Lean to drive

‘If you remember just one thing, make it this: everyone’s trying to kill you.’ The parting words from my motorcycle instructor, Steve, upon passing my bike test. I’d held my car licence for over two decades by this point, but no automotive experience had prepared me for the baptism of vehicular fire involved in subtracting two wheels from the process.

Don’t ride a motorcycle (yet), dear reader? Then, whatever you may think of your driving, you’re one of the people trying to do the killing – in Steve’s opinion, at least. While I’d not go quite that far, I think the uncomfortable truth is that most car drivers, most of the time, are on autopilot (and in a Tesla, potentially literally).

Cocooned in a climate controlled bubble; ensconced in two tonnes of leather, cushioning and crumple zones. The easier cars have become to drive, the less attention and concentration they require to pilot – and this is before you even get to active driver aids.