70 Rules of Defensive Driving

[j_avonni]

Defensive driving is a form of training for motor vehicle drivers that goes beyond mastery of the rules of the road and the basic mechanics of driving. Its aim is to reduce the risk of driving by anticipating dangerous situations, despite adverse conditions or the mistakes of others. This can be achieved through adherence to a variety of general rules, as well as the practice of specific driving techniques. (Wikipedia definition)

Let's discuss the rules (by Robert Schaller) one-by-one:

[SIZE="6"]Rule 1: Pay Attention![/SIZE]

Pay Attention "I never saw him!" is the most common excuse heard after a collision. Was the other vehicle invisible? Virtually all collisions involve inattention on the part of one or both drivers. Inattention can involve many things, some of which are daydreaming, distractions, sleepiness, fatigue, "highway hypnosis," talking, etc.

A moving vehicle develops thousands of foot-pounds of energy. YOU as a driver have the responsibility not to use that energy to injure or kill others, or damage their property. Paying attention makes it possible for you to see, recognize and avoid the hazards lurking on the road; these are the three basic elements of defensive driving. The primary attribute necessary for a safe driver is alertness, and paying attention is the most important driving task because it helps create the time you need to recognize hazards and avoid a collision.
One statistic often quoted is that most collisions happen within a short distance from home. Why is this true? Since we mostly drive in our own neighborhoods, the odds are we'll have most of our mishaps there. Close to home we get more comfortable and perhaps let our guard down (and the other guy does the same thing); you've heard that "familiarity breeds contempt?" Better yet, familiarity breeds inattention. We don't often consider that serious or fatal injuries can occur in low speed collisions.

I have a challenge for you. While it is important for you to be alert and aware, it isn't an easy task. The next time you drive, try concentrating solely on the driving task. Think of nothing else. Then see how far you get before your mind wanders. Many drivers won't even get out of the parking lot! Seasoned drivers don't HAVE to think about driving much. It's something we do automatically, and our minds are free to wander. And our minds WANT to wander. Have you ever driven somewhere and been so lost in thought that you couldn't remember anything about the trip itself? Is this a problem?

Is this a curable problem? Paying attention can become a habit, but you have to work at it. Make conscious, persistent choices NOT to eat while driving, or whatever you do that takes your attention off where your moving vehicle is pointed. Connect your mind to your eyes and work at consciously analyzing what you see while you drive. We call this "situational awareness." Driving is the most dangerous thing most of us ever do. It deserves your full attention. Mastery of this one habit can almost make you bullet-proof. Not quite, but almost.

[mbeige]

Great thread! Situational awareness is key. Minimize distractions at all costs so you can focus on driving. It also pays to have a good driving position so that you are relaxed and not stressed. If you are stressed, your attention wanders.

Of course it's also good to have the car roadworthy and in tip-top shape to begin with.

[lolo pepe]

do you wonder why there's no number #2 up to #69? is it to be continued?

#1 rule is good enough for me to cover everything. nice post, j_avonni.

[empy]

where are the other 69?

[Horsepower]

I humbly request that this thread be made sticky! Thanks :-)

[j_avonni]

do you wonder why there's no number #2 up to #69? is it to be continued?

#1 rule is good enough for me to cover everything. nice post, j_avonni.

As I said in post no. 1, let's discuss them one at a time - para ma-absorb natin deeply.

[j_avonni]

[SIZE="6"]Rule 2: Don't Trust Nobody!
[/SIZE]
We have met the enemy and he is us. You can never rely on what the other driver will do. Think back to all the mistakes you've made while driving over the years. Think ahead to the ones you know you will make in the future. All the other drivers are just like us! Don't trust them! While you are driving, keep a wary eye on the other guy and leave yourself plenty of room. Anticipate the mistakes he might make and be ready for them. Eventually, he will! Because he's just like us! When you are driving on "autopilot," you have turned control of your vehicle over to those other drivers - you are at their mercy. Their fate is your fate.

If you are too trusting, you are relying on that other driver for your safety. Is he worthy of that trust? Every few seconds, some drivers in this country find out this is a poor bet. Maybe some of those other drivers are returning from a beer festival! Maybe they just lost a job, or worse, a loved one. The other driver might be an 11-year-old who found Dad's keys. Approach driving with the idea that every other driver is an unpredictable menace and out to get you. Most collisions occur when the "other guy" does something we don't expect, or when we do something they don't expect.

If you accept that everyone makes driving errors, the next step is to drive with a wary attitude. Be careful of approaching red lights, because you know a light by itself never stopped anyone. Watch out for folks getting ready to pull out from parking beside the road. Look for gaps in lines of traffic which might be the result of someone pausing to let another vehicle cross in front of them. (I've personally witnessed three or four collisions in the past ten years that happened just this way). There are others: failure to signal a lane change or turn, or tailgating someone when they are poking along because they need to make a turn—a turn they suddenly WILL make when they see it at the last second. You can think of dozens of others. Be alert to the possibilities and have a strategy in mind for dealing with them.


Rule 3 - to follow . . .

[claRkEnt]

YOU as a driver have the responsibility not to use that energy to injure or kill others, or damage their property.

i think this statement says it all...

[mhelskie]

very nice thread, sana makumpleto natin

[oldblue]

Rule 3: follow Rules 1 and 2 religously tapos na

seriously, if i have 70 rules to remember while driving, hindi na ako magdadadrive mabangga pa ko.

[mbeige]

Again, it would be great to provide proper credit where it's due:

http://www.roadtripamerica.com/Defen...-Uncle-Bob.htm

[spongee]

is there a certain percentage of us being defensive over being offensive...ang hirap din kasi dito sa pinas...lalo na sa malalaking highway...yung may mga kasabay kang parang nabili na nila yung kalye...

of course you can never go wrong once you observe all these rules...ang magiging siste lang talaga...maiiwanan ka sa kalye...

well i'm talking about motorist's attitude dito sa pinas...sa totoo lang para kang nasa pinball machine pag nasa edsa ka...

btw..saw the site mbeige posted...kailangan talagang himayhimayin at i-absorb nang maigi..

will start now....thanks thread...

[mbeige]

I think these are more like guidelines than rules. If you break it, nobody will really penalize you.

[cablespy]

mukhang matatagalan 'to. #2 palang...

[spongee]

dun sa mga nagmamadali...chk the site MBEIGE posted..it's all there..

[j_avonni]

[SIZE="5"]Rule 3: Yield Anyway![/SIZE]

Yield Anyway!

"Nobody ever yielded their way into a collision." Think about it. If you are in doubt about who has the right of way, give it away. The other guy may be wrong, but you can end up hurt or dead. We often say no one HAS the right-of-way until it is yielded to them. (Keep in mind I'm talking defensive driving practices, not traffic law.) Right of way rules are often misunderstood, and there are situations where the rules may not be clear to everyone. If there is uncertainty about which vehicle should have the right of way, give the other guy the road. When it comes to driving safely, it's not the principle, but the outcome, that counts.

[spongee]

[SIZE=5]Rule 3: Yield Anyway![/SIZE]

Yield Anyway!

"Nobody ever yielded their way into a collision." Think about it. If you are in doubt about who has the right of way, give it away. The other guy may be wrong, but you can end up hurt or dead. We often say no one HAS the right-of-way until it is yielded to them. (Keep in mind I'm talking defensive driving practices, not traffic law.) Right of way rules are often misunderstood, and there are situations where the rules may not be clear to everyone. If there is uncertainty about which vehicle should have the right of way, give the other guy the road. When it comes to driving safely, it's not the principle, but the outcome, that counts.

this RIGHT-OF-WAY thing....i'm not really sure how u apply this..one thing i remember when i was getting my non-pro the 1st time (1988)..the reviewer says something like "whoever is on your right side..has the right of way" so in an intersection without a stoplight...if ur going straight and the car at ur right is turning left...ur the one to give way???kahit na drecho takbo mo???

[j_avonni]

this RIGHT-OF-WAY thing....i'm not really sure how u apply this..one thing i remember when i was getting my non-pro the 1st time (1988)..the reviewer says something like "whoever is on your right side..has the right of way" so in an intersection without a stoplight...if ur going straight and the car at ur right is turning left...ur the one to give way???kahit na drecho takbo mo???

The RIGHT OF WAY according to LTO:

FIRST TIME VEHICLE RULE

At all intersections without “stop” or “yield” signs, slow down and prepare to stop. Yield to vehicles already in the intersection or about to enter it.

SAME TIME VEHICLE RULE

At all intersections without “stop” or “yield” signs (or with stops in all directions), yield to the vehicle on your right if it has reached the intersection of same time as your vehicle.

STOP SIGNS

Stop at any limit line or cross walk. Yield to all approaching vehicles on the thought street, go only when it is safe for you to cross. Approaching vehicles should slow down and allow you to get across safely.

LEFT TURN

Signal left turn and yield to approaching traffic until it is completely safe to finish the turn.

ROTONDA

Vehicles around the rotunda have the right-of –way over vehicles which are just about to enter.

When entering a highway from a driveway, yield the right-of-way to traffic on the highway. Never insist on taking the right-of-way if other drivers are not following the rules, let then have the right-of-way even if it belongs to you to prevent possible accidents, however, do not always insist on others going ahead of you, the slowing and stopping may delay the flow of traffic.

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Rule no. 3 says, "If you're in doubt about who has the right of way, give it away.

[spongee]

yes, its the SAME TIME VEHICLE RULE i was talking about...good thing i'm doing it the right way...

i always give way naman lalo na pag tantyado ko bilis ng ka-intersect ko at kung di sha nagmemenor....

bottom line...safer to give way rather than fight ur way.

[j_avonni]

[SIZE="4"]Rule 4: Don't speed![/SIZE]

Driving at a higher than reasonable speed increases your risk in two ways: it cuts your reaction time and results in more "stored" energy (that must be dissipated in any collision). You should consider if the risks are worth the gain.

This is the science of math and physics—you cannot bend these rules. Each incremental increase in speed reduces your ability to react in time to hazards, because you may be covering distance in less time than it takes to react. Normal reaction time is between .75 second and 1.5 seconds, on average. Average reaction time distance at 50 mph would be approximately 83 feet. At 70 mph, it is over 115 feet (over 7 modern car lengths). These numbers do not include braking distance, just reaction time. The average difference in reaction-time distance from 50 mph to 70 mph is about 32 feet. If you were relying solely on braking, any hazard you encounter within the reaction distance is already a problem; you can't react quickly enough to miss it. This is particularly important at night, when darkness restricts your visibility. Do you know at what distance your headlights will illuminate a hazard? How is your night vision these days? When headlights finally light up a road hazard, it is often too late to avoid it. Many experts would tell you that even 50 mph is too fast for conditions at night, on any dark roadway.

If you could choose the speed at which to hit a brick wall, assuming that it was a sure thing you were going to hit one, would you choose to hit the wall at 10 mph or at 100 mph? Not hard to decide, is it? Higher speeds also bring additional accumulated, or stored, energy. More stored energy means increased crash forces if you hit something. Here's a real-world example; a loaded semi traveling at 60 mph develops about 6.5 MILLION foot-pounds of force. Or, your body, unrestrained in the vehicle, could hit the windshield with about 16,000 foot-pounds of force, should your vehicle hit some immoveable object - like a tree.

A defensive driver chooses a speed matching traffic as closely as possible without exceeding speed limits. If traffic is moving at higher speed than you should go, keep to the right and out of the way. This is often a legal requirement as well, if you are traveling at a speed less than the flow of traffic. Also, don't neglect to maintain the correct following distance.

Consider that speeding often doesn't save much time. How many times have you reached a red light, only to find a "jackrabbit" waiting there that passed you a half mile back like you were standing still? Ever wonder why? Around most urban areas, signals limit overall speeds to what the system can handle (in terms of numbers of vehicles). In Phoenix, for example, that's approximately 40 to 45 mph. Drive faster than that and you'll simply spend more time waiting at red lights, wasting fuel, wearing down brake pads, and accumulating just a little more stress in your life for no good reason or gain. Even on the highway, you don't often gain much. Frequently, once you pass someone, you find them on your back bumper as you slow down to enter the next town. So you gained what, exactly? On an Interstate, where you truly can save some time by speeding (provided you don't get pulled over), the difference between 65 mph and 80 mph over 50 miles is only 8.7 minutes. Big deal.

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66 more to go . . .