NATS’ TAKE –

DRIVER EDICATE – By Natali Perera

So, because my previous article was dedicated to passenger edicate, I thought it was only fair that I talk about drivers edicate as well. Most of the habits I have picked up have been from my dad, and naturally after getting my licence, that has not changed.

What I did not realise prior to passing my driver’s licence is that driving come with A LOT of responsibility. Not just the obvious be safe on the road stuff, but the number of things you keep in your mind when you’re not driving alone is immense!

Driving slower than usual, breaking quicker than usual, accelerating smoothly so no one jumps in their seat, making sure you have a rout mapped out if you have multiple people to pick up, making sure you are on time! The amount of times I have been late to pick up my friends is crazy! By now, they should all be used to it, but no. I still get the moody sighs when I arrive 15 minutes before schedule and the backseat calculations “ok because we are 15 minutes late, we shall be 20 to 30 minutes late to arrive at the event”.

These are just some things I like to keep in mind when driving with passengers:

1. Road rage, is not cute. When you’re in a car with a bunch of people and all you’re doing is yelling about all the vehicles around you, there comes a time where everyone else in the car is just going to think you’re crazy. No one can yell about other people for so long, there will come a time where they’ll realise that “if maybe you do this, you could avoid his problem” but they’ll be too afraid to say anything cause you’re screaming your head off.

2. Driving like the rules don’t apply to you, there are naturally fast drivers and then there are drivers who drive to show off, swerving through cars, speeding like the red-light camera is not going to catch you. That camera catches everyone! And your passengers face when they see the camera has caught you, is not pretty!

3. Drivers without consideration. Ok this one gets to me, drivers that drive as if they have no passengers in their car. They ignore them, they don’t take into consideration that perhaps just because you don’t have a curfew, doesn’t mean everyone else doesn’t. Personally, if I am the driver I consider it to be my responsibility to get everyone one home happy and safe. If that means cutting the night short because someone is sick or someone has a curfew then that is what I signed up for. Dropping someone home at 2am when their curfew was at 1am unless unavoidable circumstances is something I try to avoid.

 So, the next time you’re driving someone around, just be normal, you wouldn’t go the extra mile to show off to yourself? Likewise, I’m pretty sure they too aren’t expecting to be taken on a rollercoaster ride. The extra yelling and swerves on the road are not worth the minor heart attacks your passengers are getting in the back seat.