Clarity of Purpose
Posted: Fri May 11, 2018 10:57 am
Whilst out with someone recently, I found myself thinking about how a drive feels when the driver is thinking about too many things at once.
Like many others I suspect, I have an idea of how I'd like to drive and how I'd like that to come across to my passengers, based on what I've felt when being driven by others. One of the most striking things I've experienced is a driver with complete focus on the task at hand. This comes across as a compete clarity of purpose - it's confidence-inspiring and exhilarating to watch.
The opposite situation is easy to spot - opportunities are missed at junctions and roundabouts, positioning is not fully exploited and overtakes are fudged. Other road users are overly engaged with, rather than effectively dispatched. The driver's attention often seems to be inside or even behind the car, not way out in front.
This clarity requires very effective decision making about what's important and what's not, so that the important things can be given a much greater share of the attention, and trying to recreate it reveals just how much skill is required. Rapid decision making like that is only possible with a lot of experience - having been in a situation many times before enables a driver to access the best way to deal with it without much thought.
There will be situations where the nature of the road of the density of traffic makes it impossible to achieve, but on the right road at the right time, it's a joy to behold.
Has anyone else ever been struck by this feeling?
Do you struggle with distraction from the task in hand?
Is it undesirable for a driver to focus too much - do they risk missing other important things?
Like many others I suspect, I have an idea of how I'd like to drive and how I'd like that to come across to my passengers, based on what I've felt when being driven by others. One of the most striking things I've experienced is a driver with complete focus on the task at hand. This comes across as a compete clarity of purpose - it's confidence-inspiring and exhilarating to watch.
The opposite situation is easy to spot - opportunities are missed at junctions and roundabouts, positioning is not fully exploited and overtakes are fudged. Other road users are overly engaged with, rather than effectively dispatched. The driver's attention often seems to be inside or even behind the car, not way out in front.
This clarity requires very effective decision making about what's important and what's not, so that the important things can be given a much greater share of the attention, and trying to recreate it reveals just how much skill is required. Rapid decision making like that is only possible with a lot of experience - having been in a situation many times before enables a driver to access the best way to deal with it without much thought.
There will be situations where the nature of the road of the density of traffic makes it impossible to achieve, but on the right road at the right time, it's a joy to behold.
Has anyone else ever been struck by this feeling?
Do you struggle with distraction from the task in hand?
Is it undesirable for a driver to focus too much - do they risk missing other important things?