Because bad drivers, or drivers in general, are so fascinating to try to understand, there is actually a field of psychology called Traffic Psychology. According to Best Psychology Degrees, “Traffic psychologists are involved in studying the underlying behaviors that cause certain behavioral actions and emotional reactions when behind the wheel. Throughout the stages of their studies, traffic psychologists are focused on increasing understanding on the processes by which drivers decide, control, and act when operating a motor vehicle. Traffic psychologists may conduct studies on the behavior of drivers on the road, the relationship they have with their cars, the routes that they often follow, and the interaction between different drivers. Studies are often centered on studying the human factors of attention, memory, spatial cognition, inebriation, anxiety, inexperience, stress, exhaustion, and distraction to investigate drivers’ experiences.”
And when it comes to what traffic psychologists do, Best Psychology degrees explains that, “Most often, traffic psychologists act as consulting professionals in the field of traffic safety for educating, encouraging, enforcing, and engineering new improvements in road systems. Traffic psychologists may be hired to work with organizations or government agencies in the transportation industry in an effort to reduce traffic dangers. Some traffic psychologists also find career opportunities for working in rehabilitation centers to evaluate and counsel individuals who have a history of repeatedly committing traffic-related offenses, such as drunk driving. Within the automobile manufacturing industry, a number of traffic psychologists are hard at work to apply their research findings to improving the development of new vehicles and advancing technology to enhance the safety of driving.”
With great power comes great responsibility. Even though driving is incredibly common, clearly not everyone is an expert at it. We hope you are enjoying this list of driving fails and that you are reminded to keep your eyes on the road and your hands at 10 and 2 the next time you're behind the wheel. Remember to upvote the bad drivers that you feel deserve the most roasting, and then let us know in the comments what the worst driving you've ever seen was. And if you're looking to see even more bad drivers, be sure to check out our last article on the Bad Driving Facebook group right here.
