I have observed a growing uptick in, what I think are idiot drivers, people who appear to be in so much of a hurry that they are taking unnecessary, even dangerous, chances with their vehicles and their lives.  I think it’s becoming a real concern for the safety of all who are driving.

Just this past Friday, I was coming out of Costco gas when I saw a vehicle speed in behind me and end up blocking the road for others because he chose not to be patient enough to wait to fully get into the turn lane.  Then he tailgated me from Costco, despite my tapping my brakes in an effort to back him off, to where we turn right onto Broadway (about 3 miles).  Just before the turn to Broadway, he went around me and got into the turn lane just in front of me and nearly hit the car that was less than a car length ahead of me.  He continued his aggressive driving onto Beverly, which branches off of Broadway, tailgating and dangerously passing others.  He even nearly hit a parked vehicle while passing someone.

This left me wondering what he was in such a hurry for.  Would he think the hurry if worth the great risk of him seriously injuring himself or killing himself or others in a car accident?  Would he even take accountability for his actions if he caused an accident?

When I was training to be a bus driver, it was taught that out of 300 traffic incidents; 29 would be serious and 1 would be fatal.  Now when you consider the sheer number of cars on the roads and how often accidents happen, the odds are great that an accident will happen.  What will keep you from being in an accident is though your choice of how to drive.

Part of my learning to be a bus driver was learning the Smith System.  It’s an expensive drivers safety course aimed at reducing the number of accidents on the nation’s roadways by teaching effective, controllable driving skills.  Its skills are easy to use and great at protecting you from becoming an accident statistic.

There are five steps in the Smith System.  They go by the phrase, “All Good Kids Love Milk.”  This means:

1. Always aim high.  Look ahead 15-30 seconds on the highway and up to two blocks on city streets.
2. Get the big picture.  Know what’s going on all 360 degrees around you and be aware of potential problems.
3. Keep your eyes moving.  You’re more alert when you keep your eyes moving, checking your mirrors every 5-8 seconds, looking around your vehicle for possible danger.
4. Leave yourself an out.  Give yourself two escapes to possible accident situations so you can avoid being part of an accident.
5. Make certain they see you.  This means to make eye contact with other drivers to confirm that you both are aware of each other.

Remember the two second rule?  Try to keep two seconds between you and the vehicle in front of you.  I learned that you can give yourself more time to react to dangerous situations by adding to that two seconds.  The one thing that you can consistently control, on the road, is the distance between you and the vehicle in front of you.  Personally, I try to stay in the space that’s between crowds of cars when I am driving on the freeway.  That way I am avoiding being a part of any accidents that occur inside those crowds.  Just imagine the chain reaction that would happen in a crowd.

I cannot control anyone other than myself.  So I am in charge of how I drive and accountable for my choices while driving.  I think about the benefits of my driving choices.  I am keeping my insurance rates down by not having to file accident claims.  I don’t have to pay traffic tickets.  Lastly, I’m not having to repair my car for doing something stupid.

When I see people driving stupid, I think to myself that I am happy they are doing the things that either get the attention of law enforcement, or they get into the accident that I am avoiding being in.  There have been times when I’ve watched a driver aggressively drive around me and then I laugh as I see them pulled over down the road.

So when you’re out there driving, don’t be the idiot in a hurry to their funeral or more expenses.  Be the safe driver that’s accountable to themselves and save yourself the stress of damaged vehicles, higher expenses, and tickets.  You’ll thank yourself for it and the other safe drivers will, quietly, thank you too.

Until next time…