The Safe Driver

Driving on public roads is a team sport

I love team sports; baseball, hockey, basketball, hockey just to name a few. My wife and I had put our kids into team sports to teach them fair play and to learn to work together with others. It’s worked out well for the most part. There’s another team sport that has billions of people around the world playing. It may not be the sport you’re thinking about; it’s driving. How can driving be a team sport?

For most people, driving through the city it’s a “me versus you” mentality. It’s actually the opposite. If you drive in such a way that you help other drivers drive safely, you’ll also drive safely. Isn’t that a team effort? As an example, if you avoid tailgating another driver, you also avoid hitting the rear of their vehicle if they have to stop suddenly. Now you’ve helped the other drive, and yourself, stay out of a crash.

We’ve learned throughout our life as kids that we should never trust strangers. That may be true, so trusting that the driver next to you won’t swerve is wrong. As a team driver, I suggest you drive beside space instead of next to the driver beside you. If you’re staggered in traffic and the driver ahead and next to you swerves, they can swerve into open space and not into you. Again, your team spirit has helped another driver save their vehicle from damage. Oh yeah, your vehicle has also been spared from damage because of your team spirit.

How many times have you moved out of a lane because there was a driver approaching you from behind very quickly? If you move out of their way early, they can pass you safely and reduce your risk as well. We may not agree with their actions, but as a good team player, we help them do what they wanted to do. Staying in the lane to “force” them to slow down makes you the same as them; an individual trying to control other people in an aggressive way.

What if you slowed down to let a driver change lanes in front of you? Does it really bother your progress? In most cases that driver will end up turning the corner in the near future. Even if they don’t, I’m sure they’ll appreciate your act of kindness and probably will do the same for someone else. We’re helping other drivers continue along to their destination in a safe manner. Talk about a team effort!

Cooperating with other road users allows more people to arrive at their destination safely. It may even help you reach your destination smoothly and safely, as long as you’re a team player.