Can you tell by what I drive?
I’ve heard people talk about other drivers for years. They’ve said they can tell what kind of driver someone is based on what type of vehicle they drive. Wow, are they good or what? I wonder if they can determine my age or weight too? Isn’t that strange, that someone can actually determine how someone drives based on the type of vehicle they drive?
Does everyone who drives a sporty vehicle drive fast? No, they don’t, but a lot of people make that opinion. I have a neighbour that has an amazing looking vehicle. It has a wild paint job on it and he drives it carefully. He’s put a lot of time, energy and money into it. He deserves to drive it and enjoy it. It’s a hobby for him. Is it fair that he gets categorized as a racing-type driver? No way!
My first car was a 1968 AMC Javelin. It was classified as a muscle car. It didn’t have much muscle though. I paid $50 for it, and even at that price, I over paid for it! Okay, not really, but I bought it from my best friend’s parents and it was a cool car. Because it looked cool and was a muscle car, people wanted me to race them. I didn’t…and couldn’t because it didn’t have much power. This meant that this muscle car image didn’t match my performance. So much for stereotyping, huh?
I’ve also heard that mini van drivers are poor drivers. Not true. I have a mini van because I have 4 kids. I need the van to transport my family. Without the extra seats, we can’t all go out together. We need a vehicle with seating for 6 people. No questions asked, but does that mean we’re bad drivers? One of the problems is that a lot of people who drive mini vans have small kids. These kids pose as distractions. Maybe that’s why they’ve had a bad rap over the years.
I worked with someone who was a firm believer that mini van drivers were bad drivers, but then he rented a van with a couple of friends so they could drive to Alberta. He came back and apologized because he thought it drove wonderfully, with a better view of traffic. He realized that labeling someone based on the vehicle they drive was a very unfair accusation.
We need to base our opinions on facts, not on appearance. If you consider yourself a good driver, based on your driving history and your ability to adjust to different driving situations, does driving a different vehicle make you a different driver? No it doesn’t. What if you borrowed my mini van? Would you be a poor driver because of it? Not at all. It’s what’s inside you that will make you a good or poor driver. If your vehicle is mechanically sound, you can be mentally sound…as a driver, regardless of the outside appearance!