So, this one doesn’t need MUCH explaining. It’s fairly simple, just don’t do something when you are behind the wheel of a car that you wouldn’t want someone else to do if you were a passenger. It’s kind of like treat others as you wish to be treated…except in this case you are in control of a machine that weighs thousands of pounds and can possibly hurt or kill others. Big responsibility.
This is a multi-tiered rule. And, though I am much better at this rule now than in years past, I still have room for improvement. The other day, I was performing a U-Turn at a busy intersection. I didn’t come close to hitting anyone or being hit, but I still had to gun the accelerator after finishing the turn to avoid causing a problem. It got my blood pumping, I had that flushed face feeling, and then it occurred to me just how dumb and dangerous a move like that is. For whatever reason, when I am alone in my car or just at the wheel in general I feel VERY sure of myself and my calculations in taking risky maneuvers in my car. The problem is, there are about 100 factors that I am not accounting for at any given time. ANY one of those factors could spell disaster for me and everyone else.
Driving away from the intersection, I realized I wouldn’t want someone busting the same kind of move with me in the passenger seat. So, why would I subject myself to that? It fills me with negative energy, and it scares me. And cutting away fear is a huge part of my life now. Except in this case, the solution to cut the fear out is to realize that it is a healthy fear to have and to listen to it. And, I listen to it by being more careful when I’m driving. Especially if someone else is in the passenger seat, then this rule is magnified by like 200,000.
There are the glaring factors to avoid while driving like:
- Not talking, texting, or using my phone for any reason, unless it’s via a hands-free device.
- Not giving into road rage.
- Not cutting people off.
- Not doing anything with my hands besides having them on the steering wheel.
- Not daydreaming.
- Not driving when I’m too tired.
- Not driving when I feel in any way less than tip-top.
Then there are the more subtle ones like:
- Not going fast to pump my own adrenaline.
- Keeping both hands on the steering wheel.
- Not making maneuvers that are risky in any way.
- Not speeding through yellow lights when I’m in a hurry.
If I just remember how I would drive if I had an infant in the passenger seat at all times, then I will probably be just fine.