Eye contact and stereotypes on the road

The book I am reading is called Traffic by Tom Vanderbilt, and it's incredible how in depth Vanderbilt gets into the way we behave on the road. He explains the important role eye contact plays in traffic People are cooperative by nature, which is why the human eye is designed to be showing more white than the eyes of animals. This immediately brings your attention to people's eyes. As observed by Vanderbilt, "The eyes, one might argue, help reveal what we would like; eye contact is also a tacit admission that we do not think we will be harmed or exploited if we disclose our intentions" (31). It's amazing how simply looking at someone can clearly let others around you know what you are about to do. That is why eye contact is so necessary at intersections. However, by making eye contact one also takes on responsibility. At least according to Vanderbilt: "Look at another driver and he will know that you have seen him, and thus dart ahead of you. Not looking at a driver shifts the burden of responsibility to him (assuming he has actually seen you), which allows you to proceed first- if, that is, he truly believes you are not aware of him" (32-33). I have noticed many times that people will deliberately not look at me at an intersection and go when it's legally my right of way. If those people had made eye contact with me, they probably wouldn't have gone ahead. I think it's interesting that a person is far less likely to cut someone off if they have made eye contact because they feel accountable to that person even if they know they will probably never see them again.

This sense of accountability also carries over to stereotypes. A study done by Ian Walker, he observed that if a cyclist wore a helmet, passing cars gave them significantly less space than if they didn't wear a helmet (38). This reveals the common stereotype that cyclists wearing their helmets must more rational and safe to drive past. This relieves a driver's sense of accountability for the cyclist's safety. Whereas, if a cyclist is not wearing a helmet, a driver will feel like they would be responsible if they hit the cyclist, and they give them more space. The same thing goes for children. "A driver who sees a small child standing on the roadside may make a stereotypical judgment that 'children have no impulse control' and assume that the child may dash out. The driver slows" (39). Because of the idea that children cannot be trusted with their own safety, the buck is passed to the driver. If an adult is standing at the side of road, the driver is glad not to assume responsibility.

The Transformation from Human Being to Aggressive Driver

What is it about stepping into a car that makes any sane, responsible person into an aggressive, road-raging lunatic? In his book Traffic, Tom Vanderbilt explores the psychology of humans in their cars and explains the causes of behaviors of people behind the wheel. Vanderbilt suggests that road rage is not because of character flaw per se, but because of the loss of humanity once we step into a car. He expands on this by saying, "Think of language, perhaps the defining human characteristic. Being in a car renders us mostly mute" (21). He goes on to say that the lack of proper communication causes many misinterpretations on the road. Experiments and observations have shown that people are quick to jump to an angry, defensive stance when they are honked at. A researcher also argues that it is the inability of drivers to hear each other that makes them angry. He says, "This muteness... makes us mad. We are desperate to say something" (22). When one driver offends another -whether it's intentional or not- the victim finds the need to voice their frustration, but course the offender will make no response. In a certain study, some researchers would honk at another car and record their reactions. "More than three-quarters of the drivers reacted verbally, despite the fact they would not be heard by the honker" (22). As it is human nature to communicate our frustrations and problems, when all sophisticated communication is taken away, we are likely to get angry at other drivers and perhaps drive more aggressively.

Not only is communication lost inside a car, but a person's identity is as well. Once you step into your car, you are identified by the type of car you drive, your license plate, and your bumper stickers. Vanderbilt observes, "Anonymity in traffic acts as a powerful drug, with several curious side effects" (26). People feel free to express themselves in extreme ways when they are alone in their car. Vanderbilt compares being in a car to being in a chatroom. Since you aren't face to face with people, and they have no idea who you are, you are able to say anything you want. This irresponsibility is shown in drivers as well. Vanderbilt also says, "...anonymity increases aggressiveness" (27). He says this because people lose their identity while they are in their car, it is easier for them to get angry at other drivers. On the road, drivers don't see each other as people but as annoyances. Therefore, it is not necessarily inhumane people who are road ragers. Aggressive driving is actually a very human response to the lack of language and identity inside a car