Every endeavour requires training, application and practice. T_A_P. And we all seem to accept that whether at work, sport or hobby. Yet for some reason. And definitely not to do with, or involve, us drivers the 'system' fails to support us. The motorist is the most neglected of beasts.
After a pitifully short ab initio learning - 'baby driver' period and barely able to to do more than very basic slow speed manoeuvres we are all abandoned where we got our pass and left to our own devices for the rest of our driving careers. Incredible!
For a Martial Artist it would mean getting the first grade, say yellow belt, and receiving no more instruction or coaching, ever! Imagine a golfer who got their first handicap card of 28 and again received no more coaching or training. No further development. No more input. Evolvement. How far could they go? And hey golf is less demanding than any normal drive on the highways and byways.
The 'Test' for what it is fails us not pass us. It abandons us just when we're ready to start really learning how to develop our skills in the real world, on real roads, in real everyday conditions and on all the different styles of road. Were you trained to drive at real speeds on all types of road and in different weather and visibility?
Not even war takes so many lives and seriously cripples and injures so many every single day of the year throughout the world not just here in the UK. Not just physical injury either - many an eg0 is bashed daily as their pride and joy gets bent, buckled or buggered.
I said it's not us drivers who are at fault. In so many words, anyway. That's true. Their is no real continuing education or training for real driving. Driving in the real world at real speeds on real roads with today's traffic congestion, nanny-state controls and modern cars.
So if you think about it all of us who have passed the test share the same level of official competence. We have a full and valid licence. Actually by my reckoning that makes passing the test the lowest common denominator for all of us!
Numpties, bumkins, plods, personnel managers, health and safety folk(!), magistrates, muggers, MPs, playboys, paedophiles, prostitutes, plumbers, builders, Nobel prize winners, surgeons, salesmen, vicars, vicious louts, gangsters, geeks, nerds, conmen, bullies, beauties, blonds(!), perverts, entrepreneurs, bankrupts, bankers, debtors, businessmen, publicans, PR agents, spin doctors, ad men, old folk, young folk, dummies, dimwits and even members of Mensa. You get my drift. They're all out there with the same official licence as you. And me! And the brighter ones don't tend to it any better. Frightening.
And without further input we remain much the same. Same habits. 99.9 % of motorists share much the same 5 areas of habitual weakness in their driving strategy most of the time. It can't be otherwise at this time. Driving is not yet natural to us. So we have to learn. You could drive a lifetime and never discover these truths, techniques and skills.
But the good news is this - you've done the hardest bit, the initial learning to operate all those levers, pedals and stalks. You drive regularly, you feel confident, hopefully, and you've certainly learnt something since the test. The downside is that you don't know what you don't know. And, the best is yet to come! That's a promise.
And bear in mind no one driver discovered all the answers. Like the rest of life it has been a gradual evolution with input from many across the years. From early pioneers, police class 1 drivers, race drivers, rally drivers, specialist drivers, v i p and anti-hijack drivers, enthusiast drivers and so on all adding their input to improve and evolve the art of real road driving. And at its higher levels it really is an art.
So, surely we're worth more than the lowest common denominator? I know I am. Without further input of some kind the early habits of basic training stay with us for ever. Sorry, but it's true. The best bits are the ones they don't teach at Driving School. I'll elaborate with a good few examples and explanations as we go along.
Thanks for joining me. I want to share what I've got, what I've learnt and what I've discovered with you and hope that your own driving odyssey will benefit from mine.
Driving should be skilful, effective and fun. For some, faster, smoother, safer. And for others, more flowing, smoother and safer.
The initial upgrades are the same. And that's the way to view it. An upgrade. Back soon to begin the journey.
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