Driving and road hockey are alike
Being a driving instructor with Young Drivers of Canada has taught me a lot about raising my kids, and raising my kids has taught me a lot about being a driving instructor. I’ve taught my kids to believe in themselves, but to be cautious when dealing with other people. The same can be said about driving. Trust in yourself and your abilities, but be careful about who you trust while driving. Do have the same beliefs?
With over 9 million drivers in Ontario, over 23 million drivers in Canada and over 250 million drivers in North America, why would we trust other drivers to do the proper thing? Most drivers use their vehicle as a tool to reach their destination, but without thinking about the repercussions of their actions. In other words; they do first, and think later. I guess that falls into a ‘reactive’ style of driving as opposed to a ‘proactive’ style of driving. Why wait until you have to slam on your brakes or swerve before you do something?
There was a recent collision that resulted from a driver swerving into the oncoming lane. The driver they were approaching reacted by moving into their oncoming lane to avoid them. The first driver recognized their error and went back into the lane they were originally in, but it was too late; they crashed. Luckily, no one was seriously injured or killed. http://bit.ly/iVWTe6 This crash occurred on a multiple lane road with a lot of escapes available, but if you drive ‘reactively’, you’re not prepared.
When my kids ride their bikes or skateboard they wear protective helmets and sometimes their kneepads. They need to be prepared in case something goes wrong. Why wait until there’s a serious fall before I ensure they wear safety items? The same rules apply when they are playing road hockey, riding their bikes on our street and playing basketball on the street; they have to play with safety on their mind. Remember playing road hockey as a kid and having to say “caaaar” every now and then? I’m sure that brought back memories for a lot of you! We moved out of the way to let them pass, but we always looked for them before making that perfect pass. Why not look for them before that perfect lane change?
Positioning is also very important. We made sure our road hockey net wasn’t near the corner in case a car came around the corner too quickly. If that’s the case, why park your vehicle that close to the corner as well? The same problems can arise with a car coming around the corner; damage to your vehicle. Positioning your vehicle while moving is a very important part of driving that millions of drivers fail to grasp. They trust the driver beside them, in front of them or behind them will do the proper thing and look for you before they move in your direction. Think again drivers. Rarely does that happen, so why expect it?
As a safe driver, we need to think proactively and position our vehicle in such a way that chain reaction collisions don’t have to happen. Always think about where you can go in case of trouble; plan your escape. Position your vehicle so you have a way out if a driver doesn’t see you, but your way out should never cause a different crash. Unlike road hockey, there won’t be anyone yelling “caaaar” to get you to move out of the way.