As a new G licensed driver, I have noticed a lot of driver error on the roads. It appears that drivers these days are in a hurry to get everywhere and do not take the time to understand how this may impact other people on the road. As a new driver it seems obvious to me how we can prevent further deaths and accidents on our roads. What I am not sure of is why drivers become so self-absorbed in where they need to be that they fail to consider the rules of the road.
The easiest of all ways to avoid traffic fatalities is to obey the rules of the road. Follow speed limits, give room to other drivers, stop at stop signs, be patient and most of all drive sober. I frequently drive on the 401 highways, I had to use it to go to high school and now I need to, to get to university. I travel within the speed limit, never going over 115. Technically that is still speeding, however I have many people passing me that must be going 130km/hr or more. I find this rate of speed to be so unnecessary and completely unsafe. If a driver finds the need to travel this fast, then perhaps they need to look at how they are utilizing time management and if this is why they are in such a hurry. Being late is a small price to pay when the alternative may be a ticket, suspension, accident or worse, death of the driver or someone else. Is that all worth saving 5 to 10 minutes?
My other experience from observing drivers driving irresponsibly is when my dad drives. He very rarely stops at a stop sign. I always make comments about it, but he never seems to take it seriously. He comes to just about a stop but not a stop, and then never waits 3 seconds at the least while looking for other vehicles. He never takes me seriously on this fact and is probably like older drivers where they feel that it isn’t that important if no one else is around. He has also decided to check his phone while driving and this is uncalled for and my mom gets very annoyed at that as it is completely unsafe and when someone relies on driving to get to and from work, how can this be alright to take a chance on losing their license? My dad has also received speeding tickets and has hit a couple deer. Maybe the deer was not completely his fault as I have observed myself how they come out of nowhere, however if you are travelling at speed that allows time to react then it probably could be avoided. My mom seems to take the complete opposite view of driving then my dad and obeys the rules. She travels at most 115 on the 401 and yes this is still speeding, once again her experience is that driver’s fly be her and even try and intimidate her to get over if she is trying to pass another vehicle but at her own pace. Drivers will flash their lights and get close behind her, but she doesn’t let it phase her and does what is safe and gets over when it is safe. She doesn’t take the bait of their aggressive behavior and just goes about her day.
Regarding aggression, this is what I have seen to be a major problem with drivers. They not only get aggressive at driving but also verbally or even physically. Why do drivers feel that it is alright to swear and intimidate other drivers. Is this how they would like to be treated or what if it was their mother that someone was treating like this? This kind of aggression must stop. It scares people and can lead to many problems, whether it ends if fights or fatalities, it just is not worth it. Those on the receiving end also have to find a way to ignore the behaviour and go about their own lives without letting that toxic person affect their day. Now a days is feels like people have become so entitled to everything and one of them is the sense that they own the road and everything on it.
I have travelled to many places with my family but one everyone should experience is Japan. The sense of respect, politeness and civility is one that we haven’t seen in our area in many years, if ever. They never even cross a road unless the sign says they can do so. They respect rules, others and their society in general. It would be rude and shameful to treat people the way our drivers do here.
The only way things will change for respect on our roads is when drivers get personally affected by something that happens to them. Maybe I can affect change as well, by taking my experiences as a new driver and from countries I have been to, and putting all those in place, I can help make these changes one kilometre at a time.
The easiest of all ways to avoid traffic fatalities is to obey the rules of the road. Follow speed limits, give room to other drivers, stop at stop signs, be patient and most of all drive sober. I frequently drive on the 401 highways, I had to use it to go to high school and now I need to, to get to university. I travel within the speed limit, never going over 115. Technically that is still speeding, however I have many people passing me that must be going 130km/hr or more. I find this rate of speed to be so unnecessary and completely unsafe. If a driver finds the need to travel this fast, then perhaps they need to look at how they are utilizing time management and if this is why they are in such a hurry. Being late is a small price to pay when the alternative may be a ticket, suspension, accident or worse, death of the driver or someone else. Is that all worth saving 5 to 10 minutes?
My other experience from observing drivers driving irresponsibly is when my dad drives. He very rarely stops at a stop sign. I always make comments about it, but he never seems to take it seriously. He comes to just about a stop but not a stop, and then never waits 3 seconds at the least while looking for other vehicles. He never takes me seriously on this fact and is probably like older drivers where they feel that it isn’t that important if no one else is around. He has also decided to check his phone while driving and this is uncalled for and my mom gets very annoyed at that as it is completely unsafe and when someone relies on driving to get to and from work, how can this be alright to take a chance on losing their license? My dad has also received speeding tickets and has hit a couple deer. Maybe the deer was not completely his fault as I have observed myself how they come out of nowhere, however if you are travelling at speed that allows time to react then it probably could be avoided. My mom seems to take the complete opposite view of driving then my dad and obeys the rules. She travels at most 115 on the 401 and yes this is still speeding, once again her experience is that driver’s fly be her and even try and intimidate her to get over if she is trying to pass another vehicle but at her own pace. Drivers will flash their lights and get close behind her, but she doesn’t let it phase her and does what is safe and gets over when it is safe. She doesn’t take the bait of their aggressive behavior and just goes about her day.
Regarding aggression, this is what I have seen to be a major problem with drivers. They not only get aggressive at driving but also verbally or even physically. Why do drivers feel that it is alright to swear and intimidate other drivers. Is this how they would like to be treated or what if it was their mother that someone was treating like this? This kind of aggression must stop. It scares people and can lead to many problems, whether it ends if fights or fatalities, it just is not worth it. Those on the receiving end also have to find a way to ignore the behaviour and go about their own lives without letting that toxic person affect their day. Now a days is feels like people have become so entitled to everything and one of them is the sense that they own the road and everything on it.
I have travelled to many places with my family but one everyone should experience is Japan. The sense of respect, politeness and civility is one that we haven’t seen in our area in many years, if ever. They never even cross a road unless the sign says they can do so. They respect rules, others and their society in general. It would be rude and shameful to treat people the way our drivers do here.
The only way things will change for respect on our roads is when drivers get personally affected by something that happens to them. Maybe I can affect change as well, by taking my experiences as a new driver and from countries I have been to, and putting all those in place, I can help make these changes one kilometre at a time.
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