Cars have often been described as an extension of one’s personality but could it in fact be your driving style that’s the more accurate reflection of who you are?
I absolutely believe it is.
Recently, I met a guy at a braai and we got talking about road rage. He has done some pretty insane things on the road at various times like attempting to beat up a typically vulgar taxi driver.
As he chatted about his catalogue of dangerous escapades on the road, I didn’t deny that any of it was anything less than the absolute truth. The guy was cool and friendly, but he always looked on the verge of beating someone up as we spoke. There was a decidedly manic glint in his eyes.
My own driving style is aligned quite perfectly to my personality; hurried, impatient, easily unsettled and yet, never willing to cross the line (excuse the pun).
I will never jump out of my car to beat someone up (a decision easily made by my pitifully small and unthreatening size). I don’t tend to break the rules in everyday life, so I tend not to jump red robots or burst into the front of that endless queue of cars turning off the M5 as everyone from the southern suburbs scurry to Canal Walk…
I’ve also never gotten a parking ticket in my life. None of which means I don’t spend most of my time gritting my teeth while driving.
A colleague of mine is another prime example. A more feisty and impatient “dynamite in a small package” specimen you are unlikely to find. On the road, she and her trusty Citi Golf make for a lethal combination, creating gaps where there appear to be none. An adept multi-tasker in the office, she somehow combines driving with SMSing, changing her shoes and berating everything and anything that dare to slow down her not inconsiderable velocity.
My sister is cautious, considerate and vigilant on the road. Overall, a wise and measured approach to driving that mirrors her general approach to life.
Her husband, dubbed a fair bit OCD by the family, expertly navigates his way around potholes with the precision of an architect completing his final draft for a multimillion dollar construction.
One of my best friends is learning to drive and recently found herself driving in the lane facing oncoming traffic without realising it, despite the oncoming car barrelling down on her.
These and other bizarre transgressions on the road would be inexplicable were it not for her colourful, emotional, vivid, marginally haphazard and infectious personality.
All of these coincidences were really fascinating to me. The way we walk into a room, give a presentation, deal with a crisis or dress ourselves are all influenced by personality and now, we can add driving style to that list.
Consider your own character and the way you drive and you may be startled by the similarities.
Maybe next time you’re on a first date, start off by taking him or her for a drive and hand them your car keys.
That should save you from having to figure them out over a laborious and awkward two-hour dinner date.
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