They say familiarity breeds contempt. When it comes to commuting to work, it is more likely to breed complacency.
While knowing a route comes with many advantages, driving the same route day after day can also lead to danger. Here are a few examples of why:
You get to know where the cameras are
Once you understand where you definitely will get caught speeding, you might be tempted to put your foot down in the sections in between. Speed increases raise the risk of crashes and the damage that occurs if one happens.
You cut your timing too fine
When you take a new route to work, you probably allow extra time as you do not want to risk being late. Once you have driven a route for a few weeks and know it almost always takes between 13 and 15 minutes, you are less likely to give yourself spare time.
Hence, if traffic is worse than usual, you will be late, and once again, speeding may seem tempting.
You switch off
Driving the daily commute can soon get monotonous, leading your brain to switch off. The reduced alertness could mean the difference between avoiding a hazard or plowing straight into it.
By altering the route you take to work each day, you can help yourself stay more alert to the road around you. Yet, even if you do that, the streets will still be full of other commuters in a zombie-like state. Any one of them could crash into you, meaning you will not be going to work for some time. Understanding how to claim compensation for lost earnings and injuries will be crucial.
