Defensive Driving

Session Objectives

 You will be able to:

 Identify driving hazards
 Understand defensive driving techniques
 Use defensive driving techniques to prevent accidents
and injuries on the road
 Driving Safety Statistics
 Someone is injured every
18 seconds
 Over 2 million injuries
annually are disabling
 A person dies in a
crash every 11 minutes
 Motor vehicle accidents
are the most common
cause of death
 1 in 4 fatal work injuries
involves a vehicle accident
 Driving Hazards
 Reckless driving
 Distracted driving
 Fatigue
 Aggressive driving
 Failure to keep
vehicles in good
operating condition
 Driving under the
influence
 Driving Hazards:
Dangerous Conditions
 Bad weather
 Difficult road
conditions
 Poor light or glare
 Heavy traffic
 Road work
 Accidents
 Seat Belts
 Saved over 100,000 lives
 Prevent crashing into
steering wheel, dash,
or windshield
 Keep you inside vehicle
 Protect body organs
 Improve chance of
remaining conscious
 Keep you behind the wheel
if you have to swerve or
brake suddenly
 Vehicle Maintenance
 Regular tune-ups
 Oil changes
 Fluid levels
 Brakes
 Tire treads
and pressure
 Lights, signals,
and wipers
 Pre-Drive Inspection
 Walkaround
inspection
 Tires
 Leaks under vehicle
 Windows clean, nothing
blocking vision
 Mirrors properly
adjusted
 Lights working properly
 Carrying a Load?
 Don’t overload
your vehicle
 Make sure everyone
has a seat and
a seat belt
 Make sure cargo is
properly secured
 Be certain your
vision is not blocked
 Driving Hazards:
ID Test
Reckless driving
 Identify three driving Distracted driving
hazards caused by Fatigue
human error
Aggressive
driving
Vehicles in
poor operating
condition
Driving under
the influence
 Driving Hazards:
ID Test (cont.)
Bad weather
 Identify three driving Difficult road
hazards caused by conditions
dangerous conditions
Poor light
or glare
Heavy traffic
Road work
Accidents
 Driving Hazards
 Do you understand
the variety of driving
hazards you could
face on the road?
 Avoid Collisions
 Head-on collisions
 Hit from behind
 Hitting the driver
in front
 Side collisions
 Obey Traffic Rules
And Use Common Sense
 Speed limits
 Traffic signs
and signals
 Follow the
2-second rule
 Signal your intentions
 Pass with care and
only where allowed
Keep Alert and Be Prepared

 Keep your mind on your driving and

your hands on the wheel
 Scan the road ahead for problems
 Check mirrors frequently
 Expect the unexpected
 Yield to other drivers who are determined
to get there first
 Adjust to Weather
And Road Conditions
 Slow down
 Turn on lights and wipers
 Increase following
distance to 4 seconds
 Avoid puddles
 Beware of misty rain
after a dry spell
 Be prepared to handle a skid safely
 Beware of icy patches
 Be Extra Careful at Night

 Keep windshield clean to improve vision

 Turn lights on 1/2 hour before sunset
 Increase following distance to 4 seconds
 Be extra careful on curves and at intersections
 Switch from high to low beams to keep
from blinding other drivers
 If you have trouble, pull completely off
the road and use flashers
 Watch Out for Fatigue

 Be especially careful during

late night, early morning,
and mid-afternoon hours
 Stop, take a nap, and drink
coffee if you’re tired
 Stop every so often over
long distances
 Avoid medications that
cause drowsiness
 Keep Cool in Traffic
 Keep your
emotions in check
 Take steps to stay
relaxed no matter what
 Allow enough time
to get there
 Don’t provoke
other drivers
 Report aggressive
drivers to the police
 Don’t Drink or
Take Drugs and Drive
 Alcohol and drugs impair:
 Ability to determine
distances
 Reaction time
 Judgment
 Vision
 Remember:
 Only time, not coffee,
will sober you up
 Ride with a
designated driver
 If You’re Involved
In an Accident

 Move to the side of the road and turn

off the ignition
 Perform a first-aid check
 Call the police
 Collect insurance and registration information, and get a
copy of the police report
 Draw a sketch of the accident scene
 Don’t point blame or discuss fault
 The 5 Good Habits
Make the following  Aim High in Steering
your habits, and it
 Get The Big Picture
will help you avoid
inattention.  Keep Your Eyes Moving
 Leave Yourself An Out
 Make Sure They See You
 Aim High In Steering

Planning Zone

! Seeing Zone

Action Zone
3 ZONES:

ACTION ZONE Where you take action 4-6 seconds ahead

SEEING ZONE In which obstacles and hazards can be focused on 12-15 seconds
PLANNING ZONE In which you are going to enter in about 30-120 seconds
 Get The Big Picture
What is the Big Picture?
The driver must analyze visual information from:

 Front
 Left
 Right
 Rear
 Top
 Bottom

of vehicle at all times.

 Get The Big Picture
 Establish visibility.

 Maintain space.

 Create a “bubble” around your vehicle.

 Get The Big Picture
Which one are you?

 Don't get distracted, keep your eyes on the road

 Keep your brain connected to the road
 Avoid fixed vision
 "Understand the road" rather than "Looking at the road "
 Get The Big Picture

Following distance:
 1 second for every 3 m or 10 2 Seconds
feet of vehicle length Think/Act
1 Sec. 1 Sec.
 plus 2 seconds think/act time
 under ideal conditions. 10 ft. 10 ft.

Following Distance
2 Seconds Think/Act
1 Sec. 1 Sec. 1 Sec. 1 Sec.

10 ft. 10 ft. 10 ft. 10 ft.

 If you are being tailgated,
treat them like a trailer and
add more following distance.

Following Distance
 Get The Big Picture

If this is all you can see… Back off and get the Big
you're following too close. Picture. See what you’ve
missed!
 Keep Your Eyes Moving
 Your vision is divided into 2 zones:
 Peripheral vision
 Central vision
 Only your central vision is in focus

Central
Vision

Peripheral
Vision
 Keep Your Eyes Moving

Train yourself to:

 Move your eyes every 2 seconds.

 Scan from side to side.

 Include your mirrors every 5 to 8 seconds (every other

scan).
 Leave Yourself an Out
This is done by:
 Maintaining proper
following distance.
 Watching the sides of the
road.
 Analyzing on-coming traffic.
 Using your mirrors.
 Leave Yourself An Out
 In town and on the highway,
don't let the other driver trap
you, leave yourself an out on
all 4 sides.
 If the other driver is matching
your speed and runs
alongside of you either:
speed up or slow down.
 Keep your space and visibility.
This is your BUBBLE
 Make Sure They See You
 What is the missing
element?
 Communication between
you and the other road
users:
 Pedestrians
 Children
 Other drivers
 Animals
 Make Sure They See You
How do we do this?

 Use your
 Horn
 Lights
 Turn Signals
 Hand Signals
 Position yourself where
you can be SEEN
 Defensive Driving
“The Five Seeing Habits”
1. Aim high in Steering
ATTITUDE How do you do it?
Look down the road 30 - 120 sec.
SPACE PLANNING ZONE
What does it do for you?
VISIBILITY SEEING ZONE Centers car in traffic lane,
“Safe path on turns”
ACTION ZONE
“FIND A SAFE PATH WELL
AHEAD”
2.Get the Big Picture
How do you do it?
Continuously analyze what is going on around you.
What does it do for you?
Smooth stops and turns. Gives you time to react.
“STAY BACK AND SEE IT ALL”

3. Keep Your Eyes Moving

How do you do it?
Move eyes: in front: 2 seconds.
CENTRAL
Check rear mirrors: 5 - 8 sec
VISION What does it do for you?
Keeps you alert, avoid
intersection and rear end collisions
“SCAN - DON’T STARE”

4. Leave Yourself an Out

How do you do it?
Have an escape route. Take path of least resistance
What does it do for you?
Space on all four sides, but always in front.
“BE PREPARED. EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED”

5. Make Sure They See You

How do you do it?
Communicate in traffic; horn,
lights, signals.
What does it do for you?
Establishes eye contact, avoids
pedestrian and intersection collisions
“DON'T GAMBLE, USE YOUR HORN
LIGHTS and SIGNALS”
SLOW DOWN
& BELT UP
Defensive Driving Techniques:
True or False
You should keep 2 to 4 seconds behind
the vehicle in front.
If you go into a skid, turn the wheel in the
opposite direction of the skid.
If you’ve had too much to drink, a couple
of cups of coffee will sober you up.
Many drowsy driving accidents occur in
mid-afternoon hours.
Defensive Driving Techniques
 Do you understand
the information
about defensive
driving techniques?
 Key Points to Remember

 Know the driving hazards you can face

on the road
 Maintain your vehicle in good condition
 Always wear a seat belt
 Follow traffic rules and obey signs
and signals
 Be a safe and defensive driver every day
 Know how to respond to an accident