Driving 101

In the driving world, there is a common stereotype about women being bad drivers. Being a female myself and having been taught by my dad, a highly skilled Class 4 driver, I spent a fair deal of time on the road and experienced the normal beginner struggles: drifting out of my lane when shoulder checking, struggling to drive in the center of the lane, and not paying attention to the traffic around me. But as the months of training passed and my dad used the bad drivers around me as learning examples, I have grown to understand where the famous misconception comes from.

While both licensed men and women are knowledgeable of the traffic laws, the differences in driving are caused by a lack or excess of one factor: caution. Women are perceived as “bad” drivers because they can get overly cautious, taking extra long to make a left turn or being hesitant at a four-way stop, while men are “bad” drivers because they get overly confident— making a quick left turn through a small gap in oncoming traffic or running a stop sign oblivious of the person already in the intersection. Although these can be thought as the “gender norms”, scientific reasoning aside, it all comes down to the basics.

Driving is all about being aware of your surroundings. Instead of focusing on the road in front, you must continuously scan the perimeter and be on a sharp lookout for pedestrians, cyclists, stray pets, and wandering children. Being hard enough already, when we add additional distractions we put ourselves and the people around us in great danger.

With technology becoming more and more accessible and a growing part of our lives, it can be difficult to live without it. When driving, however, even a glance at that notification you just received can be a call of life or death. The messages you are notified of or the call from your best friend should never take priority over your focused driving; These things can be done upon arrival at your destination.

The biggest and most detrimental form of impaired driving is the sensory-numbing effect of alcohol and drugs. With reckless driving and slow reaction times, alcohol and drug-impaired driving is the leading cause of death and fatal road accidents. While it should be avoided entirely, if alcohol is consumed, please act responsibly and refrain from driving. If at a party, call a cab or carpool with friends. There is a reason why children’s cartoons often depict “alcohol” as a bottle with a skull and crossbones or a drunk character with Xs over their eyes.

Although I am fortunate enough to have never been in an accident or have close family members been in one, I’ve seen a few of my friends dance with the devil as they live out their teenage “freedom” and sparatic risk-taking. I look in disbelief when they post clips of them getting pulled over and pictures of speeding tickets on their socials. Although a small percentage of youth act this way, the few that do are examples of the significance of social validation; risking your life for a couple of likes on Instagram. Some cases of reckless youth behavior can be linked to social influence. Whether it be the influence of older siblings and the mentality of “ if he’s doing it, so will I” or peer pressure among friends, it has driven a lot of teenagers over the edge as they pursue a dangerous course of “fitting in”.

Although our personal choices lead to a large percentage of road accidents, one factor is inevitably out of our control: the weather. Torrential downpours, deep snowfall, and thick fog are all factors that we can not control but must appropriately respond to.

Walking out of that registry with your driver’s license has to be one of the best feelings every teen has felt. You suddenly feel powerful and in control, driving down the road, breathing in the warm summer air. With perfect road conditions, driving seems easy… until you are hit with your first and biggest obstacle: the first snowfall of the season. Suddenly everyone forgets what they studied. With even experienced transit drivers struggling under the conditions, novice drivers experience great problems, many of which result from a lack of preparedness and experience. The dread of winter driving can be lessened by following standard procedures: warming up the car, driving at an appropriate speed and leaving enough time and distance for stopping, and most importantly, maintaining your vehicle and having it serviced before the winter season.

Driving is a skill. It can not be mastered in a day, but can definitely be improved over a period of time. Whether you are a teen or in your mid-50s, it never hurts to go back and freshen up your knowledge. Yes, you passed the knowledge test, but as we enter a world of tailgaters, truck drivers with rage issues, and phone-addicted millennials, it is our individual responsibility to act because although you cannot change the people around you, you safely abiding by the rules and laws makes the roads just a little bit safer.