No driver is perfect. That means no matter how good you may be, you would still inevitably make some mistakes one time or another. Let’s just hope that these mistakes don’t cause anyone harm. But at least you can control your own acts, and try to minimize erring while on the street. It’s a whole different story when other drivers are involved, because you don’t know what’s in their minds.
Accidents happen whether it’s you or another driver who makes mistakes on the road. That’s why it’s a good defensive driving idea not to trust anyone else on the road. No, this doesn’t mean you have to be aggressive and treat everyone else as an enemy. Trusting no one simply means you have to anticipate the actions of other drivers. And you should act on the cautious side.
If you are too trusting, you are relying on that other driver for your safety. Is he worthy of that trust? Every few seconds, some drivers in this country find out this is a poor bet. Maybe some of those other drivers are returning from a beer festival! Maybe they just lost a job, or worse, a loved one. The other driver might be an 11-year-old who found Dad’s keys. Approach driving with the idea that every other driver is an unpredictable menace and out to get you. Most collisions occur when the “other guy” does something we don’t expect, or when we do something they don’t expect. –Road Trip America