Effective observations when driving by Tom of Big Tom Driving School

The importance of effective observations when driving cannot be overstated.  Glancing in the right place, at the right time, is NOT the same thing as making an effective observation.

Reminds me of a mate at school who decided to jump into a lake one evening on a school camping trip many moons ago.  His youthful enthusiasm to ignore the time honoured saying of "Look before you leap" meant that he actually dived head first into water of about 5" depth - I still wince to this day thinking about what happened, and that is 30 odd years later.

Whether you are pushing a trolley around in a supermarket, standing in a queue, talking to a friend in a restaurant, or dancing in a club, the fact is that you, me, all of us do like our own personal space.  We don't like our conversations overheard, we don't like our personal space invaded, we don't even appreciate an unwanted look for too long in our direction if we are being entirely honest.  And this concept does not change when we drive round in cars.

Paying attention to your position in the road, and being willing to consider how your driving affects other drivers' "personal space" is a sign of someone who understands this most basic form of etiquette.

Making the time for an effective observation BEFORE a positional change on the roads is about as fundamental a rule as you can get and the consequences of ignoring it are far reaching.

Starting to turn left into a minor road before seeing traffic already in the minor road on your side of the road due to a parked vehicle, emerging on to a dual carraigeway when there are vehicles already on it, exiting a roundabout when there is a motorbike over your left shoulder, reversing out of a parking bay when there is a toddler nearby.... these are all examples that will startle people, will cause heavy, sharp braking, will make others around you swerve violently to avoid you - at best this is the stuff of road rage, flashed headlights, hand gestures, and raised stress levels, at worse it is the stuff of serious road collisions.

Consider this.  On a bike, would you ride across a crossroads junction without effectively looking? On foot, would you cross a road without effectively looking?  Of course you wouldn't.  Well just transfer that same instinct for your personal safety to consider others when you are driving.  It is no different.  It is one of the responsibilities of owning a full licence.  There is more to road safety than just considering you in your own half ton of metal shell.

As my pal discovered to his cost all those years ago, "look before you leap", in the driving world "check before you move".  

Any questions/comments please feel free to add below.

BIG TOM Driving School  Intensive Driving Course in Peterborough, Grantham, Lincoln, Sleaford, Stamford, Spalding and Boston   0800 689 4174 (free on mobiles too!)