Z
ZBicyclist
Guest
Drivers who personalize their cars take it personally. Beware of the
bumper
sticker..
That's the unexpected conclusion of a recent study by William
Szlemko of
Colorado State University in the Journal of Applied Psychology,
reported in
the Washington Post June 16, 2008.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...6/15/AR2008061501963.html?sid=ST2008061502199
or http://tinyurl.com/5w8uwy
"Drivers of cars with bumper stickers,
window decals, personalized license plates and other "territorial
markers"
not only get mad when someone cuts in their lane or is slow to
respond to a
changed traffic light, but they are far more likely than those who
do not
personalize their cars to use their vehicles to express rage -- by
honking,
tailgating and other aggressive behavior."
It does not seem to matter whether the messages on the stickers are
about
peace and love -- "Visualize World Peace," "My Kid Is an Honor
Student" --
or angry and in your face -- "Don't Mess With Texas," "My Kid Beat
Up Your
Honor Student." The personalizing of the vehicle might be seen as
territory
markers.
"The more markers a car has, the more aggressively the person tends
to drive
when provoked," Szlemko said. "Just the presence of territory
markers
predicts the tendency to be an aggressive driver."
The implications for bicyclists are obvious -- aggressive drivers
are bad
news. The problems are equally obvious -- very seldom do we get a
look at a
vehicle's bumper until it has passed us.
bumper
sticker..
That's the unexpected conclusion of a recent study by William
Szlemko of
Colorado State University in the Journal of Applied Psychology,
reported in
the Washington Post June 16, 2008.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...6/15/AR2008061501963.html?sid=ST2008061502199
or http://tinyurl.com/5w8uwy
"Drivers of cars with bumper stickers,
window decals, personalized license plates and other "territorial
markers"
not only get mad when someone cuts in their lane or is slow to
respond to a
changed traffic light, but they are far more likely than those who
do not
personalize their cars to use their vehicles to express rage -- by
honking,
tailgating and other aggressive behavior."
It does not seem to matter whether the messages on the stickers are
about
peace and love -- "Visualize World Peace," "My Kid Is an Honor
Student" --
or angry and in your face -- "Don't Mess With Texas," "My Kid Beat
Up Your
Honor Student." The personalizing of the vehicle might be seen as
territory
markers.
"The more markers a car has, the more aggressively the person tends
to drive
when provoked," Szlemko said. "Just the presence of territory
markers
predicts the tendency to be an aggressive driver."
The implications for bicyclists are obvious -- aggressive drivers
are bad
news. The problems are equally obvious -- very seldom do we get a
look at a
vehicle's bumper until it has passed us.