“Haven’t you got anything better to do?” This was a common attitude expressed by drivers after being told that they had been stopped for a traffic rule infraction. “Why aren’t you out catching real criminals?”
I’m not sure these drivers believed me when I told them that they were more likely to suffer financial loss, physical injury or death through the operation of their motor vehicles than they were from all the other criminal actions combined.
Historically, motor vehicle collisions were the number one cause of accidental death for young people in B.C. Today that position is held by drug overdose and driving comes second.
Having a good attitude helps you maintain control during frustrating situations. It can also mean better tolerance of others and an increased possibility of extending courtesy, especially to other drivers who don’t deserve it.
The positive mindset also encourages defensive driving, better decision making and being more likely to respect the traffic laws.
All of this adds up to safer driving.
When I heard this at the side of the road, it meant to me is that I was dealing with a driver that had a bad attitude. They either didn’t care about themselves and other road users or weren’t willing to accept responsibility for their actions.
My job was to try and change that driver’s attitude to one that was safer. The difficulty that I had was a lack of tools beyond giving a warning or writing a traffic ticket. Most often a warning did not seem to be appropriate in the circumstances so the ticket was written instead.
You can choose to have a positive outlook before you leave the driveway. Don’t allow others to spoil it and increase your chances of having a safe journey.
Story URL: https://www.drivesmartbc.ca/behaviour/driving-attitude-and-you
NOTE: This is an update of an article written in July 2010.
-- Tim Schewe Road Safety Advocate DriveSmartBC.ca
