SA Situation Awareness
So many things improve when we are situation aware. I was reminded of that this past week when driving to Leominster on Rt 12.
It was about 3:15 in the afternoon. Traffic was light with no vehicles heading northbound and no vehicles for at least 500 ft behind me. I'd just passed Nichols and Battle as a Leominster police office stepped into the southbound lane and stopped me to let a single construction vehicle pull out to head north on rt 12. Now why would this officer stop a single vehicle to let this truck out? Did he realize that the stop would cause wear and tear on the car, that the car would use additional fuel to get back up to speed, that a stop would cause additional emissions from the car. That the truck was using very little fuel while waiting a few additional seconds before pulling out in the huge empty space behind the car.
Truly this was a minor incident but it demonstrates how pervasive the lack of SA is when even a cop on the job in a construction zone is not being vigilant in observing what is going on around them that directly relates to their job performance.
What about you, the vehicle operator driving to work or the grocery store?
Do you pay attention to your driving or are you yacking away on your cell phone?
Are you using your mirrors to stay aware of what is behind you and to your sides?
Are you looking well ahead preparing to make that left turn, proceeding through when there's plenty of time before the oncoming car gets to the intersection or are you one of those drivers that stops and lets the oncoming car go by (holding up traffic behind you) because you weren't paying attention?
Just a thought.....
It was about 3:15 in the afternoon. Traffic was light with no vehicles heading northbound and no vehicles for at least 500 ft behind me. I'd just passed Nichols and Battle as a Leominster police office stepped into the southbound lane and stopped me to let a single construction vehicle pull out to head north on rt 12. Now why would this officer stop a single vehicle to let this truck out? Did he realize that the stop would cause wear and tear on the car, that the car would use additional fuel to get back up to speed, that a stop would cause additional emissions from the car. That the truck was using very little fuel while waiting a few additional seconds before pulling out in the huge empty space behind the car.
Truly this was a minor incident but it demonstrates how pervasive the lack of SA is when even a cop on the job in a construction zone is not being vigilant in observing what is going on around them that directly relates to their job performance.
What about you, the vehicle operator driving to work or the grocery store?
Do you pay attention to your driving or are you yacking away on your cell phone?
Are you using your mirrors to stay aware of what is behind you and to your sides?
Are you looking well ahead preparing to make that left turn, proceeding through when there's plenty of time before the oncoming car gets to the intersection or are you one of those drivers that stops and lets the oncoming car go by (holding up traffic behind you) because you weren't paying attention?
Just a thought.....
posted by noway @ 11/08/2008 08:50:00 AM
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