Every Driver Is An Idiot

My parents never really wanted me to learn how to drive. Just as many Americans know the dangers of the road especially for young inexperienced drivers. Having been in multiple accidents themselves they have always been aggressive advocates for safe driving to me and my siblings. It is completely unacceptable that rates of American deaths due to driving are higher than most modern wars, but many Americans are going about a resolution all wrong. There needs to be a shift from aggressive rule-following towards personal caution when driving.

Every drivers ed teacher talks about all the little rules that will protect you when driving. Who has the right of way, stay near the curb, you can turn right on red, etc. The best rule I’ve learned as a new driver was to treat everyone like an idiot. Drivers often get so wrapped up in whose right. They often get mad when you don’t do something to their liking, and will put you and themselves in danger as revenge. Whose right doesn’t matter who’s alive does.

I’ve only been driving for a year and have already seen multiple red lights runs, multiple turns taken without space, and multiple speeding drivers. A Lot of “good drivers” see a green light and just go without considering the most important rule. Treat other drivers as idiots. Assume they’ll run the red light, or swerve into your lane, or not give you room. Being right is not worth being dead. If every driver drove like every other driver was an idiot there would be far fewer accidents.

Many people when speaking on the topic of safe driving constantly talk about following rules. We all, at least here in Massachusetts, took drivers ed, people know the rules, and often ignore or forget them. It is not about teaching more rules it’s about being a more cautious driver. We’ve all seen the videos, and many have seen the statistics repeating them does nothing. Being a pessimistic driver saves lives. AAA released a study showing that 80 percent of male drivers believe they’re better than 50 percent of drivers. The majority of people think they are exceptional drivers. Telling people driving is dangerous is not the solution, they’re too cocky for that. People acknowledge the danger, but often feel as though it’s everyone else’s fault, that they drive perfectly, but the general populace puts them in danger. Teaching blind rule-following is not enough! Convincing people that it is better to be alive than right is the solution. If everyone is a more cautious driver everyone will be safer. So I’ll say it again, drive as though all other drivers on any given road are idiots.