- Natalia Vladimirovna Khmelevskaya

Recent studies by psychologists show that the driving style of a car largely depends on the type of person’s temperament. Depending on the characteristics of each individual person, many subtypes of temperament are distinguished, but in practice, its four classical types are most often analyzed: choleric, phlegmatic, sanguine and melancholic.

Each of these types of temperament is characterized by the following, drivers with temperament choleric They feel the car well in motion, but often make mistakes when braking or choosing a safe distance. Conversely, drivers with temperament phlegmatic experience difficulties when driving in high-speed traffic, they prefer to drive themselves and their car calmly, without taking any particular risks. Sanguine temperament is characterized by great efficiency and energy. Driving is suitable for a sanguine person, in which different situations are encountered; it constantly poses new challenges for him, however, the number of mistakes he makes is higher than that of drivers with other types of temperament. Melancholic characterized by increased sensitivity to external stimuli. As a rule, drivers with this temperament meticulously follow traffic rules, but experience significant difficulties when they find themselves in unusual situations, for example, in a city traffic jam or in difficult weather conditions that require increased attention.

The relationship between driving style and a person's mood.

Driving style largely depends on your mood.

While driving a car, you need to understand and evaluate your own mood, state, attitude towards others, that is, identify the main difficulties and learn to cope with them. For many road users, even a small mistake in a neighbor's driving on the road causes aggression. Moreover, the “strength” of expressions depends on the time that drivers have to get from point A to point B. Eloquent gestures are also used, supported by flashing headlights and impatient beeps of the sound signal. It has also been repeatedly noted that even usually calm and balanced people, during long driving in difficult road conditions, under the influence of the environment, can “succumb” to general aggressive behavior.

One pretty woman, during a driving training session with a psychologist, admitted that she really liked driving a car, but could not control her speech and behavior, noticing the mistakes of her neighbor downstream. She was offered to use a very simple psychological technique called substitution of concepts. In another unpleasant situation while driving a car, instead of swearing at the next offender, it was necessary to utter a pre-prepared phrase carrying a charge of positive emotions, for example: “Good luck to you, good man!” The effect exceeded all expectations! After a week, the mood became much friendlier, and after a month, an understanding of the amazing truth came: friendliness and tact while driving are no less contagious than aggression! Moreover, these wonderful qualities reduce aggression to being simply stupid and unnecessary.

How not to miss the main thing?

The first thing to do to improve driving efficiency is to optimize the perception process. It is known that a driver receives about 90% of information through vision, 6% through hearing, and the remaining 4% through smell and touch. At first, avoid talking on your cell phone, listening to music, or talking to passengers while driving. Open the window to hear the noise of passing cars, the squeal of tires or the sirens of special services vehicles. Develop the ability to intuitively recognize vehicles on the road that require increased attention. There is nothing complicated about it, it's all about the right approach to driving and being attentive. After all, everyone knows how, with a high degree of probability, to give a certain characteristic to any passerby they meet: by clothing, gait, facial expression, behavior. You can not only determine his social status, but also predict his intentions towards you. A car is a kind of “outerwear”. New license plates, a “shoe” sign on the rear window, dents on the sides, catchy, provocative stickers, jerky or hesitant driving - all this is the initial data for your observations.

Accident risk of representatives of the Zodiac signs

If you believe the results of research by sociologists from insurance companies, drivers born under the sign of Gemini are the most likely to get into accidents. As a rule, these people are easy to anger. They are followed by Taurus, suffering from incredible stubbornness and always confident in their own rightness. And those born under the sign of Pisces are known to astrologers as risky and carefree people, which affects their driving style. Capricorns demonstrate classic examples of safe driving.

CAR COLOR

What comes first? Does being determine consciousness, as Karl Marx wrote, or vice versa? It is obvious that the environment and lifestyle are interconnected with human consciousness. Studying psychology, one can come to the conclusion that everything that surrounds a person, everything that is indirectly or directly related to him, can tell a lot about the properties of his personality. Our mobile devices, clothes, accessories and, of course, the cars we choose are an extension of our personality, thinking patterns and, perhaps, unmet needs. Choosing the right car color will highlight your individuality, reduce the likelihood of an accident and even save a little fuel.

Outstanding physicists, philosophers, fine art theorists, psychologists and psychophysiologists agree that color has a serious impact on a person - mental and physical. From the organs of vision, the perception of color “passes” to the internal organs and reaches tactile and even, in some cases, sound sensations. Color affects blood pressure: it increases from blue to green, from yellow to red (in combination and separately), and the reverse process occurs when the stimulus material is presented in reverse. There are “schools” of healing with color. And if a person is tired of one color, then he needs to look at the opposite one on the spectrum, and then the psycho-emotional state will change to the opposite. Colors and their shades have different effects on a person’s state: red - on the physical, yellow - on the mental, and blue - on the emotional.

The “color choice method” of the Swiss psychologist Max Lüscher is widely known. This test allows for a quick but in-depth personality analysis based on information obtained by simply selecting colors based on their subjective pleasantness. Color perception is believed to be objective and universal, but color preferences are subjective, and this distinction allows subjective states to be objectively measured using a color test. Do you like tests? Name three colors quickly! The first color, called a person, characterizes the personality at the moment, the second color is a working color, the third shows relationships with others, how a person treats them.

The largest transnational corporation DuPont, as a result of a study, found that white cars are now most in demand among buyers. This fashion is dictated by buyers from North America - they wanted something bright, they were tired of world crises, various unpleasant events and mourning that accompany them. In Western culture, the color white symbolizes purity, calm, peace, silence, light and fullness of life. Silver and gray remain the most popular, followed by black and white. It also turned out that light-colored cars consume less fuel: the car body heats up less, and the car owner saves due to less intensive operation of the air conditioner in the cabin.

The color of the car determines how visible it is on the road to other road users. Most often, black, brown, and green cars get into accidents: they blend into the environment and are indistinguishable in poor visibility conditions. The safest colors in descending order are silver, white, red. Drivers of cars of these colors are half as likely to be involved in accidents as owners of cars of the average color. And overly colorful and flashy cars are unsafe; they distract the attention of other road users.

A recent study conducted by Michigan-based Colburn Group Insurance found a direct relationship between car color and driving style. Want to know what the color of your car says about your personality?

A silver car (prestige, wealth and luxury) is chosen by elegant, calm, balanced people, a green car - on the contrary, selfish, sometimes jealous and capricious (the choice of bright green), but very serious and conscientious. This color brings calm and tranquility and reduces stress. Most often, lovers of green shades know how to keep their emotions in balance.

A yellow car is a sign of a carefree optimist with a rich imagination, a gold car is an independent person, and a gray car is chosen by calm people, sober-minded people who are completely devoted to their work. This color symbolizes stability and self-confidence.

The most cautious ones are drivers of blue cars; this color is associated with a phlegmatic type of temperament. Blue shades, even more than green ones, can bring calm to everyday life. Drivers of dark blue cars are very confident, and you can rely on them - they won’t let you down.

Energetic people with quick reactions, constantly on the move, choose red cars. Red is a bold choice to stand out from the crowd, the choice of a passionate person, a little edgy. Sometimes red is chosen by those who lack self-confidence. Pink cars are often chosen by gentle, loving people. They love to smile.

The black color of the car is the choice of a conservative person, a professional in career and life. A person with a black car is difficult to manipulate. A black car is the embodiment of strength and power. Driving style is often extreme.

White is suitable for perfectionists who love cleanliness, neatness, and those who are young at heart. A dirty white car makes you look sloppy and uncaring.

Orange - very energetic, suitable for eccentric, sociable, cheerful and open.

If your car is brown, it means you are reliable. You are true to yourself and others, responsible and worthy of friendship.

As for the purple color, lilac and its shade - lilac, this rare color is suitable for creative people - originals and individualists, however, dark purple is a very heavy color, and if in excess it leads to depression. Often shades of purple are chosen by people who want change.

Of course, there is no point in judging a person based solely on the color of their car. The choice, if, of course, there was one at all, could be based not only on the taste of the car owner. There are many more criteria: technical parameters, brand prestige, practicality, angular or flexible shapes... But if a person’s choice was made “for himself,” then the information that the car tells about him can and should be listened to. Perhaps you will learn something new about the image of your friends.

MUSIC DRIVING

Music can improve your mood, help create positive emotions or reduce anxiety. It can distract from unpleasant thoughts, or, on the contrary, it can cause irritation and trigger aggression.

Why do psychologists believe that drivers need to be more careful when choosing music?

The power of sound is enormous. However, whoever rules is the one who calls the tune. In a car, the choice is always yours, even if you turn on the radio. Many works have been written about the psychological impact of music on a person: “Principles of Physiological Psychology” by Wilhelm Wundt (the founder of experimental psychology as we know it), the fascinating “Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain” by Oliver Sacks and other equally interesting ones, from foreign and domestic authors. All authors agree that there is a connection between music and the psycho-emotional state of a person. Selectivity of attention during the stimulating effect of music was established, as well as a positive effect of medium-volume music on the effectiveness of vigilance tasks. In the process of studying the influence of musical accompaniment when performing driving tasks on accuracy and vigilance of different levels of complexity, an improvement in reactions to signals arising in the center of the visual field was revealed, however, when performing complex tasks with high-volume musical accompaniment, the reaction to signals coming from the periphery of the visual field worsened .

In a word, the louder we make the music in the car, the more selective our attention becomes and, accordingly, limited, which means that some moments of the road situation remain without our control (music triggers biochemical processes in the human body that are not consciously known). depend). Many automakers are aware of this, and when reversing, the music in some cars is automatically muted (to prevent the driver from being distracted) and the audio parking sensors are turned on.

Installing a powerful speaker for the lowest frequencies - a subwoofer - can both help reveal such nuances and subtleties of the performance of a musical composition, the existence of which you do not even suspect, or cause harm to your body if the acoustics are not configured optimally. Excessive rhythmic exposure to low frequencies on the body over a relatively long period of time impairs brain function, dulling attention and increasing the driver’s level of aggression, which, of course, leads to an increase in the likelihood of an accident.

While driving, it is better to listen to the radio or compilations prepared for yourself, rather than music albums that switch from one mood to another. By the way, there is a list of musical compositions and genres (compiled by modern European psychologists), listening to which increases the likelihood of an accident. These include hard rock and hip-hop.

But what if you need to spend a long time behind the wheel? How to prevent falling asleep? The radio or your own audio library can help you. In the latter case, it is important to alternate slow and fast rhythms. Do you fall asleep from music? Sing it yourself! If you get tired of singing, tune in to talk radio, where they discuss topics that interest you, listen to an audiobook, or learn a foreign language. These tips, of course, relate only to the choice of audio accompaniment and do not cancel measures to prevent falling asleep. “Car hypnosis” caused by monotony (loss of attention, slow reaction, indifference to the environment) is a terrible thing, actually sleeping with your eyes open.

The influence of “music” on the psycho-emotional state of the driver is enormous, and this has been proven by many scientific studies. Optimally selected musical accompaniment can be useful, but excessive music can cause harm, distracting from the road. Much depends on your “psychophysiological reactivity”. So decide how much to turn up the volume knob yourself. All people have different tastes. But keep in mind: if some melody makes your heart beat faster, then you shouldn’t listen to it while driving.

Psychological tests

Test for car drivers: WHAT TYPE OF DRIVER ARE YOU?
Do you think you're a surprisingly good car driver? In this case, you are no different from the majority. That's why the results of our test may surprise you.

We suggest you take a short test - answer a few questions, after which you can calculate the points and view the results.

1. How often do you drive a car?

A. I prefer city transport: it builds character.

B. At least an hour a week.

S. I live behind the wheel.

2. Where do you look when you drive?

A. I admire the landscapes.

B. I look at the neighboring cars.

S. I carefully study the hood and the piece of highway in front of it.

3. How do you rate your driving level compared to other road users?

A. Until this moment I had not assessed it in any way.

Q. What can I say... average level.

S. I am an excellent driver. One might even say fantastic.

4. What is the best way to prepare for a right turn?

A. Slow down just before the turn.

B. Lean to the left as much as possible and only then turn.

C. Turn at neutral speed.

5. What is your profession?

A. Student.

V. Worker.

C. Other.

Statistics prove that after students, doctors, lawyers, architects, realtors and conscripts are the most likely to get into accidents. The reasons are as follows: aggressiveness, distracted attention, chronic lack of sleep. So think twice before driving in a bad mood.

6. The rear wheels slip and the car begins to skid. What will you do first?

A. I will increase the speed.

B. I’ll slow down the gas and turn the steering wheel in the direction of the skid.

S. I’ll brake sharply.

7. When you're driving, the radio...

A. Silent.

S. Sings about the tattoo and the green sea of ​​the taiga.

Rhythmic loud music lifts the mood, but distracts from the situation on the road and slows down the driver’s reaction. Researchers say the most dangerous music to listen to while driving is Richard Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries."

Scoring

1. A=1, B=2, C=3.

2. A=2, B=3, C=1.

3. A=3, B=2, C=1.

4. A=2, B=3, C=1.

5. A=1, B=3, C=2.

6. A=2, B=3, C=1.

7. A=3, B=2, C=1.

From 18 to 21. You're a great driver. It doesn’t matter at all whether you have two charming girlfriends sitting in your car or the car is filled to the brim with boxes of Brussels sprouts. You will quickly and accurately bring both to your home.

From 10 to 17. You passed this test, but maybe take another driving course? This is not offensive at all, it’s just that while there is an opportunity to fix something, it’s better to do it quickly.

Less than 9. You may have come to this page by mistake. Do you actually have a driver's license?

Attention tests

A wide distribution of attention and quick switching are very important for the driver. They determine the success of controlling moving mechanisms under the diverse influence of the outside world on the driver. You must learn to manage your attention, force yourself to voluntarily focus your attention at any moment and on any object, be able to deal with distracting stimuli, and never drive inattentively. You should know well the features of your attention, its strengths and weaknesses.

The proposed tests will to some extent help to understand the essence of the processes in question.

Exercise 1

On each attached table you need to find all 25 numbers in order. The time spent searching for a healthy person with good attention is 25-30 seconds per table.

Task 2

Try to trace each of the lines with your eyes as quickly as possible. On a piece of paper, write the number and letter of all 25 lines. As you test yourself again, you may notice a few errors. These errors will be caused by a lack of attention where the lines intersect with others.

Task 3

Within 2 minutes, you must place numbers in the free cells of the lower square of the form in ascending order, which are located in random order in 25 cells of the upper square of the form.

Numbers are written line by line; no marks can be made in the upper square.

The assessment is based on the number of correctly written numbers. The average norm is 22nd and above.

Stimulus material

16	37	98	29	54
80	92	46	59	35
43	21	8	40	2
65	84	99	7	77
13	67	69	34	18

Form to fill out

Fear of driving a car occurs in many beginners in the first few days after they get behind the wheel. And this is considered the norm, since the new situation itself can cause unpleasant sensations associated with emerging fear. But in some cases, a person develops autophobia, which prevents him from even getting behind the wheel, let alone driving a car. This phenomenon is no longer a normal emotional reaction, so you need to get rid of it.

As with all mental and psychological problems, overcoming your fear of driving begins with learning what causes it. A specialist, using certain techniques and collecting anamnesis, studies the factors that led to the occurrence of autophobia (amaxophobia).

It is already difficult for us to imagine the modern world without cars and other transport. According to statistics, a larger number of failed drivers were unable to become drivers precisely for psychological reasons, and socio-economic factors recede into the background.

Considering the reasons for this phenomenon will help overcome the fear of driving:

The reasons for this phenomenon can be buried deep in childhood, or associated with the personal characteristics and illnesses of a person. Wrong actions of an instructor, husband or father teaching a future driver can also affect his psyche, leading to complete stupor. You can understand the specific reason and begin to solve this problem with the help of a specialist.

How does amaxophobia manifest itself?

In the first days after starting to learn to drive a car, in a traumatic situation or a long break from driving, this phenomenon occurs for many. Most drivers feel approximately the same. Fear of driving a car is described by the following driver behavior:

There may also be a lot of individual reactions of the body that are inherent in each individual driver.

What to do with this fear?

Fear can be formed against the background of feelings of guilt if a person, by an unfortunate accident, became the culprit of an accident or the death of loved ones. In this case, every time you get behind the wheel, you will experience the situation all over again. Here you cannot do without the help of a psychotherapist or psychologist.

The question of how to overcome the fear of driving a car interests many novice and experienced drivers. Experts in human psychology note that in some cases the driver can help himself. To do this, you need to take some actions and listen to the advice of psychologists.

help yourself

The following tips will help you overcome your fear of driving:

Psychotherapy for fear of driving

Not every driver with a prolonged and severe fear of driving comes to a psychotherapist or psychologist. This is often associated with stereotypes of perception of the first part of the name of the profession of such a specialist. Many people think that they are able to cope with their problem on their own, but time passes, but the fear remains, and the person wastes years solving this problem.

The help of a psychotherapist is necessary to determine the cause of the phobia, as well as to overcome this condition.

Various methods and techniques are used, let’s look at the main ones.

An article about how to overcome the fear of driving a car, psychological techniques for overcoming a phobia, recommendations from psychologists and specialists. At the end of the article there is an interesting video!

The content of the article:

This unpleasant problem can become a stumbling block not only for novice drivers, but also for those who have already been driving a car for more than one year, and therefore have impressive experience behind them. After all, the cause of fear of driving a car is not only the lack of practical experience, but also participation in an accident. In both cases, it becomes difficult to force yourself to get into a car and calmly drive along busy city streets.

The prevailing opinion that this problem mainly occurs among the fairer sex has no basis. Men can also be susceptible to this fear, which sometimes has to be fought for several years. In such cases, even the most insignificant trip can become “hard labor.” And here a situation arises where it seems uncomfortable to admit, but you can’t do anything about it.

Why does the problem of fear of driving arise?

There can be many reasons for the appearance of fear, and therefore we will consider only those that occur most often.

The most surprising thing is that, according to experts, often the cause of fear can be relatives, employees or acquaintances. After all, it is from them that most often come the terrible stories about the consequences of sudden breakdowns, accidents, skidding on an ice-covered road. Some people, under the influence of these stories, repeated many times, develop a conditioned reflex - the car becomes a potential danger.

And if this thought has penetrated into the subcortex of the brain, then to get rid of it you will have to make a lot of mental effort and travel a large number of kilometers.

Another reason could be training with an inexperienced instructor. This reason has two aspects. The first is poor-quality explanation of the points of the Rules of the Road, the second is improper organization of training in driving skills. Both the first and second options can be called “time bombs” that carry potential danger.

If the driver does not fully understand the meaning of a particular rule, he may drive under a prohibitory sign and end up in an emergency. Riding with an inexperienced or unscrupulous instructor, who very often are relatives or acquaintances who themselves do not have the appropriate skills, is also fraught with negative consequences, since such an instructor is not able to give proper explanations of the sequence of actions when certain situations arise.

Family members can have a great influence on a novice driver while driving. Constantly heard commands like: “don’t speed, brake, turn, don’t overtake” and the like can cause a state of stupor after just twenty minutes. Trembling in the hands appears, self-esteem is greatly reduced and difficulties arise in controlling the environment.

What to do to get rid of a phobia

There are several excellent methods to get rid of the fear of driving. However, whether a positive result is achieved depends entirely on the driver suffering from the phobia. No one can flip the visual switch in a person's head to force him to act a certain way in each specific situation. Therefore, you should sit down calmly and try to understand what the cause of fear is and only then get behind the wheel.

Before you start driving, you should check the technical condition of the car, and this must be done before each trip:

• make sure there is enough fuel in the car tank, coolant and brake fluid in the appropriate tanks and engine oil;
• check the tire pressure and inflate them if necessary;
• make sure the brakes are working properly;
• check the battery charge level.

Next, you need to create comfortable driving conditions for yourself by moving the seats, as well as the side and rear view mirrors, to the most comfortable position. You should also pay attention to shoes - they should be comfortable and soft.

• It is advisable to drive as often as possible. To do this, you need to use any reason, even if the desired object is very close, such as a child’s school or a supermarket;
• Having trouble achieving full concentration while driving during rush hour? This should not be made into a tragedy. You can choose the optimal time, when the traffic flow is not very intense, and drive along the required route several times. In this case, you should pay attention to the presence of road signs, road markings, recommendations for choosing a speed limit, and the placement of traffic lights. The purpose of such trips is to bring all movements to automatism when covering a specific route;
• On these trips, you should map out a plan of action for maneuvers such as turns, U-turns, and parking near stores, a bank, or a business center. And tie all this to a specific route;
• Practice reversing, and it will be very good if you can perform this maneuver using the side mirrors as a guide;
• Listening to your favorite music helps overcome fear very well. The only contraindication in this case is that the sound volume is too loud, which will prevent you from hearing possible signals from fellow travelers;
• You should not fuss on the road and adapt to the traffic patterns of other drivers. The best option is to find the optimal speed limit for yourself. It must be such that it is possible to monitor road signs and promptly comply with their instructions;
• It is imperative to place a “U” sign on the glass to inform other drivers of your lack of proper experience.

If your car breaks down, do not panic - you need to follow these steps:

• turn on the hazard lights;
• at the distance established by the traffic regulations, place an “Emergency stop” sign;
• Call your friends or a towing service to tow your car.

There are several psychological tricks to overcome the fear of driving, bypass stress and reduce feelings of discomfort while driving:

1. Do you feel like your breathing is going out of rhythm? It's okay - there is a useful breathing exercise to correct the situation. It is necessary to take ten very deep breaths, and then return to normal breathing. If it doesn’t help the first time, then the exercise must be repeated;
2. There is no need to avoid driving. You need to get rid of the thought that you can get to the place faster by using a minibus or metro. Even if this is really the case, you should force yourself to get into the car and drive to the required place behind the wheel;
3. It is necessary to find effective motivators, such as: “I don’t want to be dependent on city transport, limiting myself to moving along established routes,” “I can prove to everyone, including myself, that I can do it,” “Having mastered driving a car, I’ll be able to spend more time in nature,” and something else like that.
4. And one more important piece of advice, maybe even the most important one - you need to be able to laugh at yourself. If you learn to tell others about your road adventures in a humorous style, they (that is, road adventures) will gradually cease to frighten you.

Video on how to overcome your fear of driving:

Demonstration driving is a phenomenon that gives rise to tragedies

Tragedies on the roads occur for various reasons. But there is one category of road accidents that, at first glance, is no different from the others. But if you conduct an investigation into this category of accidents not from a technocratic, but from a psychophysiological position, then one common principle in all these tragedies is immediately revealed - there is always a person who observed the driver’s work and who is not indifferent to it, or a person to whom the driver is trying to demonstrate his “ driving skill”, which he does not possess.

The reason that the tragedies in question did not come to anyone’s attention can be explained by one thing - the technocratic approach used in the investigation of road accidents does not allow us to establish their (as, indeed, many other tragedies!) causes associated with the characteristics of human behavior behind the wheel. As a result, normal driving turns into demonstration driving. What is this “demonstration driving” phenomenon, and why is it so dangerous?

To answer the question asked, it is necessary to imagine the features of the mental regulation of the driver’s activity. This is exactly what is not talked about today either in driving schools or in the traffic police and is not even written in numerous books. The entire motor transport system of Russia, even in the 21st century, thanks to the diligence of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate, is based on an absolutely primitive idea: road safety is compliance with traffic rules + driving skills. Hence the notorious causes of tragedies: violated traffic rules or lost control, and the favorite method of struggle is a constant increase in fines. But why these “reasons” appeared is of no interest to anyone. Former racing drivers successfully cultivate approximately the same idea in their books, without thinking for a second that an ordinary driver and a racing driver, as they say in Odessa, are “two big differences.”

Meanwhile, for any specialist who understands psychology, the above formulations of traffic safety and the causes of road accidents cause an ironic grin. The fact is that the driver controls the vehicle, relying on specific mental mechanisms that function according to certain laws. If these laws are followed, that is, the driver knows them, is trained in how to use them correctly, and is also aware of the dangerous factors that lead to disruption of the functioning of these laws, then he will always be reliable behind the wheel. Unfortunately, no one even mentions these laws either in driver training or during accident investigations.

So, the driver regulates his activity based on mental mechanisms. Despite their relative versatility, they quite clearly demonstrate such components as mental attitudes (to give way - do not give way, to let a vehicle pass - do not let them pass, to obey the speed limit - not to comply, etc.), beliefs (I am always right or I too sometimes I’m wrong; I’m the only one who knows how to drive a vehicle correctly or I need to be more careful; speed is for the strong, etc.), judgment (I’m in a hurry, so I can break traffic rules, or I’m in a hurry, but I won’t break traffic rules, etc.). These components of mental mechanisms reflect the driver’s attitude towards his colleagues and pedestrians, the requirements of regulatory documents, and the means of organizing and controlling traffic. It is clear that with the right attitudes, beliefs and judgments the driver will be reliable, but if these components suffer, then driving safety suffers.

There are quite a lot of factors influencing the state of mental regulatory mechanisms, and the driver must know about them and be able to prevent their negative manifestations. Such dangerous factors for a certain category of drivers (young in age, especially if they do not have information about these factors) include the presence in the cabin (of another car or on the road) of a person who is not indifferent to a particular driver. This leads to the involuntary emergence of a great desire to show off your driving skills. A dangerous attitude arises, as a rule, to exceed the speed limit and/or extreme maneuvering without taking into account road, weather, light and other conditions. It, in turn, gives rise to a change in motivation: driving safety fades into the background, and the achievement of a maximum sensory (spectacular) effect begins to dominate, which, as the driver is sure, will cause delight and admiration in the observer.

Unaware of the involuntary emergence of a new attitude and perverted motive, the driver blindly succumbs to their influence and creates incredible speeds and/or performs unacceptable maneuvers. It does not even take into account, we emphasize once again, road, weather and light conditions. Drivers do not know that driving at high speeds or extreme maneuvering has a number of features associated with the psychophysiological capabilities and limitations of a person. As a result, they find themselves in a trap created by their own “brains,” arms and legs, from which they are unable to get out safely. In a word, the driver himself did everything to make the accident inevitable.

It is the stated mental mechanism that leads to numerous tragedies on the roads, when not only a young driver, but his equally young friend or girlfriend dies in a car. Often such driving leads to the death of an entire group of young friends. Moreover, as a rule, the car turns out to be in good working order, and the driver is sober. If the driver is drunk, then this phenomenon manifests itself much more strongly. Unfortunately, there are a lot of such accidents and of various types: overturning of a vehicle at a turn, involuntary departure (carrying) of a vehicle into the oncoming lane and collision with another vehicle, collision with a pedestrian, collision with an obstacle, etc. However, we note once again that they are not properly investigated by the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate, and therefore no preventive recommendations are being developed to prevent them.

From the above, it becomes clear why the described driving style is called “demonstration driving”. It is by using it that the driver wants to show the person (or people) close to him what he thinks is his high professional capabilities. Unfortunately, the “scissors” that arise between professionalism (low) and the level of complexity of the task being performed (high), which the driver himself has determined, lead to tragedy. Everything in it is banally simple, but only from a psychophysiological point of view, and from a technocratic point of view it remains undisclosed.

Prevention of tragedies associated with the phenomenon of “demonstration driving” is as follows:

1. It is necessary to include in training programs in driving schools information about the mental mechanisms of regulation of driver activity and the dangerous factors that disrupt their functioning.
2. Information about this phenomenon should also be brought to the attention of trainees.
3. It is imperative to examine examples of road accidents in which this phenomenon manifested itself in classes at driving schools and automobile enterprises.
4. Train drivers to prevent the manifestation of this phenomenon by convincing themselves that changing the driving style under the influence of a person present is dangerous and leads to tragedies due to the fact that the psychophysiological and professional capabilities of the driver have limitations.

The recommendations presented, as well as road accidents of this type themselves, should quickly become the subject of analysis in driving schools if we want to reduce the death of people, especially young people. By the way, no increase in fines is an effective measure in preventing such tragedies.

Professor V.V. Kozlov (information from the site autotribuna.ru)

Driving psychology: why do we drive like this?

Why are there so many boors on the road? Why do some people break the rules while others stand silently in traffic? Let's try to figure it out

Today we are starting one of the most important security topics. We will talk about the psychology of traffic participants. Every driver knows the traffic rules and understands the consequences of neglecting safety precautions. But at the same time, driving on the road for some reason turns into stress, and the aggression of drivers exceeds all imaginable limits. Why? We are going to answer this question in a series of publications about the psychology of driving.

In this article we will not argue, prove anything or impose any point of view. We invite every reader to dialogue. Everyone. YOU PERSONALLY! We want to make the country's roads safer, but nothing will happen without your help. And, above all, please take the information below as a heart-to-heart conversation.

I think you have repeatedly noticed that the behavior of many people changes dramatically when they get behind the wheel. It seems that just now he was a normal person, greeting and laughing with everyone, but in just a few minutes behind the wheel he turns into a real monster, rude to those around him. Why is this happening? Let’s try to consider this issue in more detail, because in the West, entire institutions are seriously engaged in the concept of “Road rage”!

But first, remember your last conflict situation on the road. Who did it happen to? Who was driving - a man or a woman? What car was your “offender” driving? Do you remember the brand, model and color? Perhaps you realized from the license plates that the driver was from another region? Or did he clearly differ in social status? Or maybe it was even a pedestrian?

Do you remember? Most likely, your description consisted of some characteristic distinguishing factors, and there are very serious doubts that you were angry with a driver of the same gender, the same nationality, who, moreover, was driving exactly the same car as yours...

Reason one: our own and others

This is how humans are designed, that the brain subconsciously divides people into “strangers” and “us” - this function was inherited from our distant ancestors, when the appearance of a representative of another tribe could lead to sad consequences. But the fallacy of such conclusions in modern conditions is easily confirmed by logic. After all, just because a driver has any characteristic, this does not mean that another driver with the same characteristics will behave in exactly the same way.

But why do we make such hasty conclusions as soon as we see a car of this or that brand, or see a woman or, perhaps, a man in a cap behind the wheel? As he writes in his book “Traffic. Psychology of behavior on the roads” by the famous American scientist Tom Vanderbilt, the reason for such stereotypical behavior on the roads is due to the fact that we have too little information about the people around us. We rely on stereotypes as mental cues to help us find meaning in the actions of others when we simply don't have time to evaluate them carefully.

Let's return to our conflict. Perhaps the outcome of your unpleasant situation was that you swore loudly while driving. No one has measured how much more a person swears while driving, but it is clear that a stressful situation contributes to this behavior. However, this factor also has a psychological explanation.

Reason two: anonymity and “a sense of security”

We are talking about anonymity - you must admit, few of you, being a pedestrian, will start yelling at an elderly person who is slightly slow on the road. But, being in a car, we feel absolutely protected from society, and our unconscious immediately allows us to do very strange things from a moral point of view.

And in a big city, the anonymity of actions only increases! Psychologists have proven that public morality in villages is much higher simply because of the smaller population: in the event of any incident, they will learn about it faster, while in the city a person constantly encounters people whom he sees for the first and last time in life.

This same total anonymity also leads to more irresponsible driving. “I’ll break it quickly, no one will see anyway,” this is what a typical offender usually thinks. Oddly enough, a positive role in reducing anonymity and increasing road safety is played by... the ban on tinting. After all, breaking, catching dozens of unkind glances, is much more difficult than doing it, hiding behind a screen of dark glass. As for swearing as a way to “let off steam”, not everything is clear here either. “If a person swears alone with himself, then he probably releases his emotions,” explains Sergei Enikopov, head of the department of clinical psychology at the Scientific Center for Mental Health of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. - But if swearing is heard by others, then this, of course, can lead to conflict. But we see them regularly, and they end in fights or worse. Therefore, you need to understand when you can swear and when you can’t.”

“What should you do if you see how they are violating, but cannot bring the autocrat to justice?”, a respectable motorist will ask. In many countries, this issue was resolved by the citizens themselves. For example, in the United States there is a so-called “Neighborhood Watch” - a program according to which residents immediately inform the police about suspicious persons or actions, and traffic violations also apply to them. There are similar programs in Europe. In Russia, the possibility of holding drivers accountable based on recordings from video recorders is only being discussed. We are convinced that this is the only possible way out of this situation, because to hope that it is possible to restore order on the roads solely by the traffic police without active civil participation is at least naive

The “feeling of security” that a car gives influences our behavior. And the larger it is, the higher it is. “The car creates an artificial situation for the driver when it seems to him that it is safe to drive,” says Sergei Enikopov. - It seems to him that he is reliably protected in his own world. Plus, a car is a very powerful masculine symbol in itself. It is no coincidence that people try to buy a bigger, more powerful, larger car. And when a person encounters some problems on the road, finds himself in difficult situations, an unpleasant situation of vulnerability arises. It may even seem to such a driver that pedestrians are deliberately walking slowly in order to somehow offend him or offend him.”

Reason three: traffic jams

But violations of rules are not the only cause of conflicts on the road. We are no less irritated by traffic jams. Anger over the fact that several iron “boxes” are placed close to each other may seem strange and even ridiculous. However, modern man often gets angry. Why?

Being late for work, broken agreements, failed dates and simply wasted time are not the actual cause of irritation while driving, but only the consequences of a traffic jam. But the reasons for irritation are similar to those that arise... in a regular queue. When standing in line, for example, at a bank or clinic, we cannot estimate how much time we will have to spend. What will this client do? Does he want to pay one bill or does he have a whole series of questions? How long will the patient stay with the doctor - five minutes or half an hour? We are deprived of information! Moreover, the closer our turn is, the greater its importance for us, because we have been standing for a long time. “Where are you going, I’ve been stuck here for an hour already!” - is this familiar to you? Irritation grows as you approach your cherished goal, although it would seem that everything should be exactly the opposite. The same thing happens in traffic jams, especially if there is a large car in front of you and you cannot see what is happening ahead.

“Why did everyone fall asleep or something, the light has been green for a long time!”, a resident of the metropolis shouts at those who were slightly delayed. Half a minute later, when he took pole position at the stop line, the picture changes. “It’s good to buzz, but the signal has changed, what kind of people are they?!” he exclaims. Duality in assessments, biased attitude towards others? Yes and no, says Tom Vanderbilt. After all, in addition to the “queue effect,” there is another, perhaps the main reason for our irritation while driving - a biased assessment of our own strengths.

Reason four: roads

Do you think the whole psychology of movement comes down to the drivers themselves? Not at all! In many ways, responsibility also lies with the authorities who shape the motorist environment. The head of the Probok.net project, Alexander Shumsky, is also sure of this: “Fighting aggression on the roads requires not so much propaganda as an engineering component. It can greatly influence people's behavior. For example, since the times of the Soviet Union, our streets and parking spaces have been very wide. This provokes higher speeds. Nobody wants to wait when there is space in front, and they are already actively pushing them in the back. In Europe the situation is different. The streets there are narrow, the roadways are not very wide. It is no longer possible to drive or cut someone off. Therefore, I am in favor of installing some kind of traffic islands and traffic lights. This is correct and does not allow you to accelerate as aggressive drivers would like,” the expert believes.

Reason five: automakers

But there is one more point - sometimes aggression is provoked by the manufacturers themselves. Look at this ad. Its authors encouraged aggression behind the wheel! It doesn’t seem like the traffic police were concerned about this, because the billboards and billboards hung along the roads for a long time. Silently approves of this view of the world and society - starting from the conviction that this is exactly how one should behave and whoever is stronger is right (remember the famous expression from Brother-2 “I’ll buy everyone!”), ending with a passive view of things in the style of “ Well, what can we change?

Examples of such “asocialism” should be remembered and... laughed together! Just look how ridiculous this is! Twenty years will pass, and “cool black jeeps” and their “owners”, pushing everyone out of the road, will be perceived with the same humor as “new Russians” in crimson jackets. There is no point in doubting that everything will be exactly like this - after all, we have learned to eat with a fork and use a handkerchief, even if some people still actively resist this. In general, good will definitely win!

SO WHAT TO DO?

Experts answer unequivocally - boorish drivers and aggression behind the wheel should... be ignored. “We must try not to get involved in conflict. Don't try to prove anything to him. There is no logic and no rules in the actions of auto-hams. It's impossible to play with them. Therefore, it is better not to even start an argument. It’s pointless to spoil your mood,” explains Sergei Enikopov. The people even adopted the rule of three “Ds”: “Give Way to the Fool”! But branding everyone around is not the best way to really change traffic situation. That’s why we offer you a new formula - the rule of three “Ps”: “Understand, Pass, Help!”.

Historical reference

It is believed that the expression “Road rage” appeared in the United States in 1987, when the host of one of the channels used it live. Following this incident, the Automobile Association of America released a brochure explaining how to properly respond to such behavior. Interestingly, in the late 90s they wanted to make the concept of “Road Rage” an official medical diagnosis! However, as later research conducted by the US National Institute of Mental Health showed, angry outbursts while driving are a complex phenomenon and can be triggered by a number of factors, including other diseases. Scientists currently disagree on whether Road Rage is considered a disease. However, everyone is sure of one thing - every driver should be interested in defeating this problem.

Timofey Isaev

Have you ever wondered why some people constantly violate traffic rules, are rude to other drivers, ignore basic ethics and the laws of politeness, while others are very calm and equanimous? Driving instructors They say it's a matter of driving psychology!

Road rage

For many, every trip on the road turns into real stress: traffic jams, rudeness of other drivers, bad roads... It is not surprising that people sitting behind the wheel never cease to be nervous.

We think you have noticed more than once that the behavior of many people changes dramatically for the worse when they get behind the wheel. Here is this man on the street: kind and friendly, but once he gets into the car, he turns into a boor. Why is this happening? What changes inside a person? Today we will try to figure this out.

By the way, did you know that in the West there are entire scientific institutes that deal with a problem called Road rage or road rage.

Causes of aggression

There are several reasons for aggression, due to which skirmishes, assaults and even murders occur on the road.

1. The first reason is the division into friends and foes.

Some drivers are annoyed by women driving (this is, by the way, the majority of men), others by people of Caucasian nationality, others by cheap cars, others by expensive ones, etc. And you are unlikely to be angry with a person driving the same car as yours. And this is pure psychology...

A person is designed in such a way that his brain, on a subconscious level, divides all people into friends and foes. We inherited such a division from our ancestors, when the usual appearance of a stranger in some tribe could lead to sad consequences. However, in modern conditions the fallacy of these conclusions can be easily confirmed by logic. Just because a driver has a certain trait does not mean that another motorist with the same trait will behave in the same way.

But why do we make hasty conclusions as soon as we see a car on the road with a woman or a dark man in a cap sitting in it?

Here is what psychology answers to this: the reason for such stereotypical behavior is due to a lack of information about people, both drivers and pedestrians.

We rely on these stereotypes, put labels in our heads, and on the basis of them, when there is a lack of time, we evaluate the environment.

2. The second reason for road rage is traffic jams.

Broken contracts, failed dates, being late for work and wasting time become the cause of conflicts. And who would like to sit for hours in a car, in dust and stuffiness?

In this case, the reasons for irritation are very similar to those that arise in the most ordinary queue. For example, standing in line at a clinic or bank, you don’t know what question the people in front came here with. Maybe they have one question, maybe more. That is, you cannot determine exactly how long you will stay here. We are again deprived of information! The closer our turn comes, the more important it is for us, since we have already lost enough time on this. And it’s very unpleasant when someone tries to get ahead of you. As you approach your goal, irritation increases.

The same thing happens in traffic jams, especially when there is a large car ahead and there is no way to see what is happening next. In addition to the “queue effect,” irritation while driving occurs due to an incorrect assessment of one’s own strengths.

According to some studies, the majority of drivers claim that their driving skills are above average. At the same time, motorists believe that road aggression is becoming more and more common. It turns out that there are more good drivers, but they are angrier? Some kind of paradox...

According to psychologists, drivers simply overestimate their skills! How often do you scold others while driving: “Who drives like that!”, “What a fool!” etc.? But maybe the fool is not someone else at all, but you. It was you who forgot to turn on the turn signal or turn it off, it was you who braked sharply... We often lose control, but we forget that we also make mistakes.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to watch on video how we drove this or that route and analyze all our mistakes, as football players do when watching matches.

3. The third reason for irritation is our famous Russian roads!

The environment in which drivers navigate has a huge impact on their mood.

For example, since the times of the USSR, the streets in most cities are quite wide, which provokes overtaking and high speeds. Hence high nervous tension and irritability.

But in Europe the situation is different. The streets there are narrow, so there is simply nowhere to drive or cut off. Therefore, there are much fewer aggressive drivers.

What to do?

All experts unanimously say: road aggression and louts should simply be ignored, because there is absolutely no logic in their actions. Therefore, there is no point in starting to argue and prove something, you will only ruin your mood. But the aggressor will let off steam on you and move on in the same manner.

And remember two simple rules. This is the rule of three Ds and three Ps: “give way to the fool” and “understand, let through, help.”

Video about road aggression and ways to combat it:

Be polite and calm while driving!

The article uses an image from the site sochi-autolady.ru