Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi all,
Just wondering about peoples thoughts on this!
I've been finding that driving can often be a bit overstimulating for me. I overall enjoy it, the freedom it gives me is second to none, plus its a good place to scream at my loudest when I need to because no one can hear on the motorway. But i've found that just sheer volume of visual information is sometimes a bit much. Especially when it comes to the constant things ongoing in the mirrors that I can sometimes get distracted by when i need to focus on what's in front of me. This is especially during the dark, headlights in mirrors etc are so distracting and uncomfortable for me.
Obviously driving for long times is tiring for anyone, but even my normal commute home (35-45mins) at the end of the day really just takes out what little energy I have left after work. Any one else feel like this?
Thanks,
Euan.
The road system itself has become increasingly complicated over the years. I'm fine driving and the advent of the sat-nav has helped tremendously by taking some multitasking pressure (i.e I can paying attention to the road, other cars, people etc without worrying also having to focus on directions / signs as much). When I started driving the town I was in had fairly simple systems, the motorways were all three lanes, a hard shoulder and exist would mainly be spaced out. Now there's a constant barrage of nonsense to be on the lookout for, especially smart motorways with cameras and ever changing speed limits, lanes which are sometimes hard shoulders, some times not, bus lanes with cameras, multiple occupancy lanes, some with times, some without. Places like Leeds city centre is a nest of turns with little advanced warning about lane changes and exits, especially when busy with other people on the road who seem to think people being in the wrong lane is some kind of cardinal sin and attempting to change lanes is something to be punished for.
I can't see this getting any better. There needs to be something like the campaign for plain English, but for road design :)
Big Brother, indeed.
I managed to avoid Bus Lanes, in Belfast, but there's always that one cute so-and-so who'll photograph you; when you're in one.