Are you a good driver? Are you safe? If you had to rate your skills on a typical 1-10 scale, where would you put yourself?
If you’re like most people, you probably think you’re better than average. Maybe you’d give yourself a seven or eight out of ten. You think you’re pretty safe and have pretty good driving skills, though you likely get frustrated with the lack of skill that others exhibit.
Despite the statistical impossibility, researchers have found that the majority of people think that their own driving abilities are above average. We tend to believe that we are better at driving than those around us.
Is it just arrogance? Maybe, but it could also be that we understand why we make our own mistakes. If someone else drifts into the oncoming lane, for instance, you honk the horn and rant about such a careless driver, even if they catch it and no one gets into an accident. If you drift into the wrong lane, though, you give yourself a pass. You blame it on someone calling you on the phone, your child talking to you from the back seat, the poor visibility outside, or a host of other potential reasons.
We all make mistakes. It’s just that we don’t think that they’re as bad when we make them compared to when someone else does the same.
This mindset can create some problems. It means that drivers may not focus as much as they should on actually improving their skills. That, in turn, can lead to car accidents. If you get injured when another driver causes one, be sure you know what options you have to seek compensation for your losses.
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