The Honest Truth

Learning to drive is seen as a right of passage by many. When you have passed your driving test you are on your own and you stand or fall by the decisions you make. Unfortunately, you could have had the best driver training available but you are still human.

As a human we make mistakes, bad decisions and can be influenced by our peers and other road users.

We all react differently to situations when driving depending on how we are feeling at that point of time. For example, one day we may react to another driver, another day or time, we would not be bothered and just get on with it.

Our personality may also make us vulnerable as we revert to type such as risk taking and showing off when we are with friends or speed when we are late. Maybe we are easily led and influenced by our friends to drink alcohol or smoke cannabis.

Every day people die or are seriously injured on our roads. The reality is that driving or being a passenger is probably the most dangerous thing we do every day. And yet we think nothing of it because it’s just driving.

Accidents do not just happen. There is a chain of events which all come together to create the accident/incident. If just one of these events can be broken then the accident may never happen or be less severe. The events could be speeding, using hands free, not wearing a seat belt, smoking weed and so on.

For example, we can break the chain of events which were leading up to an accident when we do not speed because whatever is going to happen will now happen more slowly, there will be more time to look, assess and decide what to do, more opportunity to recognise there is a problem, more opportunity to slow or stop before the event is allowed to develop further. Or if it stills goes wrong what ever we are going to hit we will hit more slowly. Instead of being killed maybe we will walk away because we slowed down.

By breaking just one element of the accident chain we can change the whole outcome. Breaking the chain by wearing a seat belt, looking after vulnerable road users, not being distracted, not showing off, not drink driving, not drug driving, not using a mobile phone, not speeding and not driving tired can all break the accident cycle and brake the accident chain of events.

For example, by wearing a seat belt being able to walk away from a crash which would have killed me if I had not been wearing a seat belt.

The choices we make when we are driving can be the difference between life, death, serious injury, going to prison, no car, no job, no friends, no money and not being able to pay the rent and bills.

The Honest Truth provides 10 short videos to watch at the start of a driving lesson which include the key information drivers need to keep themselves and others safe. Information which is to the point, clear and concise. Information which could be life changing.

From April 2024 I will be using The Honest Truth to help my learners stay safe by making the right choices for the right reasons at the right time.

Have a look at the Honest Truth Website website for more information. https://www.thehonesttruth.co.uk

https://www.alistairstuartdrivertraining.co.uk