News flash: I love to drive. Driving is essential. Period.
Every morning, evening, weekday, weekend I tackle highways, byways, country roads and city streets, and am almost always baffled by other drivers. It’s no surprise, really, and much has been written on how bad most of us are once we buckle in.
The sad part is that, like any other skill, we can’t all be good at it. Funny thing is that most of us consider ourselves to be average (or better) at navigating our automobiles. If that is truly the case, then there is no hope for humanity.
We are all born with certain innate abilities or a lack thereof; and driving is an aptitude on which, depending on the depth of said born-with-skill, most of us will build upon. Sadly, a large number of us are born with little or altogether without.
Apart from those who drive and own Corollas (for whom there is no hope), I want to believe that we could all get better; but then I witness an SUV ahead of me display its intention on changing lanes with its turn signal (bravo), then begin the maneuver right into a car rolling alongside it. Flicking on a turn signal does not automatically entitle one to a lane-change.
There are ways to pass, as well; turn corners; brake; merge. Most, if not all, of these are taught and explained in driving school -- but how quickly we forget once we’re out on the road. Or did we learn anything at all?
It is imminently clear to me that there is no hope. I used to believe that education was the solution or at least a means to improve the general population’s horrible driving, but it matters not. We’re doomed.
The sheer lack of proficiency is an insurmountable obstacle and so traffic, accidents, and therefore deaths will always be. And I don’t care how many safety features are made standard on modern cars.
Here’s how I see it: On a scale from 0-100, most of us are born with 10 to 20% talent; the remainder is what we learn. Unfortunately, very few pass the combined 30% mark. On the other hand, fewer still reach 100%. If your name is Sebastien Loeb, Lewis Hamilton or Bruno Spengler, you’ve hit the 100% mark. Otherwise, forget about it.
And so, where do I stand? First, know that I am an aggressive driver, but not a mindless f-tard who cuts people off for the fun of it. Also, I’ve learned much over the years through numerous performance driving schools, some non-sanctioned racing experience, and lots of track time. With this training and accumulated experience, I think I’m pretty good.
My score? I was born with 32% talent and have added an additional 33% in learning. Total: 65%.
What’s your score?
Every morning, evening, weekday, weekend I tackle highways, byways, country roads and city streets, and am almost always baffled by other drivers. It’s no surprise, really, and much has been written on how bad most of us are once we buckle in.
The sad part is that, like any other skill, we can’t all be good at it. Funny thing is that most of us consider ourselves to be average (or better) at navigating our automobiles. If that is truly the case, then there is no hope for humanity.
We are all born with certain innate abilities or a lack thereof; and driving is an aptitude on which, depending on the depth of said born-with-skill, most of us will build upon. Sadly, a large number of us are born with little or altogether without.
Apart from those who drive and own Corollas (for whom there is no hope), I want to believe that we could all get better; but then I witness an SUV ahead of me display its intention on changing lanes with its turn signal (bravo), then begin the maneuver right into a car rolling alongside it. Flicking on a turn signal does not automatically entitle one to a lane-change.
There are ways to pass, as well; turn corners; brake; merge. Most, if not all, of these are taught and explained in driving school -- but how quickly we forget once we’re out on the road. Or did we learn anything at all?
It is imminently clear to me that there is no hope. I used to believe that education was the solution or at least a means to improve the general population’s horrible driving, but it matters not. We’re doomed.
The sheer lack of proficiency is an insurmountable obstacle and so traffic, accidents, and therefore deaths will always be. And I don’t care how many safety features are made standard on modern cars.
Here’s how I see it: On a scale from 0-100, most of us are born with 10 to 20% talent; the remainder is what we learn. Unfortunately, very few pass the combined 30% mark. On the other hand, fewer still reach 100%. If your name is Sebastien Loeb, Lewis Hamilton or Bruno Spengler, you’ve hit the 100% mark. Otherwise, forget about it.
And so, where do I stand? First, know that I am an aggressive driver, but not a mindless f-tard who cuts people off for the fun of it. Also, I’ve learned much over the years through numerous performance driving schools, some non-sanctioned racing experience, and lots of track time. With this training and accumulated experience, I think I’m pretty good.
My score? I was born with 32% talent and have added an additional 33% in learning. Total: 65%.
What’s your score?
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