the other hand, traffic would certainly move a lot smoother if we elevated ourselves above our basic instincts and just kept our eyes on the road.

©2009, Dr. Roadmap® 

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David Rizzo, better known as Dr. Roadmap,  a Commute Management expert who writes about issues such as improving gas mileage (mpg), alternate routes, traffic congestion, ridesharing, commuting behavior and intelligent transportation systems on California’s Orange Country Register.  He is well known for his comprehensive guide ever written on off-freeway commuting in Southern California, published in 1990.  Two years later he became the first traffic reporter to offer daily alternate routes in real time over the air on one of the most popular morning radio shows in Los Angeles.  His bi-weekly columns appear exclusively for TransportGooru.  This is copyright-protected content.  Please contact Transportgooru if you like to use this article or portions of this article. 

WHOOSH! The mid-eighties pickup passed to my right with barely two inches between us. Evidently my 70 mph clip in the number two lane of the freeway barely passed muster for this dude, because as he maneuvered his truck directly in front of me he thrust his hand out the window and gave me the “one-finger salute.”

 Every single one of us motorists has ended up on the butt end of such activity at one time or another. But why all the anger? What causes ordinary citizens to morph into fist waving maniacs?

Raymond Novaco, Ph.D., former Professor of Psychology and Social Behavior at the University of California at Irvine, provided some answers in a study entitled Automobile Driving and Aggressive Behavior.

• To start, Novaco pointed out that cars are marketed to appeal to our combative instincts. The ultimate driving machine, own the road, and “an aggressive multi-valve engine” are perfect examples of catch-phrases used in automobile advertisements that support this theory. 

• Additionally, model names like Viper, Cougar, Prowler, Jaguar, Stingray, and Challenger fit themes of power and competition.

• Novaco also reasoned that following through on assertive behavior becomes much easier behind the wheel because of the protection afforded by two tons of steel.

• Besides, cars provide a certain degree of anonymity. Knowing we can’t be readily identified increases the likelihood that we will resort to offensive behavior that we would never attempt on a face-to-face basis.

• Finally, our vehicles guarantee a quick escape. This ability to beat a hasty retreat almost encourages a transgression or two.

When you mix in the stresses of a long and frustrating drive with all of the above, you have some pretty strong predisposing factors for road rage. Add a precipitating factor such as a honking the worn, flipping the bird, waving a fist, etc. — what Novaco refers to as “cues for aggression” — and the results can get rather ugly.

Given all of the above, it’s no wonder we get dumped on by other drivers. But how can we keep this from happening to us in the first place? Luckily, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety offers several valuable tips in an eight-page brochure entitled Road Rage — How to Avoid Aggressive Driving.

• First and foremost, don’t offend. Tops on the list of offensive behavior is driving too slow in the fast lane. Heck, this is where the Type-A motorists hang out. For anyone who insists on cruising below 60 there, what are you thinking!

• The brochure also advises that you always signal when making lane changes, don’t cut people off, never tailgate, don’t flash your high beams, and keep your horn use to a minimum. Transgressions here rank high on the list of cues for aggression. In the case of a packed freeway where no one will willingly (if anything, we speed up) let you in if you signal in advance, merely give a courtesy flash of your blinker as you make your move when room allows.

• Don’t engage. In other words, give angry drivers plenty of room. Don’t make direct eye contact if you can help it. And unless you’re Mike Tyson, never accept an invitation to pull over to the side of the road.

• Lastly, adjust your attitude. Forget about “winning.” Trying to race everyone to the next stoplight or off-ramp invites confrontation.

Considering all this, it now seems obvious that I was partly to blame for the state of affairs that occurred when the pickup driver flipped me off, as described above. Discretion would dictate that I should have quickly pulled into a slower lane upon first sight of a fast approaching vehicle. Maybe then the guy would have raised his index finger, as well as his middle finger, and flashed the peace sign.

But then again, maybe I’m dreaming of another planet. The guy would have been just as likely to separate his four fingers in the middle and give me the Star Trek Vulcan sign.

©2009, Dr. Roadmap®

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David Rizzo, better known as Dr. Roadmap,  a Commute Management expert who writes about issues such as improving gas mileage (mpg), alternate routes, traffic congestion, ridesharing, commuting behavior and intelligent transportation systems on California’s Orange Country Register.  He is well known for his comprehensive guide ever written on off-freeway commuting in Southern California, published in 1990.  Two years later he became the first traffic reporter to offer daily alternate routes in real time over the air on one of the most popular morning radio shows in Los Angeles.  His bi-weekly columns appear exclusively for TransportGooru.  This is copyright-protected content.  Please contact Transportgooru if you like to use this article or portions of this article. 

TransportGooru is proud to team up with David Rizzo, better known as Dr. Roadmap,  a Commute Management expert who writes about issues such as improving gas mileage (mpg), alternate routes, traffic congestion, ridesharing, commuting behavior and intelligent transportation systems on California’s Orange Country Register.  He is well known for his comprehensive guide ever written on off-freeway commuting in Southern California, published in 1990.  Two years later he became the first traffic reporter to offer daily alternate routes in real time over the air on one of the most popular morning radio shows in Los Angeles.  Starting today, he will be contributing bi-weekly columns exclusively for TransportGooru.   Here is his first column on tax breaks, just in time for the tax season as we sharpen our pencils and start crunching the numbers before the arrival of April 15:

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Perhaps October 31, Halloween, is the scariest day of the year, or even Friday the Thirteenth and its specter of 24 hours of bad luck? Maybe. But the one day most working Americans dread most is April 15, the deadline for filling our income tax returns. However, a silver lining surrounds this annual dark cloud for those who share the ride on their way to their job.

On February 17, President Obama single-handedly doubled the tax-free benefit for ridesharers with the signing of the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009. Now people who take a train, bus or a vanpool to work can receive up to $230 per month from their employer, TAX FREE. That works out to $2760 annually. Anyone treated to a W-2 form at the end of the year qualifies.

Photo Courtesy: Paul Keleher@Flickr

Previously, this amount was limited to just $120 per month, or $1440 per year, as outlined in the Internal Revenue Code, Section 9010.

This fringe benefit encourages commuters to abandon their cars in favor of transit and vanpools, which feature a lower carbon footprint per passenger mile.

Referred to as the Commuter Choice program, it even benefits employers who provide these transportation fringe benefit funds in addition to, or in lieu of, existing compensation paid to their workers. What this means for those of us who haven’t earned a CPA credential lately, is employers realize a savings of at least 7.65% on the amount set aside, since payroll taxes do not apply.

Of course, you know there has to be a “gotcha” or two, but they’re not too bad.

The main catch is that your employer must pay for your commuting expenses by way of a bus pass, rail pass or Transit Check — which is a universal voucher produced by Commuter Check Services Corporation that acts like a gift certificate to purchase transit passes. Most transit agencies honor these.

An employer can also pay money to a vanpool provider, be it a company-sponsored vanpool or otherwise, just as long as the van seats seven adults (including the driver), and at least 80 percent of the mileage is for transporting employees from home to work and back again.

However, an employee cannot receive any cash directly. Otherwise, the IRS will seek a piece of the action.

Additionally, these benefits do not accrue to commuters who carpool. A possible reason behind this exclusion includes the fact that a van, bus, or train can remove far more vehicles off the road than a normal passenger car. Additionally, keeping track of what qualifies as a bona fide carpooling arrangement for commuting purposes only, could prove contentious and time consuming for any employer.

For the first time, though, anyone who pedals to work gets a break. Called the Qualified Bicycle Commuting Reimbursement, a biker can receive up to $20 per month from his or her employer, tax free, for reasonable expenses which include the purchase of a bike, bike improvements, repairs or storage.

President Obama also raised the tax-free parking allowance to $230 per month. And, yes, an employee can take advantage of BOTH benefits. Such would be the case for an employee who drives to a transit station that lacks free parking, then hops on a train for the rest of the trip to work. The potential tax-free income here adds up to a significant $5,520 per year.

While each state clings to its own interpretation of how employers can reimburse their employees for ridesharing, at least the feds have taken some of the sting out of tax time.

We need no longer lie panic stricken when April 15 rolls around.

©2009, Dr. Roadmap®

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Note: This is copyright-protected content.  Please contact Transportgooru if you like to use this article or portions of this article.  Thank you.