Kathy Steiner was one of several callers advocating a new set of hand signals. Her Acura has such a wimpy horn she rarely uses it. But she wishes there was a gesture she could use to let other drivers know when she's done something stupid. The authoritative stuff came from national road rage expert Dr. Leon James, professor of psychology at the University of Hawaii, who saw the column on the Internet. His nickname is DrDriving.
Women swear more than men behind the wheel regardless of the car they drive.
But 72 percent of women respondents who drive vans reported cursing on a regular basis. Most drivers underestimate their own road mistakes and overestimate their competence. Drivers of either sex who habitually leave late for a destination report speeding, cursing and driving in a hostile manner more often than those who leave on time. Participants not only responded, they confessed secrets. When she drove a sporty red Miata, one woman admits she raced, sped and wove through lanes.