Web Traffic School
Defensive Driving Strategies
HOW TO DRIVE AND SURVIVE
Welcome back to another segment of the program. If you haven't figured out that driving can be hazardous, well, I'm not sure you should be operating a motor vehicle, or even a toaster oven for that matter. No question about it--driving is serious business. But that doesn't mean you have to be paranoid about it. You can drive and survive.
In this segment, you'll learn some of the driving strategies that can help you survive out on the road.

THE GOOD SAMARITAN

First and foremost is paying attention to the matter at hand, or, in other words, concentration.
Yes, that's right--concentration. Concentration is the key. When you're driving around, you can't get distracted by small, insignificant occurrences. You have to keep your eyes and your mind on the road.

Here are some defensive driving strategies to help you do it.

PLANNING DAILY TRIPS

· Don't drive if you are not feeling well

· Don't drive while taking medication that can effect your reaction or judgment

· Make sure your vehicle is properly equipped

· Avoid driving at dusk or dawn

SOME HELPFUL HINTS WHEN PLANNING DAILY TRIPS

If you're not feeling well, try not to drive. Stay at home, ride with a friend, or take the bus. When you're in this condition, it is hard to concentrate on your driving. If you're taking medication, read the label. Many medications advise you not to drive. Make sure your vehicle is properly equipped for any physical limitations you may have. And if at all possible, avoid driving at dusk and dawn. For most people, that's not possible because of working hours. So be extra careful during these times of day.
  • Choose a familiar route
  • Avoid unmarked or poorly maintained roadways
  • Do your best to avoid congested areas
  • Try to avoid driving at peak rush hours
  • Do your best to avoid bad weather
  • Always keep your car in good working order
Try to take a route you're familiar with. That way, you can keep your mind on driving, not on trying to figure out where you are. And stay off of roadways that are poorly marked or maintained. That's hard to do in some places, but it's usually worth going a little out of your way to be on safe roads. The same goes for extremely congested roadways. If you can avoid the peak driving hours, then do so. And if there's heavy rain or fog, leave earlier than usual so you can drive at safe speeds and still make it to work on time.
If ice and snow are on the road, stay home if at all possible. And always keep your car in good working order. Routine maintenance and regular safety check-ups are a good idea.

There are certain other rules to follow when taking longer trips, as well.

PLANNING LONGER TRIPS

  • Get a good night's sleep before heading out
  • Set realistic daily goals for mileage
  • Leave when congestion is lightest
  • Don't take stimulants to stay awake
  • Eat lightly, but regularly
  • Take periodic rest stops
  • Share the driving
Always get a good night's sleep beforehand so you'll be well rested and alert. Don't try to cover too much distance on each leg. Be realistic -- and safe. Time your departure to avoid congestion, and don't take stimulants to stay awake; they can impair your ability to react. Eat light meals, but on a regular basis, to keep from getting tired. Also, stop and rest every couple of hours to avoid fatigue. If your destination is more than eight hours away, plan to stop for the evening and get a good night's sleep. Don't overdrive your stamina. If there's another safe driver with you, share the driving.
You can roll your car window down every so often to let in fresh air, and you can also change the radio station now and then to help stave off fatigue and "highway hypnosis." But the BEST thing to do when you get tired is to look for a rest stop, then pull over, stop and rest.

By following these good, common sense rules on trip planning, it won't take you much longer to get to your destination, and you'll be in better condition to enjoy yourself while you're there. Of course, it also helps to ensure that your trip won't be interrupted by the unexpected.

There are potential hazards in every mile of road you travel. You're literally surrounded by people, objects, signs, and other vehicles that can affect the safety of your driving.

But you can drive and survive in this frightening world we've created for ourselves.
Texas highways have more than 100 rest stops where motorists can take regular safety breaks.

In addition, drowsy drivers can take these precautions:

· Avoid driving during late night and early morning hours

· Set realistic travel goals

· Eat healthy meals and avoid alcohol and other drugs

· Switch drivers every two hours, even if you don't feel tired

· Stop every two hours to stretch

CELL PHONES AND DRIVING

According to researchers at the Transportation Safety Laboratory of the University of Montreal (2001), people who use wireless phones while driving have a 38 % higher risk of a collision than those who do not talk and drive. Even using a hands-free phone can be dangerous, because talking on the phone diverts your attention from driving. Long, complex conversations make you four times more likely to have a car crash. Pull safely off the road if you need to make a call.
  • CONTROL OUR FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS
  • CONTROL OUR FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS
  • LEARN DEFENSIVE DRIVING STRATEGIES
Two keys to survival are (1) learning to control our feelings and emotions, and (2) developing defensive driving strategies. As you learned earlier, feelings and emotions have a tremendous influence on driving behavior. However, you can keep your feelings under control with sheer concentration.

Another key to safe driving is getting a good overview of the scene around your vehicle to spot potential problems before they become a threat. This involves your senses of sight and sound. In other words, you have to rely on your perceptual skills to be able to identify critical objects and conditions in and around the roadway, and predict how they could cause a problem.

WATCH OUT FOR

  • Roadway conditions

WATCH OUT FOR

  • Roadway conditions
  • Control devices

WATCH OUT FOR

  • Roadway conditions
  • Control devices
  • Other traffic
Some of the objects you have to watch carefully include road conditions, traffic control devices, and other traffic on or near the roadway. Road conditions generally refer to the kind of road you're on, the condition of its surface, and objects nearby.
It is important to remember and to use the safe driver's "rule of thumb" on the road, SCOPE:
S-can
C-oncentrate
O-rganize
P-lan
E-xecute
OVERVIEW OF THE SCENE ON THE ROAD
The second group of objects you have to be alert for are traffic control devices such as signs, signals, lane markings, and so forth.

The third group of objects to watch closely is the traffic around you. Cars, trucks, bikes, vans, and any other moving objects in and around the roadway.
Pedestrians are also included in this group. You never know when someone might try to cross the street, or step into the street to get into a car parked along the roadway. To be a safe driver, you have to be alert for possible problems all around your vehicle.
You also need to be able to spot problems far ahead and give yourself time to react. Safe drivers scan for any person, vehicle, animal, or anything else that might cause them to have to slow down, speed up, or turn. Safe drivers identify any of these things as potential threats.

Safe drivers usually scan 12 to 15 seconds down the road, which covers a lot of ground, so you have to keep your eyes moving. It takes work to sharpen the perceptual skills you need for safe driving. But safe drivers are alert and constantly aware of what's going on around them. Most of what you do as a driver is in response to what you see.
Rain can greatly reduce visibility as well as cause road conditions to become treacherous. Remember our discussion of hydroplaning? If you were driving under the conditions shown here, you could be floating on an emulsion of oil and water—so you should give yourself a good safety margin.
Flash flooding is the number one cause of weather-related deaths in Texas. As little as two feet of flooding will float most vehicles. Avoid flooded roads, streets and low areas.

· You can be fined up to $200 for driving around barriers blocking low-water crossing (Move or tamper with a barricade, and you can be fined up to $1,000 and/or jailed up to two years.)

· Never try to walk, swim or drive through swift water.
· Stay informed about weather conditions when you are driving.

· If your vehicle stalls in deep water, leave it and move to higher ground, if you can do so safely.
IDENTIFY
Use your perceptual skills to identify potential problems before they occur, and be ready to act.
DON'T BE FORCED TO REACT
When safe drivers identify a threat, they anticipate what could happen. They always anticipate the worst. That way, they're usually ready for any eventuality.

Don't let pedestrians or other drivers force you to do something. When you identify a threat, act in advance so you won't be forced to react.
Drivers who constantly have to react to unexpected traffic situations may not be checking far enough ahead to identify critical objects, and they may not be anticipating what could happen.