The drivers who make dangerous maneuvers pose a social threat. They resort to them primarily out of terribilism and out of the need for adrenaline or because they cannot drive or out of negligence. Some of the drivers systematically ignore the road signs and take risks and this becomes an automatic behavior for them in time. Others resort to risky maneuvers after they drink considerable amounts of alcohol, being in a state of suppression of conscience, said Zinaida Gribincea, expert in psychology, journalism and communication. She noted that in all the enumerated cases, it goes to poor acknowledgement of the effects of their actions and absence of social responsibility.
Contacted by IPN details, Zinaida Gribincea said the behavior in traffic shows the way in which the actions of drivers are regulated and penalized and the type of the person’s personality. ”Firstly, not everyone is able to drive appropriately. Therefore, we are sometimes witnesses to dangerous and imprudent maneuvers, even if the person driving the vehicle has a driver’s license. But there are differences between the normal behavior of persons and the way in which these behave in traffic. Many drivers behave arrogantly or enter a competition with other motorists according to different criteria. Each driver has the own style of driving and of interacting with the other participants in traffic,” explained the expert in psychology.
This way, some of the drivers are confident and disinhibited, while others are unconfident and slow in taking decisions. Also, some are high-conflict and rigid, while others are cooperative and flexible. No matter what type of personality, temperament and character the drivers has, the observance of the road traffic rules and acknowledgment of the effects of actions in traffic are mandatory for the own security and the security of those around.
The giving of way to those who come from a secondary road is not an act of heroism, but shows the capacity to be flexible, to obey the road signs and to respect the other traffic participants even if there is no video camera there.
In Moldovan society, there are many stereotypes about female drivers. Some of them are really insulting and discriminatory, even if, according to statistics, the women are not among the drivers who frequently commit road traffic violations and cause road accidents. “The discriminatory assessment is due to the stereotypic thinking that derives from the conservative traditions typical of our society. Even if the number of women who have a driver’s license increased the last few year, they continue to be labeled and discriminated in comparison with men. In general, stereotypes and prejudice cannot be easily excluded from collective mentality, but each person can assess another person judging by personal qualities, not based on gender characteristics,” said Zinaida Gribincea.
But there are also inverse situations. The women are increasingly advantaged when they have a tire burst or when they need technical assistance. The men usually react positivity when they are asked to lend a hand. However, unlike men, the women often know less about the technical details of cars. The female drivers are given way more often, even if the road sign does not require doing this. The men act like this primarily because they want to avoid a danger, being influenced by the same prejudice about driving women.
As to the ordered license numbers that often represent the initials of the vehicle owner, these represent a costly pleasure. But the license plate is not more expensive than a luxury car. It is somehow normal for a person who affords to buy an expensive car to also choose appropriate accessories. Nevertheless, this is not a rule. Many persons drive expensive cars, but do not have exclusive license numbers. The persons decide individually how they can satisfy particular needs, such as the need to assert or to distinguish oneself in the social group of which they form part. In general, the car is a sign of the social status, financial situation, success in business and image of the person, concluded the psychologist.
