Understanding The Causes of Aggressive Driving Through Behavioral Theories

Introduction

The Philippines, and Manila in particular, is notorious for being one of the top countries with bad traffic experiences. According to Waze’s Driver Satisfaction Index, Manila was ranked 170th of 180 slots, meaning the Metro hosts some of the worst driving conditions in the world. The 180th spot went to Cebu, another major city of the Philippines.

This driving condition is brought about by a number of factors, one notably being road rage or aggressive driving. The aggressiveness that people show when driving can be a manifestation of an already aggressive personality, meaning it is a translation of an internal trait to the person. According to Hennessy and Wiesenthal, however, it can also be a sign or result of a mix of stress and traffic congestion that brings the aggression about (. This means that the aggression cannot be attributed solely to an internal factor, but is also influenced by an external one.

The research aims to understand the catalysts for aggressive driving, and whether it is brought about by “nature” or “nurture”. In other words– is aggression on the road inherent or influenced.

Background

The automobile, or more commonly known as a car, is one of the most popular forms of transportation today. Entire cities have been planned around roads built for cars, which is a testament to its impact to society today. It brings you from one place to another while minimizing the need to walk, and providing a comfortable, laid-back experience that you don’t have to quite work for as opposed to other modes of transportation such as trains that limit pickups and destinations to specific stations, or bikes that require high involvement and a larger amount of energy to utilize.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority’s report entitled “Transportation,” there was a total of 6,672,422 registered motor vehicles in the Philippines, encompassing the various types, namely private-owned cars, jeepneys, busses, trucks, trailers, motorcycles, tricycles, and sports utility vehicles (2013). People are dependent on vehicles to move around the metro.

However, even as impactful roads and motorized vehicles are to Philippine society, it still is prone to a lack of development and regulation. Many factors contribute to the traffic that is notorious for moving slowly, but a more prevalent issue is the way drivers drive in the scape of things. Ranked as one of the worst cities to drive in (Waze, 2016), Manila has seen many succumb to aggressive driving and road rage.

By understanding its causes, the research could provide insight as to how to mitigate, or minimize the prevalent issue, especially since Filipinos have grown dependent on the specific mode of transportation.

Application

The behavioral understanding of the relationship between heredity and environmental factors plays a big role in understanding the prevalence of the issue, which is the presence of road rage, or aggressive driving, in the Philippines. The relationship is also more commonly known as “Nature versus Nurture,” and tackles the fact that behaviors involving interactions, personality, and growth (both physical and intellectual), can be manifestation of one’s inherent characteristics, or a result of environmental influence.