Your Driving & You

Dear Fellow Travelers,

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