National Safety Council

Defensive Driving Course 4

In a National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA)
national survey, drivers reported
committing these unsafe driving
behaviors in the week prior to
the survey:
• 30% entered an intersection just as the light was
turning red.
• 26% slowed, but did not completely stop at a stop sign
• 23% drove 10 miles per hour over the speed limit on an
interstate highway
• 22% drove 10 miles per hour faster than most other
vehicles
• 8% drove when affected by alcohol
 Defensive Driving Involves:

• Making effective safe and legal driving

choices
• Creating a safe and stress-free personal
driving space in and around your vehicle
• Driving to your destination without a ticket,
a crash, or compromising other drivers’
safety
Defensive Driving Involves:

• Practicing courtesy, compassion, common

sense and cooperation.
• Understanding the risks of hazardous
driving conditions and behaviors.
Definition:

• Defensive Driving is driving to

save lives, time, and money, in
spite of the conditions around you
and the actions of others.
Benefits of defensive driving:
• Saving your life and the lives of others in your
vehicle
• Reducing traffic crash-related injuries
• Saving time
• Saving money
• Reducing your chance of being involved in a
crash
• Reducing your chance of getting a traffic ticket
A Preventable Collision is…
• One in which the driver fails to do
everything reasonable to avoid it.

• Facts reveal that most collisions are

preventable, and that violations are the
cause of most collisions!
DDC Collision Prevention Formula:
(R U A)

• Recognize the hazard

• Understand the defense
• Act correctly in time
Recognize the Hazard:
Scan ahead, around, and behind you.
• What is behind you?
• What is around you?
• What are you driving into?
• Look in the mirrors every 3-5 seconds.
• Use the “what-if” strategy.
Understand the Defense:
• Know what to do to avoid a traffic hazard.
• Know the consequences of the choices you
make.
• Know the basic defenses:
– develop effective scanning patterns
– slowing down
– using a safe following distance for the driving
conditions
Act correctly, in time:
• Drivers should be alert and concentrating
on the driving task.
• Drivers may know the correct evasive
maneuver, but may not be paying attention
and lose response time.
• Others may act in time, but may act
incorrectly.
What do you think are the four
most common driver errors that
may cause a crash or violation?
The Fatal Four:
• Speeding
• Right-of-way errors and violations
• Driving left of center
• Tailgating

Which of these are preventable?

They all are!!
“Speeding”…the legal definition:
• Driving at speeds greater than the posted
limit (it’s there for a reason, you know!)
• Driving over the maximum operating speed
of the vehicle; e.g. when towing or driving
on a “donut” spare
• Driving too fast for existing conditions
Right of Way Violations include:
• Failure to yield
• Disregarding a traffic signal such as
running through a red light
• Running or rolling through a stop sign
(a St. Louis-roll)
Who has the right of way?
Who has the right of way?
• No one actually has the right of way. Traffic
law only indicates who should yield the
right of way. So if you enter into an
intersection because you THINK you have
the right of way, that thought could result in
a crash!
Delayed Acceleration Technique
• At an intersection, you will either be the
first car or there will be others ahead of
you
• When the light turns green, as the first car,
we should delay acceleration by two
seconds and scan the road before
proceeding.
Driving Left of Center
• Refers to crossing the center line. Vehicles
cross the center line for many reasons, but
this driver error has a potentially fatal
outcome: a head-on collision. Ask yourself
when passing, “Is this absolutely
necessary?”
 Three Types of Crashes
Resulting from Unsafe Passing
• Getting sideswiped

• Getting run off the road

• Getting hit head on

Passing Tips
• Use a safe 3 - second following distance
• Scan ahead and look behind
• Check your blind spots
• Use your directional signals
• Swing out and speed up to the speed limit
• When you can see pavement in front of tires in
your rearview mirror, signal and return to the lane
• Cancel your directional signal
• Maintain your speed after passing
Split-second decisions
• Drive right, onto the shoulder, not left.
– Away from oncoming traffic
• Drive, don’t skid, off the road.
– Reduce speed and brake gradually
• Hit something soft, not hard.
– Duh!!
• Hit with a glancing blow.
– Force of impact is greater in a head-on crash.
The Four R’s
• Read the road ahead.
• Drive to the right.
• Reduce speed.
• Ride right off the road, if necessary.
 Tailgating!
• Perception Distance

• Reaction Distance

• Braking Distance
The Three-Second Rule 3
• Identify a fixed marker ahead of you.
• Begin counting when the rear bumper of the vehicle
ahead passes that marker.
• Count “one-thousand-and-one, one-thousand-and-two,
one-thousand-and-three”.
• Your vehicle should reach the object when you have
finished counting.
• The 3 Second Plus Rule : Add an additional second for
each adverse driving condition.
If you are being tailgated:
If you are being tailgated:
• Keep a safe space in front, back, and to the
sides of your vehicle
If you are being tailgated:
• Keep a safe space in front, back, and to the
sides of your vehicle
• Slow down
If you are being tailgated:
• Keep a safe space in front, back, and to the
sides of your vehicle
• Slow down
• Increase your following distance to six
seconds – your three and their three
If you are being tailgated:
• Keep a safe space in front, back, and to the
sides of your vehicle
• Slow down
• Increase your following distance to six
seconds – your three and their three
• Allow the vehicle to pass
Video:

“Chain of Choices”
Driving is more dangerous because...
• Heavier traffic (more vehicles)
• Careless and inattentive drivers
• Increased speed limits (faster driving)
• Aggressive driving
• Impaired drovers
• More road construction
• Lack of driver education
Aggressive Driving Behaviors
• Speeding
• Frequent or unsafe lane changes
• Failing to signal
• Tailgating
• Failure to yield right-of-way
• disregarding traffic controls
• Impaired driving
Aggressive Driving Behaviors
• Gestures
• Verbal altercations
• Inattentive driving
• Obstructing traffic
• Aggressive horn use
• Aggressive headlight use
Take and Maintain Control
• Aggressive Driving
– Driving in a selfish, bold, or pushy manner, without
regard for the rights or safety of the other users of
the road
• Road rage
– Using a vehicle as a weapon with intent to do harm
– Physical assault of a driver or vehicle
– A criminal offense
When confronted by an
aggressive driver:
• Stay calm and relaxed
• Let him pass and get ahead of you.
• Avoid eye contact
• Do not challenge
• Ignore verbal comments
• Report overly aggressive, threatening
drivers to the police
Six Driving Conditions to Watch
• Light Conditions
• Weather Conditions
• Road Conditions
• Traffic Conditions
• Vehicle Conditions
• Driver Conditions
 Adverse light conditions:

• Too much light: • Too little light:

– sunrise – dusk
– sunset’ – dawn
– glare street lights – nighttime
– headlights – no street lights
• Defense: • Defense:
– visor – use headlights
– sunglasses – increase following
– safe following distance distance
Skid- Avoidance Techniques
• Slow Down!
• Increase following distance
• Do not slam on the brakes
• Steer smoothly
• Avoid making quick steering motions
What if you begin to skid?
• Vehicles without anti-lock brakes:
– Use the “off-off” technique
• ease your foot off the accelerator
• keep your foot off the brake
• turn the steering wheel in the
direction you want the front of the
vehicle to go.
• Vehicles with anti-lock brakes:
–Keep your foot on the brake
firmly
–You will not lose control UNLESS
you remove your foot from the
brake pedal
Weather related hazards include:

• Reduced Visibility
• Reduced Vehicle Traction
• Reduced steering Control
Defenses Include:
• Using windshield wipers
• Using windshield wiper fluid
• Wipers on, headlights on
• Keeping all windows clean
• Using low-beam headlights
• SLOW DOWN!!!
Adverse Road Conditions:
• Shape of the road
• Surface of the road
• Shoulder of the road
• Highway work zone sites
– vehicles entering and leaving area
– workers and activities spill into traffic lanes
– other construction-related hazards may remain
after work is done
Defenses include:
• SLOW DOWN!
• Drive at the recommended speed
• Maintain vehicle control
• Obey work zone flaggers and all traffic
devices
• Expect the unexpected
• Scan ahead of and behind your vehicle
Adverse Traffic Conditions
• Variety of vehicles with different sizes,
speeds, blind spots
• Congestion
• Pedestrian traffic
• Emergency vehicles
• School buses
School Bus Safety
• When a school bus is stopped, and driver has
activated flashing lights and signal arm,
both oncoming and following traffic must
stop.

• Traffic must remain stopped until the bus

moves, the driver raises the signal arm, or
the driver signals for traffic to proceed.
School Bus Safety - con’t.
• On a highway with separate roadways, a vehicle
need not stop:
– when meeting or overtaking a school bus on a
different roadway
– for a school bus which is proceeding in the opposite
direction on a highway with 4 or more lanes
– for a school bus stopped in a loading zone (at a
school) where students are not permitted to cross the
roadway
Adverse Vehicle Conditions
• Worn tires
• Improper tire inflation
• Non-functional directional signals
• Headlights not working or improperly aimed
• Poor condition or failure of brakes
• Worn wipers
• Lack of washer fluid
• Low on fuel
Defenses include:
• Regular vehicle maintenance
• Pre-trip inspections
• Once in the vehicle:
– lock doors
– adjust seat and mirrors
– use occupant restraints
• Know your vehicle
 Adverse Driver Conditions (non-
drug related):

• Fatigue/drowsiness • Inexperience
• Stress • Limited mobility
• Emotions • Reduced hearing
• Illness • Limited vision
Defenses:
• Fatigue • Vision
– rest breaks – turn your head to check blind
spots
– talk w/ passengers
– wear glasses if needed
– avoid alcohol
– clean windows
• Illness – avoid looking into lights
– don’t drive too long
• Limited mobility
– know how medication
– make seat adjustments
affects you
– power accessories
– be aware of changes in
your reaction time – use safety belts
Rule of Thirds

• In the first third, accelerate to a safe and legal

speed
• In the second third, maintain speed. If turning,
signal and get into the appropriate lane
• In the last third, cover the brake with your foot,
scan left, right, ahead, and left again. If the
light is still green, and all is clear, proceed
through the intersection
When turning left:
• Signal the turn
• Move into the appropriate turn lane
• Keep wheels pointed straight
• Yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians
• Turn into the correct lane
• Check blind spots after turning
When turning right:
• Signal the turn
• Keep your vehicle close to the curb
• Pay attention to your lane position
• Yield to pedestrians
• Turn into the correct lane
• Check your blind spots before and after
turning