Speeding: Lessons Learned from Driving Too Fast

I was an avid speeder. Vroom Vroom! Have you ever heard the song, "I'm in a hurry (and don't know why)," by Alabama? No? Then Google the lyrics! That was me.

I used to feel like there was just not enough time in a day; I'd cram everything that I could into the last few minutes before I left to my next destination. Then I felt the need to drive real fast because I was running late... Sound familiar?!

I would get all stressed out because the faster I went the more attentive I had to be to the road and the cars around me. I couldn't even blink because I was tailgating so close, hoping that I would make the person in front of me understand that they were "idiots" for driving the speed limit alongside another "idiot" which prevented me from getting around them... And the faster I went, the more I also had to keep an eye out for cops... Oy!

When I was driving in a crowd that wasn't moving at the pace I wanted it to, I started feeling claustrophobic; I couldn't move! AHHH!!! It was a nightmare! What's wrong with these people???

I got pulled over and had to pay fine after fine for speeding and "careless driving," along with community service, and "driver's improvement" classes. And guess what? I never learned my lesson!

I learned the hard way on how to avoid collisions by getting into them. Heck, I even totaled my car and my insurance agent's truck right in front of an off-duty police officer... How crappy is that?! I was sure to learn my lesson... but did I? NO!!

I just thought that it was a game of skill and avoiding getting caught. The more I did it, the more my confidence level went up. Years passed and I hadn't gotten into any more collisions, and the amount of traffic citations I received dramatically declined. It was now habit, and I'll admit a little thrilling... I thought I was as good as Lightning McQueen on Pixar's Cars. "Kachow!"

Then, oddly enough, I was driving to work in a construction zone on the freeway in heavy traffic. I was feeling claustrophobic again, but kept my cool and just went with the flow of things. Next thing I know, a cop zapped me and weaved through everybody to get to me. He pulled me over and wrote me a ticket for going 55 in a 45. How ridiculous! Right?! Everybody was going 10 over!!

I went to court with it and asked for driver's improvement class again so it wouldn't go again my record or insurance.

Robert Fox at Turner's School of Driving in Albuquerque, New Mexico was conducting the class. But this time it was different. It wasn't just "driver's improvement." This time it was called "defensive driving." Mr. Fox explained that the class we were taking was recognized by all courts in every county across the country, along with insurance companies who deduct premiums for attending voluntarily.

So... "Defensive driving," by Robert Fox. After 10 years of speeding and tailgating, numerous tickets and a few collisions, I FINALLY realized that it wasn't worth it anymore...

Now, I've been told many a times before that by speeding I'm taking a huge risk of getting hurt or killed, blah blah blah... But if I'm as good as Lightning McQueen now, those things wouldn't happen to me, right?! I only looked into what COULD happen in the FUTURE. And it was only the PRESENT that really mattered to me.

But what I DIDN'T realize was how much stress it was CURRENTLY creating for me, and it wasn't the ones going the speeding limit that were the "idiots," it was me being impatient and immature... This is where Robert Fox changed it for me.

Remember what I said in the beginning! I would get all stressed out because the faster I went the more attentive I had to be to the road and the cars around me. I couldn't even blink because I was tailgating so close and avoiding collisions. I'd get claustrophobic when I couldn't get around people, and the faster I went the more I also had to keep an eye out or cops...

Now that I realize what's more important to me, I stopped speeding. I now travel at the posted speed limit and get to my destination at nearly the same time I did when I was speeding, and my overall stress level has improved tremendously.

And get this! Best of all, I now use the same principle in everything I do. Now that I'm not rushing around everywhere like a chicken with my head cut off, my stress has gone down even more!

Sssswwweeeeeetttt!! Thank you Robert Fox!