Driving is

[binocular]

driving

You need to offer more poll options!

Driving is a matter of life, death, and exorbitant costs, but it is a necessary, usually daily means to an end.

[Justsit]

Owning my "fun" vote.

Agree that daily driving is a chore - but driving in a controlled environment like a race track is a great joy and a real challenge. Back in the day I spent quite a bit of time on various tracks, driving cars and riding motorcycles (not full blown racing, but what is known as open track). Not only was it fun, it improved skills that are invaluable in the daily drive as well.

[binocular]

Not only was it fun, it improved skills that are invaluable in the daily drive as well.

In some European jurisdictions, in order to obtain a driving licence, the prospective driver has to complete a training in safe driving. The training includes, among other things, practicing how to bring the car to a full stop on a very wet surface; how to respond appropriately if one side of the car is on a terrain with much less traction than the other side; what to do when having almost too much speed in a curve; and the flip (you have to drive the car across a board-like device that moves, and if the driver doesn't respond the right way, the car is flipped around the vertical axis, much like driving over black ice at too much speed).

Here, I found a video:

[Justsit]

Not only was it fun, it improved skills that are invaluable in the daily drive as well.

In some European jurisdictions, in order to obtain a driving licence, the prospective driver has to complete a training in safe driving. ...

Ah, the skid pad. That was always my toughest challenge.

The video shows the type of training every driver should be required to complete to get a license. Most American drivers sadly are not able to do much more than steer a car, much less actually drive one. And since there is little to no public transportation available outside of major cities, almost everyone drives - while texting, talking on the phone, etc. It's pretty hairy out there.

[binocular]

Most American drivers sadly are not able to do much more than steer a car, much less actually drive one. And since there is little to no public transportation available outside of major cities, almost everyone drives - while texting, talking on the phone, etc. It's pretty hairy out there.

Which is why all cars should have manual transmission and no ABS.

[DNS]

Which is why all cars should have manual transmission

Hey, that's a good idea! If you're changing gears as in city traffic, there will be no way you can text and drive. You'd be surprised how many Americans don't know how to drive a manual transmission. And I see so many texting and driving on the roads; very dangerous.

[binocular]

Hey, that's a good idea! If you're changing gears as in city traffic, there will be no way you can text and drive. You'd be surprised how many Americans don't know how to drive a manual transmission. And I see so many texting and driving on the roads; very dangerous.

Well, to be fair, sadly, manual transmission isn't enough of a detractor from bad driving.

I was once a passanger to a young woman who
1. talked on the phone, holding it in one hand
and
2. drove up a steep incline
and
3. changed gears
and
4. entered a busy intersection
all at once.

And it's not that rare a skill here. Most cars here still have manual transmission.