Be The Better One

To be completely honest I am not the best of drivers. In fact, I come from a long line of bad drivers, but I never really thought and took action of what I could improve. I have never gotten in a wreck nor have I gotten pulled over (knock on wood), but I do use my phone and I get kind of careless sometimes. My overarching goal to becoming a better and safer driver is to stop using my phone. I use bluetooth to play music from my phone and the occasional text to someone about something that could wait until I am done driving, okay maybe not occasionally. A way I could avoid using my phone is to find a playlist that I like and leave my phone on the other side of the car where I can’t reach it and will not be tempted. Now this gets tricky when I need to use GPS so what I recommend myself to do is to put my phone on “do not disturb” that way I am not too tempted.

I am good at driving and I would like to pass on the tips that I have learned along the way. I get distracted very easily so I do not let the music get any louder than 15 and with that being said I do not call people whilst on the road. This is important because otherwise I will get more invested into the conversation or funky music than the driving process. When people are in the car I can talk to them, but if I do not think I can do both tasks at once I simply tell them to wait so I can drive a little better.

Not only is it important that your noise environment is appropriate, but that you are in the right headspace. This is not taught in drivers ed or tested, but it is important that you know where you are going, which way you will get there, and that you have plenty of time to spare. I understand that everyone has those days where you sleep in or you are running late because of some super slow car but arriving at your destination a few minutes late is better than not arriving or with a speeding ticket.

What I feel is one of the most important tips out there is to where your seatbelt. Everyone I drive knows that it is a rule in my car that you have to be where your seatbelt at all times and if you do not follow this rule you cannot drive with me again. Now I know that sounds harsh, but it’s not only a law but I want to keep those around me protected just in case something were to happen.

I am not the best driver, but after writing out what I need to do to become a better one is something useful regardless. I hope that you will take on the journey of becoming a better driver to further help yourself and those around you. Happy driving!