In the years since I learned to drive, I’ve driven all over the United Kingdom, and in Ireland, and travelled a few thousand miles in the USA also. I recently sat down to see if I could work out roughly the total number of miles I have spent at the steering wheel and, at a very rough tally up, I think it’s approximately three hundred thousand miles. Looking at a total like that, I have to say it’s probably a good thing that I totally enjoy driving!
I must admit that it is a mystery to me why that countless people seem to find driving a real chore and only use a car because they have no alternative. I adore the option of being able to jump into my own transport and travel to anywhere I want whenever I want. I stop where I choose for as many hours as I want. How could you not like this idea?
Of course, as with nearly everything we do as a person, I do understand that we all make our own choices. Some people love swimming – I don’t (I absolutely subscribe to the opinion that if we were still meant to swim, our ancestors wouldn’t have taken millions of years evolving so that humans could survive on dry land), some maintain that daytime television is worth watching, but many do not, some believe in gods or higher beings, many choose to dye their hair rather than show its genuine colour and some go for Laser eye surgery so that they don’t have to wear glasses.
So I agree with the fact that we all have choices to make in life but with many things, like those listed above, we always choose the course of action that we want most. For example, I don’t go swimming, or look at daytime TV, I like to dye my hair but I’m happy to wear glasses instead of paying for Laser eye surgery. But where driving is concerned, countless people who don’t like it still drive.
The reasons why are many and various, and usually quite acceptable – living too far from any public transport routes, wanting to move heavy shopping or transport elderly or disabled relatives, using a vehicle at work and so on. But surely, not really looking forward to driving must mean that possibly you become a less competent driver.
I’ve travelled in cars driven by friends who cheerfully admit that they are very nervous when they are behind the wheel because they don’t enjoy it. Just driving away from the house that nervousness is visible, and there have been several occasions where I’ve actually had to cover my eyes throughout the journey, as I just didn’t want to be aware of all of the things that we were managing to avoid hitting. (Possibly drivers like this should have Laser eye sensors screwed to the car which give out a warning noise when they are about to hit something!)
Please don’t think I’m saying that I am a outstanding driver. Nobody is, because human nature is such that even the most talented at doing anything will always make occasional errors. But equally, if you love doing something, you tend to do it more, and the more you do it the more experienced and comfortable you become. It makes sense!
I am aware that I could become better as a driver by passing an advanced driving test, but that’s one of those things that never quite gets to the top of the list. And everyone has days when they know they are weary and don’t really concentrate as well as they should. Also, I should probably consider having Laser eye treatment to correct my vision. My distance vision is very good, but the displays on the dashboard are always a little blurred because of my need for reading glasses, and you can’t keep putting your glasses on whilst driving to check how many miles you’ve travelled or what time it is!
In the end, anyone is permitted to drive a car on a public road as long as they have passed the appropriate driving test, so on the day they passed at least, their driving must have been considered competent. My honest opinion is that a large number of people, having passed their test, never travel very far or beyond the area where they live and therefore never develop the confidence to drive greater distances or travel to places they’ve haven’t visited before. And that, as far as I’m concerned, is why countless drivers never even think that they can enjoy driving – they consider it simply an unavoidable means to an end, instead of the key to unlimited freedom.