Driving is not a fantasy; it’s real
Like most people out there, I lead a busy life. I do things for my family, myself and my job atYoung Driversof Canada. I’ve learned to prioritize my tasks on a daily basis. Sometime, it’s difficult to stay focused on one task before switching to another. As a driver, that’s difficult to do as well, don’t you think?
I recently read where a driver admitted in court that she was trying to retrieve a lit cigarette she had dropped; plus she was drinking from a can of pop, fiddling with the radio and trying to find a lighter from her purse. All of this was happening on the freeway while she was traveling at 100 km/h. Come on, really? A witness reported the driver and called it in. The pursuing officer noticed her vehicle weaving around the lane and she was also spotted of driving without any hands on the steering wheel. http://www.thespec.com/news/local/article/586403–taking-hands-free-to-a-new-level-100-km-h-on-qew
I’ve been a firm believer of common sense…until now. I wonder; did she not even have the fear of injuring herself? Perhaps she was a lifelong member of the “It won’t happen to me” club. You know what I mean; people who do things not expecting the worse case scenario will happen to them. In this case, this driver received a $1500 fine and 14 month ban from driving. I wonder if they’ll drive anyway since they’ll probably believe that the police won’t pull her over…again.
Distracted driving has been so big over the past 10 years, but drivers still do it. It seems to be that no one thinks of the consequences of their actions any longer. They just do things and figure nothing bad will happen to them or anyone else. Wrong. Even though no one was injured of killed in this situation, this driver lost their license for more than a year, was fined and probably won’t be able to afford the insurance after she gets her license back.
We need to realize that your brain can only handle one task at a time that isn’t already a habit. We use ‘task switching’ instead of multitasking. That is; we will quickly switch from one task to another, thinking we’re doing more than one thing at a time. While in a vehicle, driving should be the only task we do. Even a simple conversation with a passenger can cause the driver to “mentally disengage” themselves from concentrating enough on the driving task.
I understand that drivers make mistakes. I get that. Those mistakes should be small ones that can easily be corrected. The mistakes this driver made were on purpose. The more I read the article in the newspaper, the more I believe they are living in a fantasy world. Perhaps they never got out of their childhood fantasy thoughts. You know; the one where they were a princess and nothing bad ever happened. I think Disney is the only place that happens anymore.
Once you get into your vehicle, place all of your distractions aside. Keep your phone off, preprogram your music, keep your purse or bag in the trunk to avoid the temptation of reaching for it. Leave the food and beverage for your destination. Secure all loose items to avoid having the visual distraction.
Take ownership of your driving. Think of the consequences of your actions before you tackle the task. Remember that innocent people can get caught up with your actions if you’re not careful. Think about the financial effect of your actions if that makes a difference to you and your life. Life isn’t a fantasy; it’s real.