Defensive Driving

When you drive defensively,

you drive safely to save lives, time,
and money, despite the conditions
around you and the actions of others

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 We are on the road every day of our lives

Our driving affects everyone around us

Unsafe driving can hurt or kill innocent people

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 According to NIOSH, motor vehicles
are consistently the leading
cause of work-related deaths in
the US

About 36% of all work-related

fatalities reported by the BLS are
associated with motor
vehicles

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 Everyone can and should drive
defensively
Check your company’s
policy for specific driving
rules that apply to you on
the job

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 Driving hazards include
 Distracted driving
 Speeding
 Aggressive driving
 Drowsy driving
 Driving under the influence
 Severe weather
 Not wearing a seat belt
 Unexpected road conditions

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 You can be exposed to driving hazards
every day, on and off the job

Your own driving or others’ driving could be

the source of exposure

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 Protect yourself by driving defensively using these
safe driving practices
 Do not use your cell phone or eat and drink
while driving
 Obey the speed limit
 Do not engage in or respond
to aggressive driving
behavior

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  Get enough sleep before you drive and practice journey
management for long drives to avoid fatigue
 Always drive sober
 Check the weather before you go, and do not drive in
severe weather
 Wear your seat belt

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 Take steps to prevent distracted driving
 Send texts or make phone calls before you get on the road
 Keep your phone on silent while you drive
 Eat or drink before you drive
 Keep conversations with
passengers to a minimum
 Plan and review your route
beforehand
 Pay attention to your
surroundings

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 According to NCS, speeding causes about 30% of
roadway fatalities

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 Avoid speeding
 Stay aware of the posted speed limit
 Use cruise control if you have it
 Watch your speed

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 Avoid aggressive driving
behavior like
 Honking the horn, yelling, or
making rude gestures
 Tailgating
 Wildly changing lanes
to get around slower
cars
 Speeding around other
cars
 Responding to
rude gestures or
comments with your
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 Drive defensively instead

 Pay attention to your own

driving
 Leave at least two car
lengths between your car
and the car in front of you
 Use your blinker and safely
merge into another lane as
needed

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  Leave at a time that allows for detours and unexpected
delays
 Ignore aggressive behavior and give aggressive drivers
a wide berth

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 Stay alert while you drive
 Make sure you are well-rested before you get behind
the wheel
 Commit to getting
enough sleep the
night before driving
 If you feel drowsy
while driving, pull
over and take a
30-minute nap

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 According to NCS, alcohol causes about 31% of
roadway fatalities

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 Do not become a statistic because you
chose to drive under the
influence
 Do not drive if you have taken illegal
drugs or have drunk alcohol
 Do not take over-the-counter
medicines that could impair your
ability to drive
 Check your prescriptions for
warnings about driving

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 Severe weather to avoid driving in includes
 Floods and heavy rainstorms
 Snowstorms and hail
 Dense fog
 Tornadoes

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 According to OSHA, seat belts save 14,000 lives each
year

According to the CDC and the NHTSA, seat belts reduce

serious crash-related injuries and deaths by about 50%

Buckle up every time you drive

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 Unexpected roadway conditions can include
 Road work
 Heavy traffic
 Car accidents
 Wildlife crossings

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 Avoid unexpected roadway conditions by staying aware
of your surroundings
 Look for roadwork signs
 Scan mirrors and the road in
front of you often
 Adjust your speed to
surrounding traffic
 Look for wildlife crossing signs
 Be alert to animals
crossing the road

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 Drive defensively
It could save your life or someone else’s life

Remember to drive safely, and watch out for common

driving hazards

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PPT-SM-DD 2015 24
 Sign and date this quiz sheet.
Circle the letter representing the correct
answer to each quiz question below.
1. When you drive ______, you drive
Defensive Driving
Safety Meeting Quiz: Defensive Driving
safely to save lives, time, and
money, despite the conditions
around you and the actions of
others.
A. Aggressively
B. Defensively
C. Drowsily
D. Passively
2. According to NIOSH, ______ are
consistently the leading cause of
work-related deaths in the US.
A. Bad weather conditions
B. Defensive driving practices
C. Motor vehicles
D. Roadwork construction sites
3. _______ can and should drive
defensively.
A. Everyone
B. Operators
C. Safety officers
D. Supervisors
4. One example of a driving hazard is
________.
A. Defensive driving
B. Distracted driving
C. Driving in good weather
D. Wearing your seat belt
5. Avoid aggressive driving by
_______.
A. Honking the horn, yelling,
or making rude gestures
B. Leaving at least two car
lengths between your car
and the car in front of you
C. Speeding around other
cars
D. Wildly changing lanes to
get around slower cars
© 2015 PEC Safety, Inc.
KEY-SM-Defensive Driving
AUGUST 3, 2015
Name: Date:
6. If you feel drowsy while driving,
_______.
A. Call a friend to help you
stay awake
B. Eat a snack to get your
energy back up
C. Keep going because you
are on a deadline
D. Pull over and take a
30-minute nap
7. Do not drive if you ________.
A. Got enough sleep the night
before
B. Have taken illegal drugs or
have drunk alcohol
C. Heard a weather forecast
that says the weather will
be sunny
D. Took over-the-counter
medicines with no
associated warnings
8. One way you can prevent distracted
driving is to ________.
A. Answer phone calls while
driving
B. Eat or drink while driving
C. Send texts or make phone
calls before you get on the
road
D. Talk with passengers the
whole time to say alert
9. According to the CDC and NHTSA,
________ reduce serious crash-
related injuries and deaths by about
50%.
A. Air bags
B. Blinkers
C. Hands-free cell phone
headsets
D. Seat belts
10. To avoid unexpected roadway
conditions, adjust your speed to
________.
A. At least 10 mph under the
speed limit
B. At least 5 mph faster than
other drivers
C. Over the speed limit
D. Surrounding traffic
Instructors: The following key shows the answers for the Defensive Driving safety meeting quiz.

1. B

Safety Meeting Answer Keys: Defensive Driving

2. C

3. A

4. B

5. B

6. D

7. B

8. C

9. D

10. D

© 2015 PEC Safety, Inc.

QUIZ-SM-Defensive Driving
AUGUST 3, 2015
 STUDENT ROSTER
INSTRUCTOR NAME SAFETY MEETING DATE

SAFETY MEETING NAME COMPANY NAME

Student Instructions: Print and sign your name. Also, provide your date of birth or the last four digits of your social security number.

PRINT STUDENT NAME (CLEARLY) STUDENT SIGNATURE LAST 4 SSN or DOB

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©2014 PEC Safety, Inc. All rights reserved.