With a little thought paid to how much time can be saved by weaving in and out, speeding, or just taking unnecessary chances to gain that extra few spaces in traffic, most bad drivers would be amazed as to how much stress they put themselves through, just to gain a few minutes. When I was in a hurry, it just seemed like the thing to do, as though magically I would arrive on time. Not thinking that every every time I'd look in the mirror, those left behind would come up along side of me at the light or stop sign.

On a major highway, it's almost like the Indianapolis speedway the way people drive these days. It's almost like its every man for himself. If you join the madness, then you'll find that by the time you get to your destination, you are completely worn out after an hour or two of this kind of driving.

Observing the habits of other offered a look into my own habits, and most of the time when you see yourself in someone else, its easy to make like they are the ones that are total idiots, and that you are the sensible one. But really, isn't it the case with almost everything? At one time or another, we all go through a stage whereas we do stupid things, and when we've grown out of them, we pick on those who are just mimicking our past bad habits.

They just haven't reached the point we have, and we forget that we were once there, and that is why we recognize it so easily. However, how many of us take the time to look back and see that we are critisizing others for the same things we were once guilty of? On the road, its a different matter alltogether. Its not the place to have bad habits.

How this affected me was in a very good way. In calculating how much time I would save by going over the limit, I simply allow that extra amount of time before leaving so as to not have to speed. In fact, if you do what I've been doing, you will find that driving can almost be a pleasure cruise instead of a stress test.

I don't pass anyone unless they are doing "below" the limit. There are still a few of them out there, and that is almost as bad as going too fast. I do the speed limit, give or take a mile or two more at times, and what this does for me is relieve the stress of worrying about speed traps, or that unsuspecting cop that came out of nowhere.

Also if you do the limit, and just stay in the far right lane, all those behind you will simply pass you, and put enough distance in front of you so that you "never" have anyone in front of you as they are all flying by, and eventually out of sight. This takes a lot of pressure out of driving because you are never competing with other drivers, and not putting yourself and others at risk by taking unnecessary chances.

If you have cruise control, use it. Keep it at the limit, and you will not have to touch the gas pedal or brake pedal for almost the whole trip. After doing this for a while, I find I can't drive any other way. Once in a while, I'll get out of touch with my common sense thinking, and do the bad thing, but it always ends up the same. Underarms get clammy, heart races, frustration sets in, and what happens is that an otherwise nice trip turns into a need for a Valium.

Why drivers opt to put themselves this this turmoil each day is a mystery to me now that I can feel the difference between stressful trips, or on of a sight seeing pleasure. Its a hard habit to break, but once you realize that you may add a few years to your life by stress free driving, and also possibly save the rest of your life by not risking an accident, driving the limit will be as ordinary as breathing.

Learn more about this author, Richard Serra.
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