Defensive Driving for the Fast Lane to Success

Saturday, April 26th 2008 by Shanel Yang

Using defensive driving tactics is the best way to prevent automobile accidents on the road—unless never operating a motor vehicle again is a realistic option for you.

Yeah. It’s not for me, either.

Since driving (or being a passenger in) an automobile is the single most dangerous activity that most everyone must engage in, it makes sense for those of us who do drive to learn how to do it in a way that saves lives. There is no doubt that driving defensively saves lives.

But, did you know that similar tactics can propel you into the fast lane to success in life—to get you where you want to go, not only more quickly, but more safely?

DEFENSIVE DRIVING TACTICS FOR THE FAST LANE TO SUCCESS

1. Know Your Destination and Directions to Get There: It helps to have a great co-pilot or navigator, but it’s not necessary. (A bad one is much worse than none.) However, it is critical that you know where to go and how to get there.

How? First, you will need a goal worthy of pursuing with all your heart, mind, and body. Second, you must seriously pursue that goal by finding out the best way to achieve it. And, third, you must pursue that method with everything you’ve got. Driving in the fast lane to success is a privilege, not a right. You have to earn that right by caring enough about your goal to really go after it. Need some suggestions or inspiration? See these related articles: How to Set and Achieve Goals in 5 Simple Steps; What Would You Do If You Couldn’t Fail?; Think and Grow Rich; Change Your Mindset to Change Your Life; Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself; The Meaning of Life; 10 Reasons to Keep a Diary; and, Life Is a Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament.

But, all of that only gets you into the lane. Read on for how to continue zooming along in it, as safely as possible, till you arrive at your destination.

2. Scan Constantly for Danger Signs: On the highways, most accidents are caused by drivers who fail to continuously scan the entire road, as far as the eye can see, and in all directions. Most drivers focus on only one or two cars ahead of them. They don’t check their rearview mirrors often to make sure they aren’t being tailgated. They don’t worry about leaving enough space in the lanes (or shoulders) on either side of them in case they need to swerve suddenly to avoid being hit by, or hitting something, that darts, tumbles, or veers onto the road anywhere within striking distance of their vehicles. They let themselves get stuck in tight little clusters of cars when all they have to do is speed up or slow down to get free.

In life, you should also continuously scan all that you can see in all directions for potential dangers and leave yourself as much of a safety cushion around you as you can. How you do that depends on your goal. But, here is an example. Let’s say you want to switch careers. Don’t just look ahead at the car in front of you by only asking what jobs make more money or only asking what other jobs you might be qualified to do given your current level of education, skills, and experience. Look as far as you can see in all directions and ask yourself what job would make you truly happy and why. What kinds of, and how much, education, skills, and experience do you need to get the career you really want and how can you get it? And, make sure you leave yourself enough of a safety cushion on all sides by asking yourself what can you do to make this transition with as few unnecessary risks as possible.

3. Anticipate Others’ Next Moves: Never trust others to be safe or to follow rules. There are many reasons why drivers are less than reliable on the road: too much to drink, eat, or smoke; not enough sleep; distractions, like kids fighting in the back seat or overstimulating cell phone conversations; and, often, nothing more complicated than the simple lack of adequate driving skills. Drivers would do well to notice certain details of others’ vehicles and the people in them. A banged up old car might mean the driver is not too careful about avoiding accidents. A sports car might suddenly speed up and try to pass you. And, a car full of excited kids or pets could cause the driver to miss an exit but still try to make it anyway!

After a while, you will develop greater accuracy in detecting the signs of potential danger from all the little clues around you. For example, everyone knows that drivers who are under the influence of too much substance or not enough sleep tend to swerve erratically. But, police officers also suspect drivers with driving with their headlights on during broad daylight or no lights in the dark, windows wide open when it is cold out, and driving too slowly. Now that you know this, too, you can also be extra careful when you notice these additional danger signs.

How do you anticipate others’ moves in life’s fast lane to success? Again, that depends on your goals. But, you will want to look closely at all the people around you who can affect your goals. Your bosses, colleagues, employees, consultants, competitors—everyone and anyone who can help or hinder your travel to your destination. Learn to anticipate their moves, so you can be ahead of the curve.

4. Have a Plan of Reaction: The most basic plan of reaction to things suddenly headed straight for you on the road is to have plenty of room to maneuver yourself in any direction at all times. Of course, that’s not always possible, and, in big cities, like Los Angeles, where I live, it’s almost never possible. But, you do the best you can. The second best choice if you must get stuck in the middle of motor vehicles on all sides is to not be behind a bus with two big rigs on either side of you and a motorcycle behind you. In other words, always look for the least dangerous path and keep your eyes wide open and your attention span on full alert.

We have all missed offramps or turns while driving. That’s no reason to put yourself and those around you in danger by making a last minute move to catch it anyway. But, you might try it unless you already convinced yourself ahead of time that it’s safer to simply wait for the next offramp or intersection to turn around and get back on track. If you get lost, or if there is an unexpected detour, just follow the flow of traffic till you can pull off the road and stop at a safe place. Have a map in the car. Call a friend on your cell phone. Pull into a gas station, supermarket, or anyplace you feel is relatively safe and ask someone who looks reasonably helpful for directions. You can remain calm in the face of even the most dire emergencies if you have a plan of reaction to as many problems as you can anticipate.

5. Know the Rules and Know when to Break Them: No one should follow all the rules under all circumstances. For example, if you are driving along a 4-lane, two-way highway and a big truck traveling toward you in the opposite direction suddenly swerves across the center divider, headed straight for you, you should not hesitate to swerve out of the way, even if it means sideswiping the car driving in the lane to your immediate right. (This type of emergency is exactly why you should always try to drive with a cushion of empty space all around you.)

In life’s fast lane to success, you have to first learn the rules that apply to your goals, then play very close to the edges of those rules and occasionally even break them if that is the lesser of two evils. For the brave souls who fight for humanitarian rights around the world, they are breaking the “rules” all time. In our own country, people risked their lives to change the then existing rules that allowed taxation without representation, that allowed the purchase, sale, and treatment of human beings as livestock, and that prohibited equal rights based on race, nation origin, religion, or gender. Whatever your ultimate goals are, first learn the rules that apply to them, then measure carefully all your options all the time.

Finally, if you do break the rules, be prepared to live with the consequences. Millions of Americans get creative with their taxes each year, and some of them end up paying dearly for it, including years in prison. Nevertheless, millions of Americans are willing to take the risk, year after year. And, I think I know why. As a history major in college, I often came across the familiar theme of “to the victors go the spoils” or “history is written by the winners.” All kinds of coaches express a similar sentiment with the mantra “no excuses for failure and no apologies for success.” In philosophy, it’s called utilitarianism, which basic tenet is “the end justifies the means.” I’m not espousing any of these beliefs. I am merely pointing out that no one who has achieved truly big things in this world has done it 100% by following all the rules. Think about it. Not the founding leaders of any land, nation, or country. Not the past or present captains of industry. Not even—especially not—the great past and present religious leaders. All big thinkers push the envelope. That’s how rules evolve, and eventually all important changes comes about.

For a great example of when breaking the rules works, watch “Pirates of Silicon Valley,” about the daring origins of Microsoft and Apple. For a great example of when doing more or less the same thing doesn’t work, watch “Startup.com,” about the equally daring origins of govWorks.com, which company went bust before it even started, but not until it lost millions of investment cash. Watch these back to back for a real education in just how fast and far you can go with a great idea, hard work, great partners, and by pushing the envelope every chance you get. Then, also remember Martha Stewart, Michale Milken, and the Enron scandal.

CONCLUSION

See you on life’s superhighway to success. Be awesome! Be your own hero!

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