I Think I Can…

I am a licensed California driving instructor, but I had to quit my job because of major back surgery. I am also a full-time psychology and sociology major at Washington State University. One thing that I always told my students was, if you think you can make it, don’t try! There is no, “I think I can” when driving. There is only, “I know I can.”

Drivers must always ensure that they are aware of traffic around them and before making any lane changes or turns, they must check again before heading that way. Taking chances might work for awhile, but it only takes one time for one of those chances to be the wrong choice and you will end up in an accident.

The other thing that I address is speed. Most drivers speed, and sometimes I would have my students drive past the cemetery and casually mention that we don’t want to end up there. When we are heading somewhere, we want to get to our destination in one piece, and not speedily to the morgue.

One of the most important steps that can be taken to reduce road accidents is to increase a driver’s awareness of their space. They must always be aware of who is behind them, next to them, and ahead of them. This gives them a few seconds to react should something unexpected happen, such as a child running into the street.

Another important factor for new drivers is to understand that driving is both scary and fun, but you are the only one responsible for your driving. You may listen to advice from others in the car, but ultimately it is up to you whether or not you turn right, or stop, or slow down. When you are driving, you are not only an adult, but you are the most responsible adult in the car. If you hit something, you cannot excuse yourself by saying, “well he told me to swerve.”

Sometimes it is difficult being assertive as a new driver, but it is important on two fronts. 1) On the one hand, if you are driving with your parents you want to listen to them, but as a licensed driver you are now an adult and are your own person. You should still listen to their advice, but it’s up to you to make your own decision. Your peers may also try to instruct you while you are driving and this can be distracting too. If it disrupts your driving, you may have to tune them out or ask them to keep quiet so that you can concentrate. After all, their lives are in your hands. 2) If you are unsure of yourself you are an unsafe driver. A confident driver is a safe driver who checks to make sure that no cars are coming, and who trusts that other drivers know the rules of the road. For example, take your right-of-way when it is appropriate because that is expected and therefore safe.

I have been in several small accidents, but nothing major. They were due to inattention on the part of both drivers. Inattention is a major cause of accidents, and many times the accidents are fatal. Living down near Sacramento, CA, I have seen a large number of fatal accidents, and they are usually due to drivers going too fast. One thing that always strikes me is that when motorists are passing the scene of an accident they slow down, but before they have even passed the scene they are going faster than the speed limit as though it could never happen to them. And it doesn’t, until it does.

My steps for myself to be a better driver, and we can always improve, is to always, always look before making any changes in direction, including lane changes. We may think we know who is behind us, but we should always check, because someone may have sped up and arrived there in the two seconds while we were glancing at something outside.

Another step is to never look at a phone, except for directions, and keep your directions on speaker so that it can be hands-free. It only takes a few seconds to travel several hundred feet, and if you’re travelling at 65mph you cover a lot of distance in a few seconds. You do not want to cover that distance blind.

Driving is fun, it is thrilling, and it is extremely dangerous. But, overly cautious drivers are dangerous too. Remember that no one else wants to hit you either, so take courage and trust in the rules of the road, but always keep your eyes open, and out the window!