This document discusses a study that aimed to reduce aggressive driving and road rage through the Mozart effect. The study tested drivers under various conditions like driving in silence, with music, or with passengers, and measured their physiological arousal. It found that certain types of classical music may decrease stress levels and the likelihood of aggressive behaviors like tailgating or road rage. The study also examined the effects of mental imagery and conversations that drivers have with themselves or aloud when frustrated in traffic. It measured heart rate variability and found associations between accelerated heart rates and behaviors like speeding or braking harshly.

1. Combating Aggressive Driving and ROAD RAGE
THROUGH THE MOZART EFFECT
Dr. James Honeycutt
Distinguished Professor
Note: We would like to thank the assistance of
the Louisiana State Police Training Academy in
Zachary, LA for their assistance with this project

2. Statement of Needs and Objectives
• Purpose: To promote safe driving and decrease incidences of aggressive driving and road rage due to
heavy traffic congestion
• Metropolitan areas in Louisiana have heavy traffic congestion.
• As a result people get frustrated due to time delays, wrecks impairing traffic flow.
• Aggressive driving includes a range of behaviors that includes speeding, tailgating, weaving and running
red lights, or any combination of these activities. Road rage occurs when the car is used as a weapon to
hurt others along with increased threat of bodily injury once drivers have stopped their vehicles.
The Problem Now:
Research has shown that aggressive driving incidents have increased by 7 percent every year since 1990. Over,
1,500 men and women are injured or killed each year as a result of aggressive driving.
• Psychologists have suggested that certain drivers are more susceptible to losing their tempers behind the
wheel than others. There are many lifestyle factors and/or stressors that could be associated with drivers
previously identified as safe or unsafe drivers. Factors associated with road rage are drug/alcohol
problems and histories of violence. Hence, we will have a baseline measure of the overall level of daily
anger in drivers’ lives that will be factored in when road rage is displayed in our experiment.

3. • Preliminary, data was collected in the spring
of 2006 at the Louisiana State Police Driving
Headquarters and lasted for 2 years.

4. Music Therapy in the Car
• According to research, certain types of music can reduce the levels of stress,
depression or anxiety. It is hypothesized that if driver education instructors
disseminated information about the Mozart effect to new drivers, their level of
stress and anxiety would decrease and they will be less likely to vent their anger at
other drivers on the road. We had a baseline measure of the overall level of anger
in the motorists’ daily lives. Also, we will use biomedical feedback monitors to
measure the physiological arousal of drivers in the following conditions:
1. Driving in silence
2. Driving while listening to talk radio
3. Driving while listening to other types of music that the driver selects including I-
Tunes
4. Driving in solitutude
5. Driving with companions who may enhance or detract from aggressive driving
6. Environemntal conditions

5. Mental Imagery in the Car
• Additionally, we investigated the use of
imaginary interactions (IIs) with a potential
offending driver. Some people have IIs as they
are “venting” at offending drivers in heavy
traffic conjestion when they are late for an
important meeting with business clients.

6. The driving conditions
were tested under
instances of moderately,
heavy driving conditions in
which the driver is boxed
in by an 18-wheeler and
the driver in front of them
is talking on a cell phone.

7. • The driver has been instructed that they are
late for an important, business meeting or they
are out for a Sunday, leisure drive. Personality
measures reflecting different types of driving
behavior have been gathered.

9. • Interbeat interval (IBI) also known as heart-
rate variability, is a measure of anxiety and
arousal .
• Heart-rate is negatively correlated with being
an impatient driver and having imagined
interactions with the offending driver.
• Increased heart rate is negatively associated
with rage at the offending driver.

10. • Heart-rate variability is negatively associated
with riding the brake, but positively
associated with increased speed and
tailgating. Hence, while accelerating,
persons actually feel calmer in heavy traffic
conditions.
• Unfortunately, this gives drivers time to
ruminate and mull over old arguments and
conflicts.

11. • Being a punishing driver is associated with
venting in terms of IIs, raging, and talking out
loud, such that the car is used as a weapon