Chuckling away the pain of a motorway jam
MOTORISTS spend two years of their lives on average driving their cars.
The downside is that driving can be full of stress, while the upside is that many think of their vehicle as a sanctuary and enjoy time behind the wheel.
The facts and figures come from a Privilege Car Insurance survey. While driving, 86% enjoy the radio and 26% listen to podcasts or audio books, 59% say it provides great thinking time and 33% say it’s a welcome respite from children.
Drivers spend five weeks of their lives looking for a parking space and three-and-a-half weeks shouting and swearing at other road users. I used my shouting and swearing quota up by 1986, which makes me much more tolerant now. Sort of.
On long journeys or airport runs, I listen to comedy tapes or talking books. There is nothing like a good chuckle or a guffaw or five while sitting solo in a motorway traffic jam to make other drivers wary.
But what about all the distractions that come with modern cars?
A House of Commons Select Committee has recommended a public consultation before the end of the year that could result in banning hands-free phones.
We have all seen idiots driving fast and badly while cradling a mobile to their ear with utter disregard for anyone else, but most have assumed that a hands-free phone was okay.
You press a button on the steering wheel to accept a call and talk into thin air.
But road safety experts say even this could be unsafe.
Does that make conversations with passengers dangerous and should children be gagged and subdued in the back seats to stop them fighting and demanding to know if they’re there, yet?
Touchscreen dashboards can be a challenge because you need to touch the screen and I am forever arguing with the SatNav lady when I take a short cut, although I always apologise later because you never know when you might need her.
I try not to be stupidly flippant about driving. My 23-year-old flatmate Terry was killed driving home for Christmas many years ago, a tragedy I have never forgotten. Try going back to an empty flat after that.
And death continues to stalk the highways.
For the year ending June 2018, there were 1,770 road deaths, 26,610 deaths or serious injuries and 165,100 casualties of all severities. It makes you think, as you switch radio channels with a touch or take a hands-free call. Drive carefully.