A TYPICAL DRIVER? Apparently, most everybody thinks of themselves as a pretty good driver - have you ever met anyone who said they were a poor driver? I have, but only once in my life. Now comes the obvious question: how come there are so many vehicle collisions if just about everyone is a "pretty good driver?" I'm assuming most people agree with me that our roadways are dangerous places, with very high collsion rates. Over 40,00 people are killed on American roads every year, and more than 1 million world wide. Notice I always use the word 'collision' rather than 'accident.' When someone says they were involved in a car accident, the implication is that some outside force is at work, and they are not really responsible for what happened. The poor drivers can't be involved in all those collisions, there are too many collisions, and the really good drivers aren't involved in all those collisions. So that leaves the "average" driver or "typical" driver. So, if we agree that the poor drivers and the average drivers are involved in almost all those collisions, then that means the typical driver is not doing too well, considering traffic safety experts generally agree that most collisions could have been prevented. Like about 95% of them. I haven't mentioned new drivers with one or two years driving experience, or the very elderly. It's true that both of these groups have a disproportionately high collision rate, but their numbers are small compared to the general population. Now, back to the "typical" driver. I'm trying very hard to phrase this so as not to offend anyone. Well, here goes... the typical, or average, driver gets sloppy over a period of time. Maybe they never learned good defensive driving techniques, or choose to disregard them, or have just forgotten. Just stop and think for a moment: could this be you? The typical driver doesn't drive strategically or defensively, and is usually dependent on the driver ahead; whatever that driver does, that's what they will do. Here’s what I mean: if the driver ahead slams on his brakes, then they will slam on their brakes. That may not sound too bad; after all, they are getting stopped in time before hitting the car in front, right? (Or usually getting stopped in time.) The problem is, by slamming on their brakes, they risk getting hit from behind. If they were an above average driver they would be looking and scanning well ahead, and would anticipate this problem so they could have slowed gradually instead of doing a panic stop. They may also have been following too closely. Dependent driving also includes stopping behind somone who is making a turn, and has left plenty of room for other drivers to go around him. In most cases it is legal to pass in this situation. Why hold up yourself and other traffic if you don’t have to? Dependent drivers will sometimes follow the vehicle in front through a pedestrian crosswalk when they both should have stopped for a pedestrian. Non-strategic driving is one of the most noticeable things about a typical driver. So, what is strategic driving? It’s a little like playing chess. Even if you’re not a chess player, you probably know that a good player is thinking of his moves well in advance, and is constantly asking himself “what if?” A good, strategic driver is planning all his moves in traffic, thinking all the time, and deciding what is the safest course of action, not only for himself but other road users as well. A strategic driver is an efficient driver, a safe driver, and an economical driver. A strategic driver enhances the safety of himself and his fellow drivers. Typical drivers are notorious for not leaving enough space. By that I don’t mean just the space in front of their vehicle, but all around their vehicle. By driving strategically you will find that you can have a good space around your vehicle most of the time. You may wonder “why should I have space beside me and behind me too?” Well, if you have space beside you, you will avoid someone unintentionally going out of their lane and bumping into your vehicle, or the driver in the other lane doing a sudden lane change who maybe doesn’t see you. Now, I’m the first to admit that a lot of the time you can’t have this ideal space, but it’s something to strive for when you’re driving. How can you control the space behind your vehicle, and why should you care? What about a large, heavy truck close behind you. What if he couldn’t stop in time, and crashed into your vehicle? It would make an awful mess of your car, and maybe you too. Change lanes when possible, don’t let a vehicle such as a transport truck follow you. If any vehicle is following you too closely, try to change lanes. Typical drivers are often too fast for conditions. Many times I’ve shuddered to see drivers racing past little kids when they’re playing close to the road, or riding their bikes. Typical drivers usually don’t spot problems and hazards soon enough, and lack really good seeing habits. You don’t want to be one of them, do you? You can learn to be a safe, expert driver. Download “Learn To Drive And Survive” on my secure server. This is a complete defensive driver education program, nothing is left out in order for you to become a top-notch driver. Included is a 75 question and answer practice written test, and three bonus ebooks! Bonus #1 “Pass Your Road Test The First Time” Bonus #2 “Car Maintenance For Beginners” Bonus #3 “Learn To Drive A Stickshift” All of the above for the bargain price of just $19.97 ! Avoiding one collision will pay for the course 100 times over Click here to download “Learn To Drive And Survive”
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