Be the Ball, Danny - Is Safe Driving a Natural Reflex?

  

 Email Article  

Tweet  

  

  

 delicious  

  

  

Do You Have to Think About Driving Safely?

Im going to give you a little advice. There's a force in the universe that makes things happen. And all you have to do is get in touch with it . . .  and be the ball.  Be the ball, be the ball, be the ball."

– Ty Webb (Chevy Chase) in the Warner Brothers movie classic, Caddyshack.

In this amusing scene from Caddyshack, Chevy Chase teaches Danny Noonan (Michael O'Keefe) that if you practice and concentrate on something enough times it becomes second nature to you and you become it.  No further thought is necessary  --  it just happens. Chase then goes on to sink numerous golf balls while blindfolded.

As a motorist, is safety completely second nature to you? Obviously, you can't drive blindfolded - but how much conscious thought do you put into safe driving?  Is it a conscious effort or is it your constant state of mind?

Most motorists consider themselves to be above-average drivers and believe that driver safety is second nature to them.  But be honest with yourself:  Have you ever applied make-up or shaved while driving?  How safety- conscious were you when you were drinking a steaming hot cup of coffee at the wheel or grabbing a quick bite on the road?  Ever used a hand-held cell phone or read a map while on the move?  Fiddled with the radio to find your favorite song or switched CDs on the highway?  If you said yes to any of these questions, then you're not "being the ball."

Your performance behind the wheel can be influenced by mood, your frame of mind, stress level, or other emotional states.   Operating a motor vehicle when distracted or preoccupied means you're not fully in control.  Drivers need to focus on driving if you want to "be the ball" and avoid a potentially dangerous situation.