In 2009 (the last year in which data is available), Transport Canada reported that there were over 124,000 vehicle collisions causing injury or fatality in Canada. Imagine what would happen if we all pitched in to improve our driving skills and to become safer drivers! If we could reduce that number by even 1%, that's a significant reduction of 1,240 injury- or death-causing collisions in a year!
This month, the skill we're focusing on is maintaining the proper speed. It is so easy to speed in our cars, for two main reasons:
- Advanced technology has made our cars safer and smoother to drive, thereby increasing our perception of control and safety and reducing our feeling of speed, even when we're hurtling down road and over 100 kilometers an hour!
- Our busy, stress-filled, anxiety-driven lives push us to run and run and run – run to work, run home, run the kids to soccer, run home… all while facing the challenges of modern life AND fighting other drivers. Both of these factors can easily increase our speed. (And perhaps there's an inner scofflaw that convinces us it's okay to drive 5 to 15 kilometers an hour above the speed limit no matter what speed zone we're in.
We need to slow down. The slower we go, the better our time to react to situations going on around us and the more distance we have to make the appropriate adjustments. Obviously it's not realistic to go only 5 kilometers an hour but a reasonable speed – up to the speed limit – is far better than going over the speed limit.
We think we're in control at higher speeds and we might have some control over our vehicle but the truth is, we're not nearly maintaining as much control as we think we are. And, the distance to stop our car at higher speeds increases dramatically (more than proportionally!) to our speed. So doubling our speed doesn't double our stopping distance… it can triple it! So, how can you improve your driving skill of "maintaining proper speed" during 2012? Here are some tips:
- Give yourself more time than you used to give yourself to get where you need to go. Add 10 to 15 minutes for commuting to work. Add 15 to 20 minutes for those cross-town trips. You'll not only drive safer, you'll also reduce your own stress level!
- Obey the posted limit. Don't use it as a guide and then add 5 to 15 kilometers an hour.
- Pick a speed and stick to it. Not only is the habit "keeping your speed reasonable", but it's also "maintaining" a safe speed. Maintaining the same safe speed makes you predictable to those around you.
