The Safe Driver

Traffic getting you down? Get over it

Many people have a morning mentality when it comes to driving. Some of it is good and the others…well, not so good. They wake up, splash some water on their face, get dressed and out the door. Sound familiar? Oh yeah, they grab that all so important first cup of coffee. Let’s face facts; coffee is a food group to many people, especially in the morning. I belong to that club. It’s one of the first things I do when I get up in the morning – thank you coffee; you’re good to me. It seems to be part of my morning mentality. It’s my jump start to the day as it is with many others. Without it, the day may not start off too well.

So how can you survive your morning mentality or perhaps improve on it? Let’s talk about the issues of the morning commute. Too much traffic, not enough time to get to work, maybe not enough coffee and…well…you’re still too tired. You become distracted by your own environment. You may wake up angry or grumpy. Any of these issues can result in a traffic violation, a collision or just a bad start to your day all because you’re not focused on the reality of the driving situations. However, there are solutions for these issues to improve your morning mentality.

The first thing is to learn to accept these issues. There will be days you’ll be late and/or frustrated. Traffic will be slower than normal and other drivers may annoy you. You won’t like it, but you just can’t control every situation. Get over it. Recently I left for work slightly earlier than normal. The roads were clear and there were no traffic reports stating there was a delay on any of the routes I take. However, it took me more than double my normal time to reach my destination. It turns out a vehicle was broken down which blocked one of the access roads. We all had to take our turn to switch lanes to pass that vehicle. Nothing I could do about it but wait my turn. Was I annoyed? Yes, but it was what it was. I got over it.

I often watch drivers weave in and out of traffic trying to get ahead of everyone else during the morning rush, or at least try to save some time. Sorry, but that doesn’t work either. I usually end up passing these same drivers who tried to get ahead of me earlier. I relate this to standing in line at a cashier’s check out. Many time the longer line moves steadiest and quickest. The shortest line may be slower because of the individual in the lead who is holding things up. All I can say here is…patience. Your traffic line will move soon enough.

The further your commute, the greater chance you may be late if there’s a traffic slowdown. We understand that. To allow for enough time to reach your morning destination, check traffic reports well before you leave home. If you find your route is slow, you can leave sooner or choose a different route which may not be blocked. Listen to traffic reports on the radio while driving to find the latest updates of the traffic. These tips may give you an advantage to allow you to reach your destination on time, plus help you stay calm and enjoy the journey. And if you end up late, nothing you could do about it. You tried your best. Now get over it.

**Have a quick listen to this short episode of the “Speed Bumps” podcast as tips are presented to help you remain calm behind the wheel!

**Many more articles which can help you improve your driving mentality are available…just check here and use the search function.