In the movie "Repo Man" it was said that the more you drive, the less intelligent you are. This week I had to take a defensive driving course online for work. There were a lot of things worth thinking about in the course, but I thought I'd share some of the highlights:
"Drive for Five" Picture your car in the left lane of a 2-lane road. Cars are in front of your position and behind you in both lanes, and there is a car next to you in the other lane. These 5 drivers can have a major influence on you, and the way you drive affects them. Name the 5 people that matter most to you, and think of them as the drivers to 'personalize' it. I went with Wilma, Barney, Betty, Pebbles and Bam-Bam, mostly because I didn't want to leave anyone out. Mr. Slate was not named. Who are your five?
"There are no winners and losers in driving." Driving aggressively to 'get ahead in line', speeding, tailgating and letting people know you think they are "Number One" actually turns control over to someone else who you already thought was incompetent. It also turns out that your chances of dying in an accident double for every 10 mph over 55. That's 2x at 65 mph, 4x at 75 mph.
And finally, some classics from growing up on the annual drive to Rochester to see my grandparents. I think this lasted until I was 7 or 8. Courtesy of Bermashave:
"Don't stick your elbow out to far, or it will go home in another car"
"As you go through life brother, whatever be your goal, keep your eye on the donut, and not on the hole."
The only winners are those that arrive at their destination safely. So, where do you want to go today? How about tomorrow?
