A 95-year-old man was the subject of a recent mid-day report. The SoBo resident has been driving for 77 years, without a major accident, except for a few parking challans over the past seven decades.
The gent, who still drives five years short of his 100th birthday, had some interesting takeaways. At a time when we witness and read about car crashes on our roads, with increasing frequency, those behind the wheel would do well to heed the words of the super senior who prioritises safety.
Ironically, while our cars become high-tech, our accident rate is also increasing. The 95-year-old stated there is no short supply of vehicles now. Yet, there is a short supply of patience. Everybody on the road seems to be in an inordinate hurry to reach their destination. Anything goes in that rush, overtaking from the left, zooming ahead to escape the soon-to-turn-red signal, or simply stepping on the accelerator to get ahead of the person next to you… It all seems fair game to so many on the road. It is patience that keeps one and others safe, he has stated.
Besides that, one needs to have road awareness that comes with experience. Just like we talk about game awareness in cricket, the Indian team commentators often remark, has a very high degree of game awareness, so it is with the road. Awareness about when to turn, when to signal, and canny guesswork about the vehicle next to you all count.
Like he said in the report, one needs to respect the road, respect the vehicle, and never take driving lightly. Driving isn’t about speed; it is about awareness. Technology can assist, but good habits and training make the real difference, he added. One would do well to heed these words of wisdom from our subject, who taught his family, both children and grandchildren, how to drive.