Labeling other drivers hurts you too
The experts say that in order to be avoid being negative you need to avoid being near negative people. I think there’s a lot of merit to that advice. In this day and time, we tend to notice things which may make us scratch our head and wonder why. The negative events which happen in our society seems to jump to the front of our thoughts each day, and those negative thoughts may change your outlook in life. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
I hear many drivers discuss all the bad drivers they face each day. I’ve heard comments all young people are bad drivers, how all seniors are bad drivers and how all truck drivers are bad drivers. Really? All of them? You’ve actually seen all of them? Amazing. Here’s the reality; you’ve seen a few of them but only remember the bad ones. The drivers who passed you quietly, drove toward you safely or crossed your path in a safe manner; they did what they were supposed to do and went by unnoticed. They didn’t draw your attention to themselves and you never noticed them. You only noticed the negative ones.
Many years ago, I crossed paths with my former school teacher. It had been many years since I was in her class and I re-introduced myself to her. I told her the year I was in her class and she said she didn’t remember me. She would go on to tell me she usually remembered the students who stuck out to her. The student who constantly required a lot of attention for good or for bad reasons. The students who did their work without too much interaction from the teacher were hardly memorable because they blended in with everyone else. After some thought, it made sense to me. The same could be said about drivers. The drivers who stuck out because of their poor driving actions we tend to remember a lot more than those who blend into the background and do what they are supposed to do.
While I was training licensed drivers, one driver in the room said if we leave space in front of us while driving everyone would cut in front of us. I asked them to leave the required space in front and to track how many drivers cut in front of them and how many did not during their drive home. The next day I asked for the results and they admitted that rarely anyone took away the space in front of them. They did agree that if 2 or 3 people did that, in the past they would believe everyone would. They believed most drivers on the road were aggressive, but now they were convinced that labeling people wasn’t necessarily the way to go. They felt their former attitude made them aggressive and changed the way they drove, and not in a good way.
Too much negative in our lives causes us to be negative as well; even toward those who support us. So instead of labeling specific people as being a bad driver, look for those who are doing the proper things on our roads. Look for the driver who let’s other drivers in when they need to do a lane change. Look for others to give the right of way at intersections. Look for others who let traffic enter the roadway and provide space for others. Look for the driver who waves thank you after you let them in. I think you’ll find more positives than negatives and that positivity can help you enjoy driving once again. You just have to open your eyes and mind and look for it.
Since I have started as a driving instructor trainee, my driving has changed in that I have reduced my speed significantly on the highway, I am more conscious of cars approaching on side streets, and people who consistently run amber lights. I have been a professional driver since my 20s when I trained and drove bus for Edmonton Transit. I have since driven coach and have not had any at fault accidents.
Having moved from Alberta recently, I have noticed that Young Drivers training has had a positive effect on many drivers in Ontario. I have noticed more shoulder checking and better spacing between vehicles. It isn’t perfect, but I think their method of stressing pro-active ‘habits’ is keeping them safer, so I thank them for moulding good and safe habits into new drivers (and affecting other drivers by their example). There are other very good Driver Training centers too, of course. I personally think that every driver living in areas where there are colder temperatures and Wintery driving conditions, there should be some mandatory training in skid control also. Thank you for your educational tidbits! I find them valuable in nudging my experienced and habitual driving brain into that safety zone!