70 Rules of Defensive Driving

[j_avonni]

[SIZE="5"]Rule 5: Don't Drive Impaired.

[/SIZE]First, let's define "impairment." Webster's New World Dictionary defines impairment as "making something worse, less, weaker, or damaged." Applied to driving, impairment means there is a factor present that decreases your ability to operate your vehicle safely.

The first thing that comes to most folks' minds is impairment through alcohol or other drugs. There are others as well: impairment through fatigue, or as a result of disabling injuries or illness. There was a case a few years ago where a man attempted to drive with some broken limbs. He used a stick to operate the gas pedal, and ended up losing control, overran a sidewalk, and killed a person who was using a pay phone.

Alcohol is a prime cause of impairment. Since it acts as a depressant, it begins to diminish a person's abilities with the first sip. Many people do not realize that even at very low blood alcohol levels, way before reaching any "legal limit," impairment of physical and mental abilities is occurring. In the USA, all states now have a .08% presumptive level -- the alcohol concentration at which a driver is presumed to be impaired, with no other evidence required. But impairment often begins at AC levels as low as .04%—less than half the "legal limit." What's worse, it acts on the very skills and abilities you need most as a driver: judgment, vision, and the ability to do several things at once. Since alcohol slows your mind and your motor skills, it has a dramatic effect on your reaction time and distance. If impairment causes your reaction time to double, for example, at 70 mph that can result in an additional 103 feet traveled. Obviously, this could mean the difference between a miss and a collision. Driving with other impairments could have similar results.

One of my common themes in teaching this topic is personal responsibility. We all have the obligation to make sure we are able to drive safely whenever we operate our vehicle. Ask yourself, "Am I safe to drive? Am I rested? Am I ill? Have I taken medications that might affect my abilities? Are my limbs available for use? Has it been long enough since I had that drink for the alcohol to have worked its way through my system?" (Generally, the body can eliminate one drink per hour, and, contrary to popular beliefs, nothing can speed up that process.) Do I have my glasses on, if needed?" Only if you can answer yes to all these questions should you exercise your privilege to drive.

I am convinced that if everyone would (1) not speed; (2) pay attention; (3) not drive impaired; and (4), wear seat belts (and use other safety systems such as air bags and ABS brakes), no one would ever get killed in a traffic collision. Just these four things, practiced habitually, would eliminate most serious collisions and save 50,000 lives each year. In the real world, though, we're human, and because we are, there will always be mistakes that lead to collisions. Since we do subject ourselves to hostile environments and physical forces that are incompatible with life, we should do everything possible to minimize the risks, yes? So, again, practice paying 100% attention to your driving, drive at a reasonable speed, never drive impaired, and buy and learn how to use safety systems correctly. These ideas are the foundation of any defensive driving "system." Keep the shiny side up!

[j_avonni]

[SIZE="5"]Rule 6: Wear your seat belt![/SIZE]

Buckle Up!

Without a doubt, seat belts are the most significant safety device ever invented. Seat belts do several things for you. They provide impact protection, they absorb crash forces, and they keep you from being thrown out of the vehicle. Modern vehicles are built with "crumple zones," and seat belts are an integral part of the system. The belts hold you in place while the vehicle collapses around your "safe" zone. Belts help keep you in your place, in control, and better able to avoid a crash. Yet for all these benefits, folks have lots of "reasons" why they don't wear them.

1. "They wrinkle my clothes." Absolutely, they do.

2. "They're uncomfortable." Maybe so, but you can adjust them so they fit better. If you need to have your belts adjusted to fit, see your dealer.

3. "I want to be thrown clear of the vehicle in a crash." Oh yes, PLEASE, on my head! By the way, that's the number one cause of death in vehicle crashes.

4. "I don't want to be trapped if there's a collision, or my vehicle ends up in the water, or on fire." Wearing belts increases the likelihood you will be conscious after impact, less injured, and more able to get out. Seat belt failure or jamming isn't common.

5. "The government can't tell ME what to do! It's a free country!" Yes, it is. But what about other people's rights? When you don't wear belts and get injured, what happens when your insurance runs out? The public pays your medical bills, that's what. In my state, this costs taxpayers around $35 million a year.

6. "I've heard of people who were in crashes who would have been killed if they'd been wearing belts." Who says so? Not any safety expert with whom I've ever spoken. If a collision can kill you with a belt on, then you're out of luck without the belt also, unless by a fluke. What I want is good odds. The statistics show that seat belts would prevent roughly 50% of deaths and injuries.

What about others who ride with you—what if they won't wear belts? I would say no ride for them. In any collision, unbelted passengers become flying objects—you can be injured if you are struck from behind by an unbelted passenger, even with your belt on.

Here's one last argument. If you are involved in a crash without belts, you may be held partially responsible for your own injuries, even if the other guy is mostly at fault in the crash. The insurance company or a court may rule that X% of your injuries were caused by your failure to protect yourself, and reduce any award by that amount. If your injuries are severe, that can cost you millions.

Rule #7: Buy And Use Other Safety Devices . . . to follow

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Despite our law requires only the driver and front passenger to wear seat belts, I see to it that my other passengers wear their seat belts as well.

[empy]

siguro mga bandang Agosto tapos na tayo :hihihi:

[j_avonni]

siguro mga bandang Agosto tapos na tayo :hihihi:

At the rate of 3 rules a day, matapos tayo within the month.

Actually, hindi ko pa rin nababasa lahat. And as I read each rule, pinopost ko na rin.

Anyway, mbeige has already posted the site
http://www.roadtripamerica.com/Defen...-Uncle-Bob.htm

[j_avonni]

[SIZE="5"]Rule 7: Buy and use safety devices.[/SIZE]

Buy & Use Safety Devices

In addition to seat belts, we also recommend size-appropriate child safety restraints, ABS brakes, and air bags.

Child Safety Seats: As a defensive driving practice, children under age five should be restrained in approved child safety seats, buckled properly into the vehicle, even when they seem "big" enough to use regular belts. Keep in mind your state may have different legal requirements, and if so, you should comply with them.

There are different types of seats to use depending on the age, weight and size of the child. Be aware and use the correct type for your child. Buckle the seat into the center, rear seat position where there is increased protection from side impacts. A child seat should not be in the front seat, especially if there is an air bag system installed; an air bag impact can injure or kill a child in an incorrectly installed safety seat.

ABS Brakes: ABS brakes prevent uncontrolled skids during hard braking, by sensing wheel lock-up and releasing brake pressure (many times per minute), and just long enough to prevent a skid. As a result, you can still steer the vehicle, since the wheels can't lock up. Experts say that steering is faster than braking, but with ABS you can do both. You might say, "I was taught to do this with regular brakes; I pump the brakes to avoid skids." The reality is, when faced with a panic situation, you will NOT likely be able to stop or steer around a hazard using "threshold braking" (or pumping the brake). Average drivers don't practice those skills, and they MUST be practiced repeatedly to be mastered. Note: ABS brakes don't usually stop you FASTER than you can with the correct use of standard brakes, but for most of us, the advantage is in the ability to avoid a skid and still steer. If you have ABS brakes, it is very important that you read the information about how to use them in your owner's manual—and even practice in an empty parking lot somewhere so you know how they work and feel.

Air Bags: There are some things you need to know about air bags. First of all, the opening of an air bag is not a gentle event; they open with a certain amount of violence. They are timed so as you are thrown forward, they expand to fill the intervening space to prevent your impact on harder surfaces. You can be injured by an air bag - but the injuries will usually be minor compared to those you'd incur otherwise. You do not want to be too close when one triggers, either. Sit as far back from the steering wheel as you can while still comfortably reaching all the necessary controls, and grip the wheel correctly (your vehicle's owners manual has more specific information about this). This is especially important for smaller people. These systems are being improved every year, but even the problems with earlier versions don't change the fact their positive contribution to occupant safety far outweighs their shortcomings. Many people are still walking around today because they had air bags when they needed them. One last thing, be sure to wear your seat belts too; the bags can't help you if you're not in the right place!

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Is it possible and/or advisable to install aftermarket airbags and abs brakes to the vehicles without these devices?

[j_avonni]

[SIZE="5"]Rule 8: Motorcyclist—Protect Thyself![/SIZE]

Talk about helmets always incites vehement disagreement between folks that believe in their value and those that don't. My opinion? I haven't heard any arguments from the no-helmet crowd that make any sense, and my personal experience tells me differently.

At about age 16, I was thrown off a motorcycle at 45 mph and, after an absolutely graceful, parabolic trajectory, I landed on my head. I had a good helmet on and I was able to limp away (gashed leg, and I had back pain for ten years).

My father was broadsided at an intersection in Bakersfield, CA back about 1973. He was thrown from his motorcycle, about fifty feet or so, and landed on his head. His helmet (a Bell Shorty) saved his life, but he got a concussion that laid him up for a few weeks.

An acquaintance of mine, "Eric", was sitting in his driveway, on his shiny new Harley, polishing the gas tank. He lost his balance, fell over, and hit his head on the cement driveway (no helmet, as he wasn't going anywhere). He died 3 or 4 days later. You can suffer fatal head injuries in an impact as low as 4 mph.

A helmet is not a cure-all—no safety device is. I know that in any collision with a four-wheeler, I on my motorcycle am going to be the loser. What would be a "fender bender" for an auto is often death for a biker. We can easily lose a leg, have our organs destroyed, and/or suffer paralysis. We slide across asphalt grinding rocks, glass and who-knows-what-else into our flesh, all of which must then be scraped out by a big strong medical professional who uses sharp pointy objects and no anesthesia to dull the pain.

Since I love to ride, and cannot quit, I have a responsibility to protect myself as much as possible—I wear a good helmet (with both Federal Department of Transportation and Snell Foundation certification), eye protection, protective clothing, and good boots. Knowing what I know, not doing this just doesn't make sense.

Keep it between the fence-posts!

[j_avonni]

[SIZE="5"]Rule 9: Don't Run Red![/SIZE]


Don't Run Red!

In my home town, drivers reportedly run red lights 120,000+ times each day!

First, there are two basic types of red light runners—there's the daydreamer or distracted driver who just doesn't see it, and then there's the driver who's impatient and accelerates on the yellow signal instead of stopping and waiting the average 45 seconds of a signal cycle! Some of us are guilty of both offenses. Are we really in that much of a hurry? Running red lights kills hundreds of us every year.

What constitutes running a red light? It means your vehicle entered the intersection after the signal turned red. In order to know whether you've entered an intersection, you must know where the intersection begins. The boundary is farther out than you might think, and that causes part of the problem. Here's the definition in my state: the intersection boundary (in Arizona) is the extension of the lateral curb lines (of two or more cross streets). The lateral curb line is an unpainted line drawn from corner to corner—just imagine a line drawn from the "point" of each corner (where the outer edge of the sidewalk meets the outer edge of the cross street sidewalk) across the street to the next one. The painted stop line and crosswalk are typically several feet nearer to you than the boundary, and many drivers erroneously believe the last crosswalk line marks the edge of the intersection. This error can result in an extra bit of time for the light to turn red before you actually enter the intersection, resulting in a violation. PLEASE NOTE: The definition of intersection varies from state to state and the differences can be significant—you need to know what the law and definition is in YOUR state.

In my state, if you entered the intersection legally (on a green or yellow signal), you have the right to clear the intersection even after it turns red. You will find that most states have similar provisions so that left turning traffic doesn't get bogged. In all of this, though, the legalities are not the most important issue.

In the defensive driving world, we say, "the green light anticipator met the red light procrastinator." The collision of these two is usually a "T-bone" - where the two vehicles meet at a 90 degree angle. It's not a "nice" collision. The typical speed through an intersection is over 50 mph! You'd find this is one of the most commonly fatal collisions - one in which seat belts and normal rear-firing air bags won't help you much.

Be careful around intersections. If you get a yellow light, stop. You can anticipate when the light is about to change, so it is no excuse to say it was too late. If you have the green light, watch for the red-light runner—look left, right, then left AGAIN to make sure the intersection is going to be safe before you enter it, even on one-way streets (because somebody might be going the wrong way AND running red lights). Red light runners are often speeding as well, so make sure you look down the road far enough to see them coming.

Running red lights is too dangerous, both for you and for others, no matter how pressured or late you are. Slow down, grow some patience! Pay attention to your driving so you aren't one of the oblivious red-light runners. And live to drive another day!

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Before, I was a frequent violator of this rule. Pero nagbago na ako after my near collision due to red light beating.

[j_avonni]

[SIZE="5"]Rule 10: Drive Precisely![/SIZE]


Sloppy driving breeds mishaps! Most everyone knows the basics of the traffic laws; signaling, proper lane position for turns, turning into the proper lanes, complying with traffic signs (like "No U-Turns," "No right turn on red," etc.), driving to the right except when passing, passing across double yellow stripes, really STOPPING for stop signs, and many others. Drivers ignore them for the sake of expediency every day. We are so impatient to get about the details of our lives that we don't take the time to do it "right." One estimate I've seen is that average drivers commit 2.5 traffic violations every mile they drive! But, those pesky, nit-picky driving rules ARE important!

Here's an illustration of the concept applied to a different realm: the airport "traffic pattern." Occasionally in the news, a reporter will say that an aircraft crash happened because the airport had no air traffic controller, implying that it is simply chaos without one. But the fact is, uncontrolled airports are common in the aviation world and this isn't normally dangerous. ALL pilots learn basic rules for operating around airports - we enter and depart the area at set altitudes and at specific angles. We communicate our intentions to each other on special dedicated radio frequencies. We make turns in standard directions, either left or right, depending on the dictates of the airport's neighborhood. We learn where the dangers lie and how to avoid them. We keep a vigilant eye out for other air traffic, and we KNOW where to look for them because they are following the same rules we are. This process works because everyone learns the same rules and we all have a stake in doing it right. The result when someone doesn't do it right is often a smoking hole stuffed with twisted, scorched metal.

Why is it important to follow all the little rules that don't seem to make much difference? Because it works the same way in the motoring world. Traffic rules are in place to create the consistency and uniformity that allow us to predict with some degree of confidence what the other guy is going to do, thereby avoiding conflicts and collisions. Ignoring the rules of the road helps create the chaos you see every day. So, drive precisely, follow the rules, and watch out for the other guy!

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60 more to go . . .

[j_avonni]

[SIZE="5"]Rule 11: Chill Out![/SIZE]


Driving safely is all about attitude. In fact, all I can really teach you is attitude. Think about it—if you've been driving for a while, you know most all the rules—OK, so maybe you do need a refresher occasionally—and you know how to drive "defensively." You may not think you do—but you do. You learn by surviving to drive another day. What we often lose sight of are the dangers of driving—it is such a normal part of our lives that we don't consciously think about how dangerous it really is. Thinking about this occasionally is a good thing.

Driving conflicts have been with us since the beginning. "In Ohio in 1895, there were only TWO motorcars. Guess what happened?" An old photo actually showed the two horseless carriages on a collision course to a "T" intersection, both (male) drivers jabbering merrily to a carload of female passengers, and neither one looking anywhere close to the direction they were speeding! I'm not sure if that very old joke is based in truth or not, but if you have driven in this country you KNOW it could be! If you drive, you will be involved in conflicts. You can't totally control them, but you can control how you react to them. What makes the difference, and what you need to remain safe in today's traffic circus, is to keep a calm, positive, and detached attitude. This is something you can LEARN to do.

I can tell you from experience, most of the tickets or mishaps I've ever had happened when I was angry or upset (there've been a few). When your emotions are running high, your judgment can fail you, and you may not notice otherwise apparent, even obvious, dangers. If you find yourself driving while emotionally stressed or upset, it is important that you pull over, take a few deep breaths and calm down, before something happens that would be a cause for further regret.

Since we all make mistakes in our driving, it goes without saying that at any given moment, other drivers are doing exactly that—making mistakes, not intentionally malicious moves. When other drivers do something wrong, shouldn't our reaction be to let it slide, chalk it up to unintentional human error, the same as we hope they'd do for us?

Remember these words: "It doesn't matter." When other drivers make mistakes, or are rude (even intentionally), what do you gain by letting it affect your attitude or behavior? It doesn't matter. In ten minutes, you won't even remember that it happened. Since we are all human, we can't be perfect all the time. Don't let the error the other driver commits be the reason you lose control (one way or another) and have a collision, or worse. Many collisions occur when a driver is mad, upset, stressed, or distracted in some way. Try to keep your attitude rational, calm and positive.

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HAPPY WEEKEND & DRIVE DEFENSIVELY!!!

[Galactus]

Having 70 rules to remember is quite difficult. I'm quite sure that a few rules overlap and can be merged. 10 or 15 rules to remember and practice would be better.

I think somebody already provided the link. IMHO, it would be better reading the link than inidividually posting all 70 rules, one post at a time