MOTOR VEHICLE OPERATION

DEFENSIVE DRIVING

Overview
Safe operation of motor vehicles constitutes a major portion of our job. Safe
means:

• Not risking an accident;

• Smooth driving;
• Wearing a seatbelt at all times;
• Properly stopping for stop signs, red lights, school buses, and emergency
vehicles.
• Observing the rules for defensive driving;
• Avoid cutting in/out, tailgating, sudden stops, U-turns & double parking;
• Being forever courteous;
• Never load/unload pickups by reaching over the side; and,
• Always load/unload your vehicle from a safe position. When possible,
load/unload from the rear of the truck with the tailgate down.

Safety Rules
Defensive driving means doing everything reasonably possible to avoid being
involved in a preventable accident, regardless of what the law is, what the other
driver does, or adverse conditions.

A preventable accident is one in which a driver failed to take reasonable

precautions and/or evasive actions to avoid the accident.

Defensive driving requires continual exercise of good judgment and good driving
habits with an awareness that all other drivers cannot be relied upon to drive
properly or safely.

Physical fitness is a prerequisite to safe driving. A fit person is generally more

alert, has greater dexterity, and better reflexes, and coordination.

Five Elements of Defensive Driving:

Knowledge. The driver must know the rules of the road; be aware of the proper
procedure for passing, yielding the right-of-way, and other maneuvers; know
his/her own limitations, the vehicle’s limitations, and limitations imposed by the
environment.
Alertness. The driver must develop his/her powers of observation to be fully
aware of what is happening. The driver must be alert to potential hazards, and to
changing weather and driving conditions.

Vision. A driver should “aim high” by raising his field of vision to at least one-
fourth of a mile ahead to observe potential hazards. As speed increases, visual
acuity, peripheral vision and depth perception all deteriorate.

Judgment. The driver must know what to do and when to do it -- every time.
Alcohol & drugs hinder the thought making process. Being under the influence of
drugs &/or alcohol during work hours is strictly forbidden.

Skill. The driver must have a good basic knowledge of how to handle the
ambulance or transport vehicle. Skill is the result of proper training plus practice.

Driving Tips
Basic Control. The driver can control only the vehicle’s speed and direction.
Loss of control results from:

• Driving too fast for weather, road or tire conditions.

• Accelerating too hard.
• Braking inappropriately.
• Changing direction too abruptly.
• Tracking a curve at too high a speed.

Backing Mishaps. Backing maneuvers account for a large proportion of vehicle

accidents. If the vehicle must be backed:

• Station a crewmember outside to the left rear of the vehicle.

• Check for pedestrians and obstacles.
• Sound horn or back up alarm before backing.
• Back slowly.
• Check mirrors constantly.

Negotiating Intersections & Entering Traffic. Intersections are the most accident-
likely areas.

• Buildings, landscaping, or other vehicles obstruct visibility at many

intersections.
• Drivers misjudge traffic situations and clearance.

At intersections the driver should:

• Check for actual or potential hazards well in advance of the intersection.

• Look to the left, then right, then left again before entering the intersection.
• Maintain a safe following distance.

Passing, Changing Lanes & Entering Traffic. The primary rules are:

• Do not pass on hills unless there is a designated passing lane and the move
can be safely executed.
• Do not pass on curves, at intersections nor on the right.
• Signal before turning, merging, changing lanes or pulling out from the curb.

Safe Following Distance. A safe following distance:

• Enables a driver to stop or steer around without mishap if the vehicle in front
comes to a sudden stop.
• Is greater than the distance required for reaction time (3/4 second) but less
than the total stopping distance. Keeping a separation of at least two
seconds between your vehicle and the vehicle being followed automatically
increases following distances as speed is increased.
• Following distance should be increased by 50% if the vehicle you are driving
is large or heavy.
• Following distance should be doubled if the road surface is loose or slippery,
vision is obscured, or the driver is not fully alert.

High-Speed Driving. The primary rules are:

• Don’t try to negotiate a curve or turn faster than you know you can, and allow
for conditions which make lower speeds necessary, i.e., wet and slippery.
• Avoid brake fade. Use a smooth braking motion and apply maximum
pressure short of locking the wheels. Pumping the brakes may be necessary
to allow the brakes to cool.
• When speed is doubled, braking distance more than quadruples.
• Obey speed limits.

Adverse Conditions. Poor driving conditions resulting from darkness, weather, or

visibility restrictions can be made less hazardous by taking precautions. The
driver should:

• Be sure that the following equipment is in good condition: wiper blades,

heater and defroster, lights, brakes, and tires.
• Drive at speeds appropriate for conditions and increase following distance.
• During darkness, keep windshield clean and instrument lights dim; keep eyes
moving and slow considerably on curves and turns.
• Avoid skidding and loss of control when rain, snow or ice is present.
• Don’t make sudden moves with the steering wheel, brakes or accelerator.
• Avoid hydroplaning on wet roadways by using properly inflated tires with
adequate tread and reducing speed.