Driving is challenging because its always changing.
How Complicated is Driving
You will most likely have played one or more ball games, such as football, basketball or hockey.
You will have practiced for many, many hours in a bid to improve your skills.
Learning to drive a car also requires a great deal of practice to develop the required skills, knowledge and abilities.
With Ball Games… |
With driving… |
|
| Playing Field and Roads | The playing field or court looks the same each time you play – a regular size and marked out in a set way. | Roads can vary enormously – ranging from busy city streets to country roads, from freeways to shopping centre car parks, from highways to local streets. |
| Time, Light & Weather | You usually play at a regular time, perhaps on a Saturday afternoon. | You can find yourself driving every day of the week, early in the morning, through the day and late at night…and in all weather conditions. |
| Drivers & Players | You often play with teammates and other teams of similar age and ability. | You’ll find people of all ages on the road – ranging from small children and teenagers, right up to the elderly. Skills and abilities will vary – an older pedestrian may not move as quickly as a teenager, a child on a bike may have little control. |
| Equipment & Vehicles | Everyone has the same equipment and can run around the field or court at a similar rate. | Some are walking, and some are riding bikes or motorcycles. Others drive small cars, big cars, trucks or semi-trailers. Speeds car vary from a few kilometers an hour up to 110 km/hr. |
| Drivers' & Players' goals | Everyone has one aim – to score a goal or point – and so you can often predict the play. | On the road everyone is headed somewhere different and may be thinking about things other than driving. The unexpected happens often. |
| Road to Solo Driving: Learning to Drive; Driving to Learn, p 27 (2000). | ||
The driving task consists of the following six dynamic components:
1) Vehicle
2) Driver
3) Weather
4) Light
5) Traffic
6) Roads
Driving is a very demanding skill - mentally and physically.
Good driving depends upon:
1) Good reflexes
2) Good judgement
3) Good will toward other drivers most important!!
Good driving depends on your ability to cope with rapidly changing traffic situations.
