How to think like a driver
Drivers have to pay close attention to what is happening
in the situation around them and make lots of decisions. As a
passenger, you can switch off and it doesn’t matter. As a driver,
if you switch off your attention you could be in big
trouble.
Activity: Think like a driver
Before driving
- Picture in your mind where you’re going and what route you will
take.
- Now think more deeply about the route. Try to picture the
actual streets and intersections in your mind from start to
finish.
- If you don’t know the way, use a street directory or internet
map. (If you have a navigation aid in your car, don't use it for
this activity.)
- Work out if you have lots of time to get there, just enough
time, or not enough time. Notice how this affects how the driver
drives and what passengers say.
On the road
- When your trip starts, look well ahead. In your mind decide
when you would slow down, speed up, merge with traffic, change
lanes, and turn – just as if you were driving.
- Try to think about nothing other than driving. You could time
yourself to see how long you can attend to driving before your mind
wanders off; it won’t be very long because it’s actually very hard
to do. Practice will increase your concentration time.
- When you arrive, think back over your trip. Can you remember
noticing how feelings may have affected how someone drove?
Next activity: how to judge
distance
