The Sharp Tools In The Driver’s “Gearbox”: Being In The Right Mindset When Driving

The key components of being a safer driver isn’t just about knowledge and general ability behind the wheel, the fact of the matter is, when you are behind the wheel of a car, you are responsible for a mass killing machine. This may sound somewhat bombastic, but there is a sense of responsibility that we all ignore from time to time when we get into the driver’s seat, and being in the right frame of mind is a considerable aspect that we don’t really think about. For a lot of us, driving is an automatic function, but what does being in the right frame of mind actually entail?

The Right Discipline
The discipline that we have isn’t just about ensuring we have sufficient focus; it is about understanding our role behind the wheel of the car. It’s surprising how many of us get into the car, and don’t necessary learn anything until we’ve caused an accident or had a very, very near miss. Discipline is somewhat lacking, especially when we see all other drivers out there being incredibly selfish, because we think that in order to get by on the roads, we need to be self-absorbed too, but this is recipe for disaster!

Assessing Your Mental State
If you suffer from depression or anxiety, you may want to think twice about getting behind the wheel, but in addition to this, you need the right mental attitude to maintain a sense of focus, but also responsibility, should the worst case scenario occur. Do you know what to do after a crash? While we all get out on the road and think nothing of it, this leaves a part of ourselves ill-prepared for the worst case scenario. We tend to rely on the car to do a lot of the protecting for us, but a tactic as simple as defensive driving can serve us well to better prepare our mental state for the road. This is doubly so if you drive for a living!

Does Knowing The Roads Prepare You Better?
Because driving is such an automatic function for most of us, we feel better when we know the roads. However, this isn’t a very pragmatic approach to the road, nor is it useful most of the time. Of course, it benefits us in terms of that pothole we know to avoid, but we can’t control how other drivers are out there, and knowledge of the road can only prepare us so much.

Really, we should be treating our journeys as if we were heading out on that road for the first time ever. Keeping calm and carrying on is one thing that we should all prioritize, but this is no replacement for skill behind the wheel, as well as a right mental state. And this is something that so many of us don’t really consider until something drastic happens. Being in the right frame of mind when heading out on the road should be part of your driver’s toolbox, it will serve you well.