Safe Speed Forums

Instead of saying things like "Don't drive too close to the car in front" maybe we should be saying "If the car in front of you brakes and you can't stop, you are likely to be liable for any damages and injuries which could cost thousands, increase your insurance, etc"

In other words offering an incentive to do, or not to do things. People may be more liable to do things correctly if examples of (financial?) gain or loss are given.

My daughters' boyfriend tends to drive far too close to the car in front. I used the crash, your fault scenario and regularly re-enforce the message.

He still drives too close, but not as close as before.

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Ross

Yes I'm a hoon, but only on the track!!!!

I think this still falls far short of the sorts of messages that we need to give presently.

In this area, I think the best next message is 'learn from your mistakes'.

Tailgating does result in nasty surprises and it's the 'personal reality' of the connection between behaviour and danger that needs to be demonstrated not simply stated. We need to connect with personal experience as opposed to theoretical risk or responsibility.

Another beauty of the 'learn from your mistakes' approach is that you hit a much wider target than just tailgating - ten for the price of one, you might say.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

I favour "learn from your and others' mistakes". As a passenger I have learned/reinforced as much if not more as to what to do better when it's my turn for a given situation than I have as a driver. I think.

Edited to add that this is not meant as a boast. The reason is that, in my formative years, and for the first 5 or so years as a license holder, I was much more a passenger than a driver.

Yeah, but you have to be in the top 10% already for that to happen and you top ten percenters have already figured it out (so you don't need the message).

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

I'm not so sure that's true. Maybe I am up there with the awareness thing now, but surely I could not have been as a teenager, and that is where I learned most of the good stuff. My fortune - and it was fortune - was a job that happened to involve a lot of travelling and typically being driven by an ex Hendon Class 1 driver. Or do you mean I realise that learning from mistakes is the big key? Ah - yes - I'll get me coat!

I really like the idea of Surprise in Mind Driving, I have explained it to a few work mates with driving experience ranging from months to decades and the response I got could be summed up as

Oh yeah - like it.

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Driving fast is for a particular time and place, I can do it I just only do it occasionally because I am a gentleman.
- James May

Age is a funny thing is it not?.. Skills are best learned when young.....but..


Wisdom, ............................comes later!..