OK, hands up those of you who have taken formal driver training in the past five years and were not learning to drive for the first time. Heck, hands up everyone who has ever taken formal driver training after you first obtained your driver's licence. Perhaps I need glasses, but I don't see a forest of hands waving out there!
When I give public presentations on driving I love to ask the audience to raise their hands if they consider themselves to be better than average drivers after I ask the question about training. This time the result is much different and more often than not, many more than 50% respond. Of course, this should not be the case, although maybe I have the wrong sample group because less than average drivers don't attend presentations on traffic safety.
Just before I retired, I made an irate driver I had ticketed an offer that he didn't refuse. Sir, spend the ticket amount on yourself at the driving school of your choice and bring me a receipt for the amount within 30 days and I'll run the ticket through the shredder.
When he brought me the receipt I asked what he had learned. Stopping properly at an intersection, proper lane positioning during turns and shoulder checking were the three most important bad habits or deficits in knowledge that he had to work on. He seemed positive about the experience and I was happy that I had taken the risk in offering the opportunity to him.
Why wait for a ticket to force you to look at your skill level in a different light? Consider driver training as an investment in your future. It may help you to avoid colliding with all those less than better than average drivers out there on our highways.
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