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Driving has nothing to do with sympathy
Fear, dread, anxiety – these are the psychological factors expressed by the inexperienced Hungarian drivers who applied for Magyar Suzuki's road-safety campaign, “Together on the Roads – You Were Also a Beginner Driver”, feelings that should have no place on the roads. Many admitted that their biggest issue is often the impatience and occasionally aggressive behaviour of more experienced drivers. However, our traffic expert believes that aggression only creates more anxious drivers – trust and empathy would achieve much more.
What could help an inexperienced or beginner driver gain confidence on the roads? Entries for Magyar Suzuki's “What's Your Story?” competition came from all parts of the country, with both men and women reporting the same fears. In addition to these negative feelings, they often lose their confidence even more when driving in heavy traffic, or under extreme weather conditions. Some were set back in their driving by a previous accident or an unexpected situation, such as a near-miss with a wild animal. Another recurring reason was the negative human interactions they encountered either during their driving lessons or after obtaining their licence, which rattled their confidence.
Inexperienced drivers shouldn’t be ashamed of their weaknesses
László Csörgő, head trainer at Drivingcamp, believes that every driver should have at least a basic understanding of the vehicle they intend to drive, while also learning to see the vehicle and themselves from a 360-degree perspective in traffic situations. Additionally, they need to take the rhythm of the traffic into account, whilst abiding by the rules. He added that inexperienced drivers shouldn’t be ashamed to display their “L” plate.
“No matter how much someone hides their weaknesses, sooner or later they will surface, causing tension or even bigger problems. Experienced drivers should give those less experienced the chance to gain the confidence they need for driving. Empathy is important; we don’t need to overthink certain situations, as we too can make mistakes, and we too were once beginners. Moreover, when we are tense, this transfers to the car through our limbs, resulting in much greater force on the steering wheel and gear stick,” said László Csörgő at a driving-skills training press event at Drivingcamp. The participants included those who shared their greatest driving challenges in their entries to our competition.
Everyone is equal on the roads
According to traffic psychologist, learner drivers often reinforce stereotypes in other drivers, leading to stigmatisation. Experienced drivers frequently make beginners feel inferior. He believes we should appreciate that these beginners have acquired an additional skill by obtaining their driver’s licence, and once they have, we should assume they know how to drive.
“Driving has nothing to do with sympathy. Traffic is an engineering invention: it doesn’t matter who we like or dislike. We can love our car and the music playing in it, but we shouldn’t approach other road users emotionally, as this can distort our perception. Everyone should be treated as an equal teammate on the roads. If we want fewer uncertain drivers, we shouldn’t approach them with aggression, as this will only create more anxious drivers. Trust is what can help in such situations. The easiest way to undermine a beginner, inexperienced driver, and cause them even more angst, is with inappropriate feedback,” explained the traffic psychologist, Dávid Zerkovitz.
Insecure drivers practise with professional instructors
At Magyar Suzuki’s driving-skills training at Drivingcamp in Zsámbék, 18 inexperienced or beginner drivers were given the opportunity to regain their confidence behind the wheel with the help of professional instructors. In a safe environment, participants were able to practise handling unexpected situations like emergency braking, simulated emergencies on both sticky and slippery surfaces, avoidance manoeuvres, safely navigating hairpin turns downhill, and uphill starts. The instructors equipped them with numerous driving tips.
Attending the event were campaign influencers less experienced in driving, comedians Orsi Sipos and Balázs Máté Szabó, as well as influencer Réka B. Nagy and racing-car driver Adrienn Vogel. Representing the Hungarian National Police Headquarters, a professional partner of Magyar Suzuki’s “Together on the Roads – You Were Once a Beginner Driver Too” campaign, was Colonel Kristóf Gál.
“According to a traffic science study, Hungarian drivers deem themselves the most cultured road users, rating themselves a 4.3 out of 5. However, they are much less understanding towards other drivers, rating everyone else lower than a 3. Inexperience is often the source of problems when beginner drivers appear alone in traffic without supervision, often facing situations that are unfamiliar for them and having to make decisions on their own. Accident statistics clearly show that the accident risk for beginner drivers is above the average, and they cause more than 1.5 times as many road accidents involving personal injury compared to what would otherwise be justified based on their proportion among all drivers. One of the basic conditions for improving traffic culture is for drivers – both experienced and inexperienced – to look out for one another. Being understanding and courteous towards each other on the roads can significantly reduce accidents,” said Colonel Kristóf Gál, spokesperson for the Hungarian National Police Headquarters.
For the third year in a row, Magyar Suzuki has launched its road-safety campaign to enhance safety on the roads.
“As a car manufacturer, one of our most important missions is to make mobility safe and accessible to as many people as possible. However, not everyone is motivated by the same factors when driving, nor are their emotions the same. But just because someone is inexperienced doesn't mean they should be excluded from the first round; they are equal participants in this ‘board game’ we call traffic. Our goal is to improve Hungary's traffic culture and ensure there are fewer uncertain drivers on the roads,” said Zsuzsanna Bonnár-Csonka, Head of Corporate Communications at Magyar Suzuki.
