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13/11/2010
By EWAN KENNEDY
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Isn’t it interesting that there are so many different ideas on the best way to drive for maximum safety? I got involved in an argument the other day about the fascinating subject of communication between drivers. The day-to-day nods, smiles, eye contact and thank-you waves that are such an important part of safe driving.
My feeling is that in normal driving situations there’s no need to make eye contact, only if there’s any doubt is it necessary to do so. Someone disagree with me and became surprisingly vocal on the subject, feeling that eye contact and a nod of the head was necessary at every intersection. I felt that each eye contact took my concentration off the road for a second or so and it was better to retain as much peripheral vision as possible.
It probably comes down to individual personalities, as do other aspects of automotive communication, indeed on communication in all aspects of life. For example, I once gave some driving lessons to a young lady who refused to thank other drivers for letting her in at intersections or when she was forced to change lanes.
Otherwise, a very polite person, she felt that waving or smiling to stranger would be seen as some sort of a come on. However, other drivers who had done the right thing by her may have seen her as rude, and as a result they may have been less inclined to let another car into the traffic flow.
Is this getting too deep and meaningful? I think not, humans are communicating animals and ‘talking’ to one another while we are behind the wheel is important to road safety. Not to mention the stress that’s relieved when we apologise to others for having made a mistake.
Which brings us to the unpleasant subject of the most noticeable form of driver communication - abuse. It can be tempting to get aggressive at times over a real or imagined invasion of ‘your’ road space; but horn blowing, shouting at, displaying one of your fingers, or all of the above should be avoided at all costs. It achieves nothing but an increase in blood pressure and a decrease in common sense.
Keep your cool at all times and you will be surprised how much more pleasant life on the road becomes.
Your opinions on this, or any other of my Opinion pieces, are always welcome, just drop me a line at
ewan@marque.com.au
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