ANTICIPATION

Originally, GAAP was GAP. A three word acronym instead of four The characteristic of ANTICIPATION is a recent addition and forced another "A" into the GAP.

ANTICIPATION simply stated is the perfect defender against Sullivan's Law.

What is Sullivan's law?

Well, most every one has heard of Murphy's law. "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong"

Sullivan's law simply states that Murphy, was an optimist!

Anticipate everything. Whatever you can imagine can happen, can happen. If you drive with ANTICIPATION , you will expect the unexpected. Just as the AWARENESS characteristic of the GSDS is driven by "what if" questions about risk you can see, ANTICIPATION is driven by "what can't I see?" questions. AWARENESS is keyed to what you can see and observe. ANTICIPATION is keyed to what you can imagine can happen but can't yet see.

If you've ever played a variety of the classic "Space Invaders" video game, you've learned the value of ANTICIPATION . For example, you learn quickly that the invaders hide behind the asteroids. So when you see an asteroid form on the screen, you ANTICIPATE that an invader will suddenly appear from behind it. You can't see it, but you have learned that it can happen.

In traffic, this may translate to what is behind a row of trees along a parkway. There could be a park, with children playing. Or perhaps a pet, or a deer. If you tune your senses to ANTICIPATE risk that you can't see, you're far more likely to see it if it materializes. And if you see the risk, you can neutralize the risk.

Just like Awareness, Anticipation harmonizes beautifully with the Gentleness concept. Aggressiveness, the opposite of GENTLENESS, robs you of the time and focus you need to ANTICIPATE the unseen.

In the same way that AWARENESS is about knowing what is happening, ANTICIPATION is about knowing what can happen, and being expectantly ready if it does.

ANTICIPATION means that when a driver being pursued by the police ignores a stop sign in a residential neighborhood you will have seen it coming. You will have seen it coming because you will not have proceeded into the intersection without being able to see traffic that wasn't stopping when it should.

ANTICIPATION means that if you can't see, you don't go. For example, you NEVER make a left turn when oncoming traffic may be hidden by a vehicle in the opposite left turn lane because you anticipate that it may be coming even though you can't see it.

ANTICIPATION means you understand that the Right of Way is something you give but never take because you ANTICIPATE that the other driver won't yield when they should. You maintain that ANTICIPATION until the risk is neutralized.

The characteristic of ANTICIPATION is probably the most extreme concept of the GAAP system. It is also possible, that the kinds of collisions resulting from what you can't see may be the most serious. Hence, while it is an extreme characteristic, it's extremely important to develop.