Almost every driver on the roadway firmly believes they drive great and traffic accidents are caused by “The Other Guy”. Whether this be due to age and experience or youthful exuberance the result is the same: a lack of understanding and acceptance that they can get better!
A primary challenge faced by any educational effort designed to improve broad driver skill is getting individuals who engage with the educational materials to accept that they can in fact become better behind the wheel. Much like a sports team coach, efforts to improve results through learning and practice are likely to fall short of goals unless the student “Buys-In” to the program.
The NDSI recognizes this challenges and has developed defensive driver and driver improvement course content with an emphasis on driving home the message of need and pushing students to engage in the learning process.
But He Didn't Break Any Laws!
..."The Other Guy" strikes again!
The Irony of Ignorance
An adherence to an attitude that one’s skill level regarding driving is so high that an at-fault accident is a virtual impossibility and that the risks present when behind the wheel are primarily derived from the other drivers on the road can be “Dead Right”!
The self-professed expert may in fact do everything correctly and yet end up on the wrong side of a fatal automobile accident. A primary objective associated with effective defensive driver education is the building of skills aimed at recognizing and reacting to the incorrect actions of others before an accident occurs.
Consider a common case of the driver who correctly stops at a 4 way intersection when the traffic light regulating the intersection is red. The driver stops and patiently waits for the light to turn green so they may proceed. The light changes to green and the driver moves ahead. They are then sideswiped by “the other guy” who has run their red light due to being distracted by their smart phone. Our driver who has broken no traffic laws may be killed in this type of dangerous accident despite the fact that they did everything “right”.
But did they actually do it right? No. The irony is that in fact while they may not have broken any traffic laws they did a very poor job of safe driving. A skilled defensive driver would never have proceeded to enter the intersection simply because the light had turned green. A knowledgeable driver would understand the need to account for the high frequency of incorrect actions on the part of those with whom the road is being shared and would make the effort to diligently check for oncoming traffic and not proceed until a clear route has been visually verified.
Everyone Can Use an Update
NDSI driver improvement course materials teach many safety boosting tactics to aid in the immediate recognition of dangerous scenarios along with appropriate reactions. From playing the “What If” game to aid in making a systematic analysis of the immediate driving scenario habitual to effectively using the tactic of “Covering the Brake” to reduce reaction times the skills taught can save lives.
Had the “expert” driver in the scenario above been doing an actual expert job maintaining situational awareness relative to all of the traffic in the area of the intersection, no accident would have occurred and the life saved would have been his own!
“The Other Guy” is not just someone who may deserve a traffic citation. They may be the cause of your own death and putting forth an effort to improve the ability to counter their lack of focus and skill could save your own life or the lives of loved ones. This is certainly worth the effort associated with gaining some improved methods of increasing your road safety. THIS is a primary focus of the NDSI!
