Dear Fellow Travelers,
Wishing you love and life…
I have been driving for quite some time now. Of late, I
started observing my own as well as driving of others on the road. Many
patterns came to my attention. Reflecting more on these, I made an attempt to
relate them to the nature of the person as also what might be going on in the
mind of the driver at a given point of time. Many patterns are a reflection of
sheer lack of knowledge of rules of safe driving which, of course is very
evident the way the licensing system works in our country. That apart, there
sure are behavioural dimensions that show up.
Here, I am sharing some of my thoughts with a desire to have a
feedback.
There are certain basics in driving viz.
·
lane driving sane driving
·
not using mobile while driving
·
use of seat belt
·
use of appropriate signals
There are those who follow these basics religiously and
there are also those who pay scant regard to them. These are fundamentals and
those who are not giving respect to them are perhaps compromising with some
fundamentals in their lives too. We all know what happens to anything where
fundamentals are compromised with.
Let me share my thoughts, beginning with:
Parking:
This is the beginning point. There are people who consider
it their right to stop / park their vehicle wherever they wish to. It does not
occur to them that it may cause obstruction to flow of traffic or people. They
may have lived a life of entitlement or they may have been allowed to get away
with disorganised living. Perhaps discipline in their early life was missing
and they need to learn some lessons in that.
Rash Driving:
Those who are habitual rash drivers indicate two
possibilities:
·
They are never able to manage their time well.
In the rush to catch up with time, they tend to drive rash.
·
They perhaps want to show off the kind of
vehicles they use.
Honking:
Those who have a tendency to honk, most of the time without
the need to, are people who have the temperament to speak unnecessarily and
also raise their voice when it is not warranted.
Being Honked at:
These are people who give scant regard to what the environment
is telling them. They are lost in their own world and the feedback being given
to them is falling on deaf ears.
Lane Change:
When we have to change lane, the normal practice is to give
signal and move towards desired lane gradually. This is normal practice. There
are those who suddenly realise that lane has to be changed and they just barge
towards the lane they wish to be in. From extreme left they move towards right
to take a ‘U’ turn, obviously oblivious of the fact that such moves are risky
and may also obstruct others on the road. Their mindset indicates – me first,
others – I don’t care.
Brakes and Bumps:
Some drivers have a tendency to apply brakes more frequently
than required. They may be people who slow themselves down because of their own
internal challenges. Crossing speed breakers and other bumps skilfully is also
an art. Only the ones who are having a vision and are alert can do so without a
jerk. How do you cross the bumps?
Finally, there
are those sensitive people who know that they are not the only ones on the road
and recognise that their driving impacts others around them. So does the way of living of one person impacts the lives of others.
What does your driving tell you about you?
Good and safe driving is a choice...
Wishing you love and life…
Vikram