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I Brake for Aggressive Drivers
June 17, 2008 3:13 PM
Whether the driver in front of you has a baby on board, a child who is an honor student, or would rather be surfing -- beware.
A bumper sticker on a car is a sign that an aggressive driver is behind the wheel, according to a study published in the June edition of the Journal for Applied Social Psychology.
"People that have territory markers such as bumper stickers are more likely to respond in an aggressive manner," said William Szlemko, a social psychologist at Colorado State University and the study’s lead researcher.
"We saw everything from flashing lights at people, to tailgating, trying to block people in, following people," he said.
Researchers did several surveys to look at how people would respond to being cut off in traffic and other provocations on the road, assessing the behaviors of about 500 people, Szlemko said. They found that the number of "territory markers" like bumper stickers was a significant predictor of aggressive driving, concluding that drivers with something to say are more likely to act on their anger and frustration behind the wheel.
They also found that it didn’t matter if the driver’s message promoted kindness, sarcasm, or simply politics.
"The content of the bumper stickers didn’t really make a difference in how aggressive the person was," Szlemko said.
At the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, spokesman Russ Rader said that although he had never seen a study like this, "aggressive driving is a problem on the road."
"It shows up most directly in the number of people who speed and run red lights, for example," Rader said.
He added that speeding is a factor in about a third of all fatal crashes, and running red lights kills about 900 people every year.
"When communities put up red light cameras, for example, they quickly discover just how many people there are that feel that their time is more valuable than your life," Rader said. "Red light running is a significant problem across the country and is a form of aggressive driving. It's people who will deliberately blow through a light even though they know it’s putting other people at risk."
Meantime, like most drivers, Szlemko said he doesn’t think he’s a problem behind the wheel.
Though he doesn’t think he’s an aggressive driver himself, he said he’s "definitely" more cautious these days of drivers displaying bumper stickers.
Kate Barrett
June 17, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (53)
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This article is hilarious to me right now because I just put a bumper sticker on my truck two days ago and I would probably classify my driving style as 'assertive' lol
Posted by: Hamzah | Jun 17, 2008 3:48:17 PM
Two words can prevent many highway fatalities and accidents. Two words. “Be nice.” The article is bunk. My bumper stickers on the back of my camper include a sticker for my Congressman, NRA, and a cut out that says “Cherokee Stomp Dancer”. I’m one of the most peaceful people on Earth.
Posted by: Royce | Jun 17, 2008 3:50:52 PM
lol Yeah I don't have a bumper sticker on my car, but I have one that sits in the back window and I'm pretty assertive too.
Posted by: Beth | Jun 17, 2008 3:51:37 PM
Identify bad drivers? No. Identify bad people? Yes.
Posted by: richwonderfull2 | Jun 17, 2008 3:53:02 PM
I want a bumper sticker that says GO AROUND YOU IDIOT! Cant believe the ppl that try to make me drive their way! Hey you want to waste gas and tear your car up thats your American right but don't tailgate me...its my right to slam on the breaks and yell whiplash
Posted by: janet | Jun 17, 2008 3:53:33 PM
AGGRESSIVE DRIVING SHOULD BE AGGESSIVELY PUNISHED AS A FELONY!!
Posted by: NEWT | Jun 17, 2008 3:56:15 PM
SORRY, TYPO...
"AGGRESSIVELY" HA
Posted by: NEWT | Jun 17, 2008 3:59:36 PM
I am more afraid of people driving a car or SUV with chrome rims. The more expensive the car with chrome rims the crazier the driver.
Posted by: Renato | Jun 17, 2008 4:01:12 PM
newt...totally agree...I seen people have fits behind the wheel in traffic jams???...like anyone can help traffic jams? scary thing is because of the "Castle law" now those same idiots could possibly start shooting at random
Posted by: janet | Jun 17, 2008 4:04:06 PM
in my opinion anyone that gets all bent outta shape because of traffic is not mentally stabile...take a chill pill. Kills me how many ppl are so anxious to go to their graves early.
Posted by: janet | Jun 17, 2008 4:07:06 PM
Perhaps the worst thing about aggressive drivers is the way they "push around" other, lawful drivers. I've been coerced to go faster than I thought safe, nail pot holes, ignore hazards and generally stress about possible retaliation if I don't immediately accommodate that tailgating moron in the the SUV/Pick up/battered car behind me. I imagine some thick-necked bully behind the wheel, but often am surprised to see a soccer mom, professional type or young woman... Maybe I need a bumper sticker warning them to back off - my neck being thicker than most! RRRGH!
Posted by: Mark | Jun 17, 2008 4:08:54 PM
around here fancy rims mean Gangster
Posted by: janet | Jun 17, 2008 4:09:14 PM
I disagree. It's not bumperstickers that are a sure giveaway to a bad driver. it's the baseball caps. Anytime I see someone driving a pickup wearing a baseball cap, I know it's time to say a prayer for my survival.
Posted by: bob | Jun 17, 2008 4:12:43 PM
oh I know some times they scare the crap out of me. But I refuse to speed up
If anything I may slow down...but I hear thats just ticks them off more..so usually I just stand my ground and stay at the speed I was at. Speeding up makes you the unsafe driver.Drive at the speed your comfortable with
Posted by: janet | Jun 17, 2008 4:14:37 PM
the bumper sticker that made me laugh the other day...get this an old lady behind the wheel "keep honking Im reloading" I laughed the rest of the way home
Posted by: janet | Jun 17, 2008 4:16:50 PM
I hope with this gas crisis that speed limits are brought down soon. Aggressive drivers will stand out like soar thumbs then and the police can have a fieldsday ticking their butts
Posted by: janet | Jun 17, 2008 4:21:17 PM
sore thumbs lol
Posted by: janet | Jun 17, 2008 4:22:11 PM
OMG, this is pretty funny. I too have a couple of bumper stickers (for Christian radio stations), which I listen to while driving because it helps me chill out since where I live EVERYBODY tailgates like there's no tomorrow. I seriously want to have one (or 2) stickers made: 1 that says "If I wanted to tow you I'd have a trailer hitch" and 1 that says "You must be a piece of crap cause you keep trying to crawl up my butt!"
Posted by: Me too | Jun 17, 2008 4:24:51 PM
I'm Cherokee and retired Navy. Have stickers that refer to both. I don't think I'm agressive. Agressive people don't stop to let another car out in front of them orto let them turn instead of waiting for the long line to end. Just another something to stir people up.
Posted by: Diane Whitesides | Jun 17, 2008 4:27:21 PM
I'm Cherokee and retired Navy. Have stickers that refer to both. I don't think I'm agressive. Agressive people don't stop to let another car out in front of them orto let them turn instead of waiting for the long line to end. Just another something to stir people up.
Posted by: Diane Whitesides | Jun 17, 2008 4:27:22 PM
Sorry. Hit the button twice.
Posted by: Diane | Jun 17, 2008 4:28:28 PM
me too....lol good ones
Yeah Diane its probably going to get worse EVERYONES feeling the pinch everyone acts out diff.
Posted by: janet | Jun 17, 2008 4:35:05 PM
I have a bumper sticker on my truck, (Loveland Skiers do it without standing in line) and one magnetic bumper stuck to the fridge (I don't put on my truck because I dont want anyone to steal it), it says "Please Hit Me, I need the Money"! HAHAHA! I hate agressive drivers, and anymore I get out of their big headed, high sense of self-entitlement way just as soon as I can. Its quieter when they are gone ! (in the well spoken words of Manny the Mammoth)
Posted by: net poet | Jun 17, 2008 4:37:19 PM
It doesnt surprise me. I would be curious to know what the scale of aggression is for people who put fake genitals on the trailor hitches of their trucks.
There are different ways to be aggressive drivers: Outright aggressive behavior, cutting people off, etc., And passive aggressive stuff, like going slow and not letting people pass who are going the speed limit.
However I would like to point out that flashing your lights isnt necessarily indicative of aggression. Those of us who have lived and driven in Europe learned that was the polite signal to let people know that you are coming up behind them in the passing lane, and to make way. Its like using your turn signals.
You find yourself doing it here and people try to blow your head off from their vehicle, because in their nasty mean world, they just know thats code for telling them to Eff off or something.
Posted by: sundog | Jun 17, 2008 4:40:42 PM
These posts are so funny.
1.- WE'RE NOT IN EUROPE...its rude in India to point..its the same a giving the finger yet we do it here..."when in Rome...". If you want to use your flashers as turn signals...move to Europe.
2.- There are ALWAYS exceptions to every rule. The article does not say "EVERY" but "most". If you have a bumper sticker and are not aggressive you apparently fall into the exception catagory which is why the writer did not say "every".
Posted by: whatev | Jun 17, 2008 4:53:23 PM
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