Time will tell…

tailgateThere’s an old saying that “time heals all wounds”. Some of us believe it and some of us don’t. I think it really depends upon the situation and the person. We also hear people tell us that “time will tell”. In other words, if you wait long enough you’ll know if you were correct with your actions, thoughts or statement. Regardless, we all need to learn to use our time wisely and learn from things other people do and from our own actions. I know that sounds pretty deep, but it’s a healthy position to be in, especially as a driver.

I was recently on the freeway traveling in the morning traffic and was essentially doing the 100 km/h speed limit. A driver had passed me on the left and was severely tailgating the cargo van ahead of them. For those who regularly read my articles, you’ll know tailgating is a major pet peeve of mine. I was thankful that he wasn’t tailgating me, but was still concerned with what he was doing. Within seconds, the traffic ahead of the cargo van all hit their brakes, causing the driver of the cargo van to hit their brakes. Any thoughts of what happened next?

Hamilton 2-20130911-00570The driver who was tailgating locks his wheels and starting to spin sideways. He counter-steered and began skidding in a fishtail motion. Smoke everywhere. The driver of the cargo van came off his brakes and sped up, which helped the tailgater survive without a collision. Following that close stops you from looking well ahead. That stopped the tailgater from seeing the brakes lights up the road.

You would think this close call of a major crash at high speed would have made a positive effect on him, but it didn’t. He proceeded to tailgate after his spin. What didn’t he get? I’m hoping he’ll explain what happened this day to his friends and family so that maybe someone can explain to him what he almost happened and how he was very fortunate. Time will tell.

As I was heading to work recently I was traveling behind a driver as we came up to a stop sign. He sailed right through it without touching his brakes. As I continued up the road I noticed that he did it again. Twice on the same road? The driver was very fortunate there wasn’t another driver crossing the same intersection at the same time. I can understand mistakes can happen but for it to happen repetitively?  Moving your eyes every couple of seconds will help you spot signs, road conditions and problems well before you reach them. I sincerely hope they realize what they were doing, or not doing as the case may be, before it’s too late so they can learn that they must always stay focused on their driving task each time they’re behind the wheel. Time will tell.

Finally, saw how a driver, who was driving through our busy downtown core, ended up blocking three intersections each time the traffic lights changed to red. They ended up blocking the cross traffic from proceeding on their green light. Of course, the drivers who wanted to proceed on their green light showed their displeasure and began honking at the driver blocking them. I can understand how making this mistake once, but doing it three times in succession? Maybe they’ll learn what they should do if the traffic is stopped just past the intersection. Time will tell.

Perhaps we can all learn something from these three drivers. Stay focused on your driving task. Ask yourself if what you’re doing is the safest thing to do. If it isn’t, make a change and do something different. Safety first. Look well ahead. Think well ahead. Respond well ahead. Learning from our mistakes is important, but learning from someone else so you don’t make the same mistake is better. However, time will tell.