Traffic: The Psychology in Driving

Rachael Riggs

National American University

PRO535: Advanced Vehicular Security

David Haag

March 2022

Traffic: The Psychology in Driving

In the book "Traffic," by Tom Vanderbilt (Vanderbilt, 2008), Vanderbilt discusses how a person's mind can affect their driving abilities. He discusses how we view traffic as separate from us, and while we are driving, cars are often viewed as cars instead of the people driving them. He discusses how when we travel on familiar or the same roads, habits take over to allow us to do less mental work, and often, while we are driving, we are thinking of where we are going rather than staying present in the moment. (Vanderbilt, 2008)

The book discusses many beneficial things for a security driver to know, such as steering with the pedals, not the wheel. Another excellent thing to add to one's driving knowledge is to look where you want to go. Do not look at what you are trying to avoid. Your body will subconsciously take you in the direction of whatever thing your eyes fixate on, so fix them on wherever it is that you want to end up. (Vanderbilt, 2008) Today's driver also has tendencies for road rage and a desire for everything on the road to go their way; as Vanderbilt explains, when we are on one road, we want all of the lights to be green for us, but if we are on the other, we want the same thing. (Vanderbilt, 2008) Drivers often think about where they are going or their tasks for tomorrow. A driver should instead be focused on their current situation and what is happening around them.

According to a 2008 study conducted at Vanderbilt, race car drivers tend to commit more traffic offenses than the average driver. However, the study also highlights certain qualities exhibited by race car drivers that can be emulated in daily life and can be beneficial for security professionals, such as sitting up straight with your body close enough to the pedals to move freely, sitting in a way that one can feel the car's signals, alerts in the pedals, and steering wheel. The car is constantly giving off signals for how it is running and responding to you. One can feel these signals in the pedals and steering wheel and listen for the sounds the vehicle is putting out. (Vanderbilt, 2008)

It is important to understand weight transfer during a skid. With an understeer skid, the front of the car has lost traction, steering will worsen the situation, and braking is the best way to handle this type of skid. Hitting the brakes will shift the weight from the back to the front where it needs to be. In an oversteer skid, the back end has lost traction and is attempting to move to the front. The best way to address this type of skid is to move the steering wheel in the direction the car's rear end is moving or to "steer into the skid." Once you begin steering into the skid, slowly accelerate the gas. Do not brake in an oversteer skid as this will bring more weight to the front, which is the last place you want the weight to adjust. When the car finally hooks traction, hold the steering wheel. Let the tires do the work of the steering wheel as the car realigns itself. (Vanderbilt, 2008)

A final acknowledgment from Vanderbilt's book is to utilize the mirrors often. The more the driver can see in every direction, the better off he will be. (Vanderbilt, 2008) By using a mirror in areas with a blind spot, the driver eliminates the need to turn around while driving, ultimately making the road and the vehicle safer. (Securikey, n.d.) Mirrors will make driving more manageable as we can see more than we could otherwise and avoid or detect situations that need our attention.

Professional Security Driver: Overcoming the Tricks of the Mind

Vanderbilt stresses how the mind can affect ones driving and ability to drive. We subconsciously apply bias toward specific drivers and treat other drivers like they are not human but merely machines. We feel we are securely protected and as though we are almost anonymous as we ride in the protective shell of our vehicle. It becomes a habit as we drive and repeat the same drive repeatedly. This habit makes us feel more at ease and comfortable, and as the roads become well-known, we begin to let our guard down and can space out the drive completely. This act of habit is when we become most vulnerable to attacks and crashes. Remembering and paying attention to everything around us must be a priority.

Another way one's mind can take over when driving is when attempting to avoid an accident. While looking at the car we intended to avoid, our vehicle moves toward the direction of our gaze, bringing us closer to the vehicle we had hoped to elude. Whatever direction our eyes fixate on is the direction the car will head. It is important to remember to look in the direction in which we intend for the car to land.

When faced with a situation such as an accident, we initially go into shock, or a surprise state, and our fight or flight response is activated. We can lose common sense. Worse than that, we may hastily respond in ways that worked in the past, but for this situation, it does not. An example is slamming on the brakes or oversteering when we begin to skid.

One way to evade this thinking is to take a security driver course. This course will help keep a person from going into a freeze when something happens to themselves, their vehicle, or their surroundings. These courses can also teach how to maintain a vehicle if it loses control and how to escape a vehicle attack. The skills taught in these classes are primarily aimed toward security drivers but would be of extreme benefit to anyone who chooses to drive.

The Future of Driving

As we advance into the quickly progressing future, our vehicles constantly change. The advanced technology may cause issues regarding the ability of an attacker to hack into your car's system, connect to it for surveillance purposes, gain access to communications, gather user data, and overpower vehicle controls and sensors (Nash et al., 2017) even shutting the vehicle down for an attack while potentially locking the individuals inside the vehicle.

Beyond the prevalent issues in hacking, vehicles using new technology can cause problems of their own and would need some shut-off to these controls. Automatic braking and evasive steering technologies (Heaps, 2017) could cause issues for a person needing to escape a situation and those using ramming techniques. Vehicles that steer themselves back onto the road could also pose another problem when attempting to evade a life-threatening situation.

Conclusion

Driving has become a routine undertaking for most people. We no longer think much about what is involved in driving and have done it so frequently that this potentially deadly endeavor has become a common everyday occurrence. Our brain blocks things such as driving and creates specific habits to make itself more efficient. Because of this, we become more susceptible to the dangers involved. We must focus on our drives, learn more about our vehicles, and understand how they run and drive to maintain and maneuver them safely.

A driver, especially a security driver, needs to know many things to provide the most favorable outcome in unexpected situations. We should understand car handling based on how we use the steering wheel, brakes, and pedals and how weight shifts affect the vehicle. Understanding these things will significantly help when a person faces a situation where they need to make an instant decision.

The future of driving holds some excellent features for the typical driver, but many new technologies could provide further issues for a security driver. Understanding the technology of the vehicle you are driving is essential for protection reasons. Drivers must know if certain vehicle technologies must be switched off or removed entirely. (Vanderbilt, 2008) (Nash, Boehmer, Wireman, & Hillaker, 2017)

References

Heaps, R. (2017, January 4). Ford Expands Its Self-Driving Car Technology With Evasive Steering Assist. Retrieved from Auto Trader: https://www.autotrader.com/car-tech/ford-expands-its-self-driving-car-technology-with-evasive-steering-assist

Nash, L., Boehmer, G., Wireman, M., & Hillaker, A. (2017). Securing the future of mobility: Addressing cyber risk in self-driving cars and beyond. New York: Deloitte University Press. Retrieved from https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/be/Documents/strategy/Securing%20The%20Future%20Of%20Mobility.pdf

Securikey. (n.d.). Road Safety Mirrors. Retrieved from Securikey: https://www.securikey.co.uk/support/faqs/mirror-applications/road-safety-mirrors/

Vanderbilt, T. (2008). Traffic. New York: Vintage Books.