Teach me to be a safe driver.

[michael769]

So, do I reinforce that driver's attitude to "making progress"?
See the problem?

How do you hope to make a positive change from within your car & with him in his?
What option would you rather do than 'accommodate'?

Another question.

How do you know that said driver was not trying to get to the birth of his first child.

I accept that stereotypes get to exist because they have a grain of truth, but stereotypes are not universally true, and so your view of the attitude of the driver is an assumption based on speculation.

From outside the "offending" vehicle there is no way to know the purpose of that journey nor the pressures or motivation of the driver. They may well be unreasonable, but they may equally be not. Without access to that information, I don't see how we can reasonably seek to influence behavior effectively.

[Gareth]

From outside the "offending" vehicle there is no way to know the purpose of that journey nor the pressures or motivation of the driver. They may well be unreasonable, but they may equally be not.

If they were reasonable it would be nice for the "offending" drivers to ask politely and then indicate thanks, rather than using bullying tactics.

Without access to that information, I don't see how we can reasonably seek to influence behavior effectively.

I don't see how we can influence behaviour in a positive way except by example, and it's pretty clear if someone is not treating other road users as human too, or else considers them unimportant, they're not going to be influenced for the better.

[michael769]

We, not being Traffic Officers, can't really make a positive change in others.

Yes we can. We have opportunities to provide a good example and positive role model on a daily basis. Those who do Observing/Tutoring have opportunities to effect change more directly.

OK we will not get through to many, and coppers might be able to (forcibly) get through to a few more, but even coppers have to deal with enough repeat offenders to know that some of their efforts are wasted.

If they were reasonable it would be nice for the "offending" drivers to ask politely and then indicate thanks, rather than using bullying tactics.

You are assuming they are in a fit emotional state for such a course of action to occur to them. If said hypothetical child was 3 months premature do you think there would be space in their thought processes to consider your feelings?

Even the most highly trained drivers occasionally lose the plot completely when pressure and worry overloads their through processes.