This blog will expand a little on the subject of how easy it is to take things for granted, and not notice the detail, in particular when learning to drive.
I discovered a very fragile looking, pretty little flower in the front garden yesterday. That flower has sprung up out of nowhere. It didn't feature last year in my front garden, so I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered it this spring. It's a beautiful, delicate flower, in a bunch of about 30, and really catches the eye.
But only when I then took a look at the image I had taken of it on my computer did I see the detail. Have you ever seen so much detail as that before in a flower? What appears at first glance to be just a pretty flower, when you take a close look, WOW! - look at the detail.
And this is a very similar situation with a good driver. At first glance, as a passenger, nothing particularly out of the ordinary is going on. You might recognise that the drive appears smooth, or that the driver is cleverly avoiding heavy congestion, maybe there is not much stop/starting going on. But it is very easy to actually not notice a good driver when you see it! We all know what a bad driver looks like: no regard for comfort, little thought for other road users, often breaking the law, but a good driver is less noticeable. A good driver is calm, observant, considerate, they are only noticeable by being so unnoticeable!
That level of good driving is not left to chance, just like my little flower, there is much going on in the background, a lot of detail that is not necessarily detectable to the naked eye.
For the next few journeys you do in the car as a passenger, start paying attention to the driver. Do just a little less talking for a while, and observe what is going on. Don't make a fuss about it, don't tell the driver what you are doing, just watch. How much is their head turning and observing other road users around them, is there a pattern between mirror checks and what is happening, is there a lot of stop/starting, is there heavy acceleration or braking, do they interact with other road users in a positive or negative way.
There is much to be gained by learning from others, observing good and bad driving habits, appreciating a skillful bit of planning ahead, recognising how emotions affect driving ability. Every time you get in the car, even as a passenger, you have an opportunity to notice something good or bad, and store it for future reference; if you are learning to drive, why would you NOT make the most of these opportunities?
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