Every year, there are more than 6 million reported traffic crashes in the United States, injuring more than 3 million people, killing more than 40,000 people and causing more than $200,000,000,000.00 in property damage.  And nearly all of it is completely avoidable.

Let’s break those numbers down by averaging them out to a single day.

• More than 100 people die in preventable car crashes EVERY DAY.
• More than 8,200 people are injured in preventable car crashes EVERY DAY.
• Preventable car crashes cost us more than $500 million EVERY DAY.

Everyone has the potential to make mistakes every time they drive.  Operating a car in live traffic is one of the most complex multi-tasking challenges any human being can perform, and today’s distractions make it even harder and more dangerous.

Have you heard of the 10,000 hour rule?  It states that, in order to achieve the proficiency of a master in an activity, you have to spend a minimum of 10,000 hours in committed practice.   Driving back and forth to work or school using the same roads everyday, while listening to music and talking on the phone, does not count as practice time.

Consider this: if you put in a committed hour of practice driving every day starting at 16, you would reach 10,000 hours around your 44th birthday.  That’s real practice time, trying to learn something new about driving.

There are very few expert drivers out there – the annual crash rates prove that.  We all could use a little improvement in this area.

If you’ve had more than one crash or ticket in a three-year period, there’s room to improve your driving skills.  I’ve helped people across the lifespan, from 15 to 85, improve their defensive driving skills.  Even if you’re a decent driver, are you ready to deal with emergency situations caused by those around you who aren’t?

A Driving Skills Assessment could provide valuable insights into your defensive driving ability.  If you’ve had a few crashes or tickets, some retraining could help keep your insurance costs under control.  If you’re applying for a position that involves driving a company vehicle, a Driving Skills Assessment could help prepare you for the role, and could help sway an employer.