What pops into your head when you think about a cab driver? Is it a grumpy driver who doesn’t say a word other than to tell you the price? Or someone who launches into a story the moment you get in, pausing only to look in the mirror and check you are paying attention?
There are all sorts of cab drivers, just as there are all sorts of drivers of private cars, and the ideal driver of any vehicle sits somewhere between those two extremes.
Safety overrides politeness
Imagine you are driving your aged aunt to her chiropodist’s appointment. She does not get out much, so you listen politely while she tells you all about her bunions. That is all good and well up to a point but sometimes it may be necessary to tell her to stop.
People talking to you while you are driving can be dangerously distracting
Some can distract you because you find the conversation engrossing. Listening and responding takes concentration that you should be giving to the road.
Others can distract you because you find their conversation annoying, such as when your brother-in-law goes off on a rant. You almost certainly drive better when calm than when your blood is boiling.
Your duty is to get your passengers to their destination safely
When you drive, you take on a massive responsibility to those in your car and those you share the road with. Unfortunately, many drivers do not give this enough thought or feel it is impolite to ask someone to be quiet and let them concentrate.
If someone injures you in a crash, consider if they were giving the road their full attention or if they crashed because they let their passengers distract them.