FREE ESSAY ON THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER

THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER

Dangerous Drivers
General Purpose: To Persuade
Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience to avoid dangerous drivers and steer away from
being one.
Introduction
I. In August 1995, a 20-year old man, enraged after a fender bender with a 33-year old
woman, pulled her out of her car and forced her to jump from a bridge into the Detroit
River, where she drowned.
II. Ugly incidents sparked by driver rage are becoming common on American roads. Usually
highway spats blow over swiftly, and drivers head on their way angered but alive. All too
often, however, anger escalates into battle and a tragic end. Statistics, etc. (Reader's
Digest, 1997)
III. I have a terrible, dangerous habit. One that could kill me and anyone near me. I
cannot stand people who drive over the speed limit. I make sure they know it too. After
reading these articles, I will never act this irresponsibly or immature again and I hope
that I can convince you to do the same.
IV. Dangerous drivers are enraged, intent on getting even and they are the latest threat
on the highway that need to be stopped.
Transition: Dangerous drivers are putting us in danger.
Body
I. A dangerous driver can be anyone who has personal frustrations, anger, or pride.
A. A dangerous driver can be a serious problem.
1. U.S.News and World Report dated Nov. 11, 1996 says that according to Ricardo Martinez,
head of the National Highway Trafic Safety Administration, agressive drivers are more of
a concern than drunk drivers, 40 percent to 30 percent. They can climb into the anonymity
of an automobile and take their frustrations out on anybody at any time.
2. They run stop signs and red lights. They speed, tailgate, weave in and out of traffic,
pass on the right, make improper and unsafe lane changes, make hand and face gestures,
scream, honk, and flash their lights.
B. The real problem with dangerous drivers is that you simply can't know how far one of
them is willing to go to prove a point, take revenge, or simply get his or her own way.
1. Anyone who raises their middle finger while driving is playing Russian Roulette.
2. In the March '97 issue ofRedbook ,an article written by Art Levine called How Angry
Drivers are Putting You in Danger says this is not an exaggeration. Early one January
morning, a freeway driver pulled in front of John O'Kane. In the passenger seat was his
fiancee, Eileen McGuigan, 36, a mother of four. I gave him the finger for cutting me off
and he shot her in the head.
C. I know people are only human--it's very difficult to ignore the jerk riding your tail
or ducking in front of you to save half a second. Some drivers (not me anymore) respond
to over-agressive road behavior as if piloting a car were a contest. They drive to win
rather than to get to their destination.
Transition: We have seen how dangerous these drivers can be, but they need to be
stopped.
II. The best way to cope with aggressive drivers is not to be one. Don't commit any of
the sins that wouls surely make you grit your teeth if you saw another driver commit
them. 
A. According to an article in the July 1997 Reader's Digest, Steer Clear of these
Dangerous Drivers, when someone cuts close in front of you or runs a red light, there's a
terrible temptation to lean on the horn, holler an insult, or flip the bird.
1. Do that, and the problem will be amplified.
2. Your action may cause the other driver to start following you too close or get in
front of you.
B. You're at a much greater risk if you join in the confrontation, even if it's by
honking your horn or glaring at other drivers--habits that men, in particular, find hard
to resist. 
1. U.S. News and World Report, November 11, 1996, gives an example of the solution.
a. One night, as a man was getting off the highway on his way home from work, a guy in a
Saab--a very professional, regular looking guy--was getting off behind him.
b. The exit wasn't two lanes, but the guy wanted to squeeze past anyway. The other guy
didn't want to pull over.
c. When they were on the city street at a red light, the man got out of his car and
started cursing and pounding on the window.
d. The other man did not do anything and when the light turned green, he took off.
2. You need to override your primitive response and do the right thing.
Transition: Now that we have seen how to avoid dangerous drivers, we can see what to do
if it ever happens to you.
III. Avoid the situation.
A. Suppose that you are toodling along, minding your own business, and glance out to see
that the the car in back of you is too close.
1. Change lanes.
2. Don't even look at the driver.
B. A driver who is tough may not let you get away.
1. Don't drive home.
2. Drive to a public place.
Transition: Now that we have seen what we can do to help ourselves, we can start being
safe on our roads.
Conclusion
I. The unknown driver is on the road with us everyday. We all share feelings that are
aggressive, impatient, and to some extent, egoistic. But we need to remember we are not
on the the only ones on the road. There are several innocent people with us.
II. It's up to you to be the cool one on the road. Your life and the lives of your family
could depend on it.
Bibliography
Bibliography
Note that the second line of the cite should be indented 5 spaces. It was not possible
for me to use that format, however.
Cook, William. Mad Driver's Disease. U.S. News and World Report 11 Nov. 1996: 74-76.
Levine, Art. How Angry Drivers are Putting You in Danger. Redbook March 1997: 90.
Levingston, Steven. Steer Clear of These Dangerous Drivers. Reader's Digest July 1997:
51.