Are there any studies or reports on what drivers actually think when
they are driving? For example what do people who weave in and out of
traffic, cut other drivers off, drive well above speed limits,
overtake and then slow down, use all the usual annoying and
potentially dangerous driving habits think? Do they perceive
themselves as superior drivers  and the rest of us don't have a clue?
Do they know they are driving badly and simply don't care or are they
lacking in some mental process?

Hi nelliedean-ga,

  I like your question -- it often seems
  that some drivers on the road are somehow
  fundamentally separated from the rest of us.
  Just the other day I saw a driver cut off a
  bicyclist.  Then, instead of helping that
  rider up off the ground, the driver
  threatened physical violence.

  Now, on to researching your question.

  This article, "The Psychology of Driving,"

http://www.thinkingdriver.com/psychology.shtml

  contains a nice discussion of on points
  including
    - What is aggressive driving?, and
    - What motivates drivers to engage in this
      behaviour?

  They say, "Aggressive driving demonstrates
  hostility, lack of awareness, resistance to
  change, lack of emotional maturity, and
  cynicism towards authority."

  Another nice long article on the psychology
  of aggressive driving is here:

http://www.aggressive.drivers.com/papers/james-nahl/james-nahl.pdf

  That article says, "Individualistic and competitive
  expectations lead drivers to be aggressive and hostile
  towards other road users."  That article also
  has a nice list of references at the end.

  I hope those articles help.

             dogbite-ga

Fast reponse and just what I was looking for. Now I can stop wondering!