Secret Benefits of Courteous Driving

You’re out in the morning rush hour, trying to make it to work on time just like everyone else out on the road. It’s a pretty typical morning; you have your coffee, your favorite good morning show on the radio, and a fresh outlook for a new day. But, you look at the time and notice that you’re running a bit later than usual. Also, someone is trying to get in your lane, and you think you really can’t afford to let them in since you might be late to work. You decide to let them in anyway, because it’s just the right thing to do and you’d want the same from them. They wave to say thanks and the traffic starts moving steadily again.

Your exit is coming up soon and you need to get over into the right lane. Someone sees your blinker and offers to let you in, and you then realize that the good deeds you do very well come back full circle to reward you as well. You decide then and there that you’ll start making a habit of letting people in on the freeway; after all, it’s kind, it doesn’t take much effort, and it doesn’t cost you a penny. And, you actually made it to work on time that day anyway!

How It Works

Being a courteous driver doesn’t mean you have to let twenty people into your lane and sit for thirty extra minutes while they all get ahead of you. Just letting one or two people into your lane will send the message of being a polite driver, while still allowing you to get where you need to go. Also, it helps your mood improve. If you’re an angry, negligent driver that never lets anyone into your lane, you probably will stay in a sour mood all day. When you perform acts of kindness, you will probably be more likely to stay in a good mood on your way to or from work. Watch the above video and you’ll realize that even seeing someone else being courteous can lift your mood. Imagine how good you’d feel if it were you behind the wheel.

The Chain Effect

You also invite kindness to be returned. It doesn’t have to be out on the road, either. Maybe you’ll see that same person that you let into your lane at the grocery store someday. You might be a few dollars short at the register, and have to put something back. The same person who you helped out on the road might in turn help you by paying for that item that you thought you wouldn’t be able to buy. Instead of focusing on just yourself, realize that others need to get places just like you do, and allowing them to get in your lane or exit on the highway will make your life easier and even open up possibilities to have the kind behavior returned to you.

The Insurance Effect

Being a courteous driver usually means being a defensive driver, which will help decrease your chances of being involved in accidents that will make your auto insurance rates go up. In this way, you can think about yourself and realize that polite driving can also help you even if the other person never returns the favor. Just the act of you being cautious on the road helps you every day because you save money on your car insurance, and avoid accidents that could potentially cause an injury or even death.

Simply put, being a courteous driver offers many benefits to both you and the other driver. It helps promote positivity and kindness, opens up opportunities for your kindness to be returned, helps you stay in a good mood by helping others, and keeps you safe on the roads. There really isn’t a downside to being a polite driver, and the benefits are tenfold.

video source:
kyogre6444 (Nov 27, 2013) – “Courteous Driving Compilation”