Leading behavioral scientist warns there may be increase in aggressive driving

Dr. Steven Stosny says widespread compassion following events of Sept. 11 is declining

Stosny says car designs might encourage aggressive driving

Aggressive drivers can misjudge distances because anger dilates eyes and distorts depth perception

Suggests confronted motorists avoid eye contact, ignore rude gestures, get out of way and resist temptation to retaliate

"Traumatic loss, such as we experienced on Sept. 11, makes us humanize one another. We need to comfort and be comforted. When we look for human connection, we're not as aggressive; the antidote to aggression is compassion." -- Dr. Steven Stosny

"Unfortunately, this has been short-lived. The problems we're seeing now on our roads and highways are a reflection of a wider community problem of resentment and anger. . . [Aggression] is most likely to be played out in driving because we don't know the other drivers. We're anonymous." -- Dr. Stosny

"[Today's vehicles] are much quieter. The windows are more tinted. The radio is going, so we're not hearing people. We're not seeing the normal human cues that keep aggressive impulses in check. Other drivers are not people, they're just machines." -- Dr. Stosny

Dr. Stosny conducts anger regulation classes for drivers and is a member of Smooth Operator Coalition, a group of officials, government agencies and private sector partners in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia

The program began strictly as a law enforcement effort in Tidewater and Northern Virginia in 1997 and now includes 50 law enforcement agencies in jurisdictions