Simple Distractions

As Robert Trivers put it, “A very disturbing feature of overconfidence is that it often appears to be poorly associated with knowledge – that is, the more ignorant the individual, the more confident he or she might be”. Trivers perfectly highlights how pointless overconfidence can be. While it may make one appear to be a professional it is in fact the opposite. While Trivers does not directly discuss driving on the road this concept is crucial when discussing a variety of car accidents.

“Don’t do this. This is a bad idea. This is dangerous. Don’t copy me.” said by countless friends and family. They all mean the same thing, just different variations. In short, they mean overconfidence on the road. Reaching for that last barbeque wing, scrolling to find that perfect song for the drive between the trees, reaching into the backseat for a tasty BLT packed in the cooler. Distractions but by a different word, overconfidence. It never takes longer than a single second for thousands of possibilities to burst into reality. We merely assume that we control reality simply because our hand is on the steering wheel and our foot on the brake pedal. Too many corners are cut while being labelled as something only an ‘experienced’ driver can do. Fact of the matter is, wheather the driver is 16, 37, or 85 it is dangerous and life threatening to shave off precautions. It is not just reaching for a barbeque wing, it is taking your eyes off the road and accidently steering the vehicle towards the side of the road. Not checking the intersection before pulling out even though the light turned green, blasting alternative rock so loud that it covers the sound of an oncoming train or car’s horn. The possibilities are endless and yet we continue to underestimate them as well as tempt fate. Both of my parents as well as my older siblings and I are all guilty of practicing these small distractions.We tend to continue the cycle and recite a phrase such as “Don’t do this” and continue on with the drive without actively working to make a change.

What surprises me is that many of my elders have been driving for much longer than I have and therefore have seen countless accidents. Ranging from a scruffed up bumper to the entire car being crumpled like a tin can. They’ve seen too many to count. As a result of this, I assumed there would be a greater fear towards driving. This is not to say that there is a lack of fear nor is there a disregard to the rules of the road. As we age, myself included, we get too comfortable on the road. While some might see this as being ‘experienced’ it is not. Instead it should be disapproved of by society because it is nothing more than being irresponsible. Adults label 16 year old drivers as young and dumb due to their lack of experience but fail to acknowledge their constant attentive gaze. While this may not be true for every single new driver on the road it is important to maintain an attentive gaze throughout your 20s, 30s, and even past your 60s. The worst accidents happen when one driver is following the rules to a T. It is the unpredicted and unexpected that cause the most disastrous accidents we see on the side of the expressway.

During my senior year of High School, a student attending a nearby school wrapped his car around a pole. This student was not drinking and driving, he was not texting or on the phone, and he was the only person in the vehicle. You might ask how he managed to wrap his car around a pole and the answer goes back to his overconfidence on the road. This young man was speeding well over the limit on a road posted with a 40 mph speed limit.

Just last week a senior woman crashed her crash in a downtown area.The last I ever saw of her was while she was being wheeled out on a stretcher with a neck brace on. The entire front of her car was completely crumpled with no other cars involved.

There are numerous other stories similar to these, unfortunately the number of car accidents is much higher than it should be. These trivial distractions on top of the overconfidence many of us are guilty of presenting are an easy thing to work on. I personally need to work on turning down music in the car and putting my phone out of sight to prevent myself from getting distracted. Life is fleeting and we all only get one lifespan. Robert Trivers had it right, overconfidence is less important than knowledge. Disregarding knowledge should not be was shortens our time here on Earth.