Think like a driver
Drivers have to pay close attention to what is happening in the situation around them and make lots of decisions. As a passenger, you can switch off and it doesn’t matter. As a driver, if you switch off your attention you could be in big trouble.
ACTIVITY: THINK LIKE A DRIVER Before driving- Picture in your mind where you’re going and what route you will take.
- Now think more deeply about the route. Try to picture the actual streets and intersections in your mind from start to finish.
- If you don’t know the way, use a street directory or internet map. (If you have a navigation aid in your car, don't use it for this activity.)
- Work out if you have lots of time to get there, just enough time, or not enough time. Notice how this affects how the driver drives and what passengers say.
- When your trip starts, look well ahead. In your mind decide when you would slow down, speed up, merge with traffic, change lanes, and turn – just as if you were driving.
- Try to think about nothing other than driving. You could time yourself to see how long you can attend to driving before your mind wanders off; it won’t be very long because it’s actually very hard to do. Practice will increase your concentration time.
- When you arrive, think back over your trip. Can you remember noticing how feelings may have affected how someone drove?