I have instructed many pupils who have come to me after failing one or more tests with other driving instructors - often they tell me that their driving skills are up to the required standard and they only failed their test because they were unlucky - a driver emerged at a junction when they shouldn't have done or someone failed to give way when they should have at a roundabout (or something similar). Whatever the reason, they believed with absolute certainty that they had been unlucky.

How often have you been a passenger in a car and noticed that some drivers do seem to be unlucky - pedestrians walk out into the road in front of them unexpectedly, just as they arrive at a junctions another driver appears unexpectedly and they're forced to brake harshly or when driving on a road with fast moving traffic drivers in front brake unexpectedly causing our driver to follow suit to avoid a collision. Are they like the girl in our picture - just unlucky?

There are those other, lucky drivers however and I'm sure you've seen them as well - nothing seems to happen to them does it? They seem to drive around without a care in the world safe in the knowledge that nothing will happen to them. Are they driving round with a lucky charm in the glove compartment or are they just born lucky?

Well here's the truth - there's no such thing as luck when we're driving. So what is the difference between our "lucky" and "unlucky" drivers? When we looked at the lucky driver earlier we noted that they drive around seemingly without a care in the world and nothing untoward ever seems to happen to them - in fact travelling in the car with them can seem almost boring! It happens because this is a good driver - although they seem to be driving along without a care in the world they're actually working very hard, scanning the road well ahead and using their anticipation skills to spot any potential problems well before they develop into hazards. Even when they can't see anything that might cause a problem they're using the MSM routine and planning skills so that should a problem be noticed their preparation is done and they are in a postion to deal with it before the hazard becomes a problem. By doing this they remain in full control throughout the drive and can deal with hazards and the unthinking or uncaring actions of other road users safely, confidently and without any stress.

The unlucky driver is in fact a poor driver, they either don't know or have lost the habit of looking and planning ahead, they might see developing hazards but don't take early action to deal with them and probably have no idea of how to plan for what they can't see. Consequently they drive around from crisis to crisis reacting late to driving hazards which usually means late and harsh braking. When things happen that they haven't been able to see such as a driver emerging from a junction as they get close to it they are never ready to deal with it and it always ends in having to make a quick, instinctive decision without being able to consider all the available options. The poor driver will almost always find their journey to be stressful and because they can't recognise their own lack of skill they consider themselves to be unlucky (because none of us believe we're poor drivers).

So, if you want to be a lucky driver carry a rabbits foot or a four leaved clover in the car (it might help you pick the winning lottery numbers - although I doubt it). But if you want to become a good driver learn how to look well ahead and be constantly scanning the road, anticipating what might lie ahead and then use the MSM routine to deal with those things you can see and those you can't but might reasonably expect to happen. People will then start to consider you a "lucky" driver and when they do you can allow yourself a quiet little self satisfied smile.