Why are so many people in a hurry while driving? I find the majority of people travelling along Hwy 13 clip along at around 110 km/hr, but then you get those drivers that come flying by going at least 130 or 140 km/hr.
It's not only on the highway where this is happening though as the other day I travelled down Main Street. Rules of the road according to driver's education is that you're supposed to travel past a turn before signaling to get into the other lane. So, I did this as I travelled north on Main Street, past a four corners then signalled as I passed The Office to get into the other lane.
Luckily I signal, check my mirror, and shoulder check before moving because the truck that was on my bumper along the 30 km/hr stretch accelerated at this point to get around me. The truck was loud so I heard him accelerate just before I checked my mirror and just thought, "Idiot," because as I contemplated slowing down to get into the left lane or just turn into Fields and try again, the truck quickly veered off into the gas station parking lot allowing me to move into that turning lane for the highway.
What was the point of it all? The guy was out of the 30 km/hr zone, so had to accelerate just to brake and turn. The driver couldn't wait the two extra seconds and save that little bit of diesel they used while revving the engine.
My parents spent a lot of time with my sister and me on driving. We lived half an hour away from where we went to school and were on grid roads the entire way, so they wanted to make sure we knew how to handle a vehicle. Once we got our learner's permits, we were in the driver's seat constantly.
They trusted us after this and once we got our licences the advice they gave was to always be wary of everyone else on the road, to be a defensive driver because not everyone is paying attention to the rules of the road or the road at all for that matter.
On my many drives to and from Lethbridge when I was in school there, I've nearly been involved in head-on collisions having to move over to the side of the road to let someone pass another person. This scenario has happened numerous times along Hwy 13 around here as well, so I can't even blame it on Alberta drivers.
People who are in that little bit of a hurry and think they can make it past this vehicle that is going the speed limit before meeting oncoming traffic, essentially playing a high-speed version of chicken. The problem is people don't really get how dangerous it is to be behind the wheel.
Looking ahead while travelling everything is in focus, but when you look to the side everything is whizzing by and you can't make out a single flower as everything blurs together. This is because humans weren't made to go that fast. Our eyes never evolved to pick up minute details while travelling at high speeds. Cheetahs for example can run at speeds of up to 120 km/hr and scientists say a cheetah can still see clearly at these speeds no matter where it's looking, unlike humans.
Travelling at those speeds with the weight of a vehicle behind us, it's important to keep in mind the damage that can come with it when behind the wheel. Not everyone signals for their turn or follows the rules of the road. Some people don't remember to hook up the lights to their trailers when transporting them, which is extremely dangerous. People complain about RCMP ticketing them, when really they're just encouraging safety and trying to prevent someone from being involved in a collision.
So, pay attention when you're on the road and remember to watch out for other drivers because they might not be watching out for you.
