CAREER LIFE CONNECTIONS

Name:

Case Study #2 - Bill and Carmen

Bill and Carmens morning drive to work puts them on congested traffic arteries with
many other commuter vehicles. Even on roads with two lanes of traffic flows
unpredictable, and its common for motorists in hurry to engage in lane-hopping. One
morning, running late to drop Carmen off, Bill is travelling in the left lane, when a vehicle
ahead of him slows abruptly and signals a left turn. Moving at 45 km/h and sensing a
small opening in the traffic to his right, Bill signals and changes lanes all in one quick
maneuver.

From behind there erupts sudden burst of sustained honking, as the driver of the light
pickup that had been moving into the space vents his annoyance at having been cut off
and forced to brake. Looking into his rear-view mirror, Bill sees the other driver
gesturing angrily and continuing to lean on his horn. Satisfied in his own mind that the
space hed moved into had been available to him, Bill responds angrily in turn, cursing
and raising his hand to make a rude gesture easily visible through his hatchback
window.

This escalates matters, and within a few hundred metres, the driver of pickup has found
an opportunity to move into the left lane and pull even with Bills vehicle. With one hand
on the wheel, his head turned Bills car on his right, he can be filling the hatchback with
angry swearing, as the two vehicles careen down the road together at speeds
approaching 65km/h.

Bill, says Carmen, putting her hand on his right arm, we should just let this go. Shut
up! explodes Bill, slapping her hand away and jabbing his elbow into her arm. Theres
no way Im letting this jerk treat me like this!

To his left, the pickup has now pulled ahead, and in a deliberately provocative repeat of
the maneuver that Bill had perform earlies, the driver suddenly cuts in front of the
hatchback, narrowly missing the front corner. Seconds later he applies his brakes. Bill
attempts to brake as well, but his reaction is too slow, and the front of his vehicle makes
contact with the pickups raised bumper with a smash of glass and metal.

His heavy-duty bumper virtually unscathed, the diver of the pickup now accelerates
again, pulling away to disappear through an amber light as Bill slows his vehicle to a
stop and leaps out fuming with helpless rage to inspect the damage.

Discussion Questions:
1. Who else is affected and how?
2. What were the factors that contributed to this outcomes?
3. Was this an accident?
4. What could Carmen have done to prevent this?