Embracing the Art of Driving: A Personal Journey
Driving, for many, is an art form that requires a combination of practice, patience, and time. I have spent a significant portion of my life behind the wheel, and yet, to this day, I feel a mix of caution and exhilaration each time I get into a vehicle.
Initially, I had never been comfortable with driving. Despite having been behind the wheel for most of my life, the act of driving always seemed like a daunting task. In the early years, I remember feeling just as nervous while driving down the one-lane camp road as I did on my very first drive.
Learning to Drive: A Farming Odyssey
My journey with driving dates back to a time on the farm. The routines and rules on the farm were vastly different from those on public roads. Back then, the goal was often to 'be careful and don't drive over your brother.' This might seem simplistic, but it was the essence of the driving experience within the confines of the farm.
One of the biggest challenges I faced when transitioning from farm equipment to passenger cars was the sheer length of the hoods on modern vehicles. I’d been used to the shorter hoods of trucks, and adapting to the longer hoods of passenger cars required a new kind of precision and awareness.
Mastering Driving in a Foreign Land
My journey to truly mastering driving only began when I moved to Germany. It took me 40 years and an extensive amount of training to feel truly comfortable behind the wheel. The rigorous German driver training, which included 27 hours of training, three driving tests, and years of practice, played a crucial role in my journey.
Initially, gaining comfort with shifting a manual transmission took less than an hour. However, driving on the road and understanding the basic laws required many hours of study and hands-on experience. A driver training class was an excellent way to familiarize myself with traffic patterns and the intricacies of operating a car in a busy environment.
It wasn't until I participated in a two-day performance driving school at age 33 that I truly began to grasp the subtleties of driving. Following a year later, when I became a state patrol qualified driving instructor, I gained an even deeper understanding of the skills required to be a proficient driver.
Engagement and Focus: The Key to Driving Success
Driving isn’t just about knowing where the steering wheel, brakes, and turn signals are located. It’s about being fully engaged in the task at hand. You must constantly scan the traffic, anticipate potential traffic problems, and remain vigilant about the condition of your vehicle and the behavior of other drivers.
Driving can be compared to piloting a two-ton bludgeon of destruction. It demands complete attention and focus. This is why I believe driving requires more than just the ability to operate a car; it demands a mindset of attentiveness and readiness.
One of my favorite pastimes when my daughters were learning to drive was to ask them to change lanes without using the rearview mirror. The reason was simple: an alert driver should always know whether they can safely change lanes or if there is someone in their blind spot. It reinforces the importance of constant awareness and safety on the road.
Conclusion: A Skill for Lifelong Learning
Based on my experience, I estimate that less than 25% of the general driving population can truly claim to have mastered all the intricacies of driving. Even with extensive training and experience, there's always more to learn. The beauty of driving as an art lies in the fact that it is a skill that requires continuous improvement.