Don’t Be That Driver

Have you ever been in the car with an aggressive or distracted driver? Well, unfortunately, I have been with both. Being in the car with an aggressive driver is uncomfortable and scary. Bad habits such as tailgating, cutting people off, and yelling at other drivers are dangerous to the driver, passenger, and others on the road. I avoid taking rides with certain people because of their rage behind the wheel. Sadly, this is not always an option for others. What if it is a parent or sibling? Having an aggressive parent is more of a problem, how do you say something to them? If it is a sibling, at least you can tell your parents that you do not feel safe in the car. This, of course, puts you at risk for retaliation, but if it saves a life, it will be worth it. I went on a road trip with sports team and one of the parents was the driver. Let’s just say we arrived well before all the others. I now make it a point to not take rides with this parent anymore. Being first is not important, safety matters.

Distracted driving is just as bad, playing with the radio, reading text messages, and eating while driving are recipes for disaster. The next time you are a passenger in a car, take a look at those around you, no doubt you will see someone with their phone in their hand reading. The worst I have seen is someone with an actual book in their hand. There are lots of apps out there that detect when you are in the car and will disable text message notifications and send an automatic text telling the sender you are driving and will text later. This should be a standard app on all phones.

Thankfully, I attended a reputable driving school that taught me good driving habits and things to avoid. Not many have the opportunity to enroll in a school like that because it is expensive. My parents told me that they had driver’s education in school. I do not know why this is not offered as a regular class anymore. Making this class mandatory like PE is the best way to guarantee everyone gets the same learning experience. It does not need to be hands-on like driving around, but it can be more written work, simulation, and video tutorials.

Don’t get me wrong, the problem out there is not just with new drivers. There are plenty of people who have been driving a long time that should take a refresher course. It should be a requirement for people to take a written test every five or 10 years. I bet a lot of people would fail their test. This would force people to review driver safety tips and laws periodically. Not many people know the correct distance between their car and the one in front of them at a traffic light or stop sign. I know this is something my parents argue about a bit. Testing will not be a popular idea, but maybe as an alternative, someone could create a public service campaign with driving scenarios. Use animals in animated driving situations that show bad habits and good habits. At least this might hold people’s interest and they can learn something.

When I first started driving myself to school, every morning this guy would ride my bumper all the way. It was not that I pulled out in front of him, he would just catch up to me and I must have been going too slow for him, even though I was driving the speed limit. I finally got tired of it and felt unsafe and changed my route. You cannot force someone to change their habits, but you can avoid them. It would be nice if there was a way to report bad drivers. Like an app where you can lodge complaints.

Keeping calm in situations is important too. When I was 15, my mother was with me in the car while I was driving. She could see the people ahead of us were getting into a road rage situation. She suggested I keep going once they pulled into a parking lot. I noticed her looking in the side mirror a lot and then all of a sudden, a care went flying next to us on the driver side, rode over a roundabout, and sped off. Then, my mother calmly told me to pull in the upcoming left turn lane. I did and then the other car involved in the incident came speeding past us. My mother’s attitude helped me get back on the road and we made it safely. She ended up calling 911 to report the situation, but there wasn’t much information she could give.

Learning how to drive is much more than steering and speed control. Keeping your cool, avoiding distractions and being aware of your surroundings will help save your life. The best way to develop these habits is to learn from example or instruction. I have learned how not to drive by being in the car with bad drivers or witnessing others on the road. My parents always say that they do not doubt my driving ability, it is the other people out there they worry about.