Squirrels, kids with spray paint, and other hazards on the road

I wouldn't say that road hazards are everywhere, but there are a heck of a lot of them!

I define a road hazard as a situation, obstacle, or other factor that has potential to cause an accident. This includes anything that moves in or on the roadway, stationary obstacles in the roadway, and things that move near the roadway that have the potential to enter the roadway, and anything else that demands a driver's attention.

Road hazards are commonplace because the roads are shared by many people in a public environment, which means that anything could be happening at any time. Dealing with road hazards is something every driver has to do, but not every driver does it equally well. The result is that not every driver has the same likelihood of getting into an accident!

Type of Road Hazard	Examples
Anything that moves in or on the roadway	Cars, trucks, bicycles, pedestrians in crosswalks
Stationary obstacles in the roadway	Pot holes, vehicles at an accident scene, police cars at traffic stops, traffic cones, debris that fell off of vehicles
Things that move near the roadway and that could enter the roadway	Pedestrians, playing children, deer, squirrels, dogs, bicycles
Anything else outside of his or her vehicle that demands a driver's attention	Weather conditions

A talented driver is always on the lookout for road hazards and consciously or unconsciously taking note of the hazards' positions, how likely they are to cause a problem, and unconsciously or consciously adjusting her or his driving to avoid those hazards or mitigate the risks associated with them.

So you think you can drive?

"...A nationwide trucking company reports that their average drivers cover 125,000 miles per year and suffer four accidents per year---yet one of their best drivers has just celebrated his four millionth mile of accident-free driving."
First, Break All the Rules, p 73

Why is it that some drivers always seem to be getting tickets, getting into accidents and having other driving troubles, while others go for much longer in between mishaps?

As drivers, many of us go through driver's education, and all of us learn the rules of the road well enough to pass written and road tests in order to get our licenses. But not all of us are good drivers. Even though we understand that driving is a privilege and not a right, the truth is that it is seen as a necessity in our car-obsessed culture. As long as an individual shows a minimum level of competence, the officials who license drivers are inclined to let that person drive.

But as we learn in life as we come to know a variety of different people, not everyone is the same! People have a variety of abilities that come naturally to them. Things that are easy for one person are hard for another. People who are highly intelligent may be so scatterbrained that they are likely to get hit by a car while crossing the street. People who are great storytellers and entertainers at parties may find it difficult if not impossible to follow directions.

"You have a filter, a characteristic way of responding to the world around you. We all do. Your filter tells you which stimuli to notice and which to ignore; which to love and which to hate."
First, Break All the Rules, p 76

The varying ability levels of people applies to driving as well. Everyone who has a license at one time met a minimum standard for driving ability. But not everyone experiences the same thing while driving. Some drivers talk to their passengers while missing things going on outside of the car. Some drivers never feel the need to use their turn signals. Some drivers are constantly assessing the road hazards around them:

When you ask the best drivers, "What do you think about when you are driving?" they all say the same thing. They all say, "I think about what I would do if ... if that car pulled out right now. If that pedestrian decided to try to cross before the light changed. If my brakes failed." While the other drivers are thinking about the next rest stop, how much longer they have to go today, or other, more diverting subjects, the best drivers are playing "what if?" games, anticipating scenarios, planning evasive maneuvers. Same stimuli, different reactions, very different performance.
First, Break All the Rules, p 77

There is a lot riding on our driving. Many of us do it every day. We carry ourselves, our children, our family members, our friends, and sometimes clients or strangers in our cars, vans, trucks, and buses. The safety of all the people on and near the road rides on the ability of those who drive to do so in a safe, talented way.

This blog and this website is dedicated to drivers who pay attention to the details of driving and who are perplexed or fascinated by those who don't. What seems obvious to us is not obvious to drivers whose brains are wired to notice things other than the details of what is happening around them. Here is a place to talk about it!