Defensive Driving

defensive driving 2011

DEFENSIVE DRIVING

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Defensive Driving

Defensive Driving can mean the difference between life and death. Defensive driving means driving to prevent accidents in spite of the actions of others or the presence of adverse driving conditions. Simply stated, defensive driving means being ready for any surprises.

Proper Driving Position

The seating position of a driver when driving a car is very important. Correct sitting position would cover 50% of your driving as well as gives you better control of your car.

A - Drivers elbow must be slightly bending about 40 degrees. B – Space in between head and heads rest must be no more than 1 inch. C – Shoulder must firmly rest on the seat. D – Seat belt must be worn at all times. Seat belt must rest on your shoulder

and secures around the waist to avoid any bodily injuries. E – Both knees must be bent slightly about 40 degree angle.

Steering Position

Recommended hand position should be at 9-3 or 10-2 on the steering wheel.

'Pull-push' steering is the best method of steering

It provides a better sitting position It provides better grip It is smoother to handle the steering wheel It is the most efficient method of steering

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The pull-push method is to place your hands on the 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock positions or 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock position of the steering wheel. The right hand remains on the right side of the steering wheel and the left stays on the left side. If you turn right, the right hand will pull the steering wheel down and the left hand moves down to take over. The left hand pushes the wheel up as the right hand moves up. This method prevents the hands from crossing over like with the hand-over-hand method.

Common Driving Distractions

Looking at a scenery Looking for route signs Unfamiliar situations such as, staring at an auto accident Problems inside the vehicle such, as, using a car phone & eating while driving Lighting a cigarette Children who are un restrained.

Before you start each day, perform a simple pre-trip inspection including the following:

Brakes Steering Tires Lights, signals and suspension Mirrors and wipers Safety belts and other device Horn

Aggressive driver and Road Rage:

Avoid eye contact. Stay calm and relaxed.

Make every attempt to get out of the way safely. Do not escalate the situation.

Do not challenge an aggressive driver by speeding up or attempting to hold your position in your travel lane.

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Ignore harassing gestures and name calling, and do not return them.

If you are being followed by an aggressive or threatening driver, do not stop or get out of your vehicle. Drive directly to the nearest police station.

Verbal provocations, such as yelling, cursing, excessive horn honking, rude or obscene gestures and threats.

Driving actions, such as cutting off another vehicle, extremely close tailgating, blocking another vehicle from using a traffic lane, pursuing or chasing another vehicle, or running it off the road, deliberate ramming or bumping of another vehicle.

Avoid becoming an aggressive driver:

Allow enough travel time to reach your destination on schedule.

If you're running late, call ahead and inform that you would be late. Thiswould relieve the stress put on yourself to make the appoiment.

Do not drive when you are angry, upset or tired.

When driving, relax and remain aware of your posture.

Alter your schedule to avoid driving during peak highway congestion periods.

You can control your own reactions to other drivers. If someone else drives aggressively, do not retaliate.

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Be prepared to give up the right-of-way to avoid a crash or prevent confusion. Waiting a few seconds for another driver is far better than risking a crash.

Rear Wheels Skid

If your rear wheels begin to skid, immediately take your foot off of the accelerator and steer against the slide--if you feel the rear of the vehicle sliding to the left, then steer the car to the left; if the rear of the vehicle overcompensates and begins to swerve in the other direction, slowly steer the car in the direction of the skid. Apply steady pressure to the brakes. Most cars have ABS (anti-lock brakes) brakes, but for those that do not, pump the brakes gently.

Front Wheels Skid

Take your foot off of the accelerator and shift to "Neutral." At this point, do not worry about steering out of the slide. The wheels sliding sideways will build friction and regain traction on the road. As soon as you feel the traction return, place the car in "Drive" and accelerate gently.Defensive Driving Attitude

A defensive driver takes every reasonable precaution to prevent traffic accidents, over and above what the law requires. To become a defensive driver, "yield" rather than "take" the right-of-way.

Adjust your behavior to handle:

Unexpected actions by other drivers and pedestrian Unpredictable and continually changing factors of light, weather, road and traffic

conditions How you feel Be dedicated to error-free driving

Remember: these steps could save your live or your love ones.

Obey all speed limits and signs. Be attentive and drive responsibly. Always wear your seatbelts. Never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Before driving a car, do a safety check on your car. When you get into the car, adjust all mirrors and seats before placing the key in the

ignition. Always use your turn signals.

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Keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you for greater stopping distance. (least 2 seconds behind the car in front of you)

Mobile Phones - it's illegal to use your mobile phone while driving, that’s includes when you are waiting at traffic lights.

Anticipate danger. Watch out for the other driver’s mistakes. Keep your glasses, windows, mirrors, and headlights clean. Avoid accidents: keep your mind on your driving. Avoid Distractions. Avoid driving with aggressive tendencies. Familiarize yourself with emergency procedures. Avoid tailgate at anytime. Plane your intended journey. Practice is good driving attics. ( be cautiously , be considerate & be patience )

Rural Driving - when driving in rural areas, be extremely careful of

• Potholes and rough surfaces

• Soft and broken road edges

• Single lane bridges

• Road surfaces changing without notice

• Livestock and wildlife crossing the road

(particularly just near sunrise or near sunset)

• Very large trucks (road trains)

• Road closures

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Tire Safety & Management

Most of us operate our cars on a daily basis and hardly pay any attention to one of the most vital parts of our vehicle which is our TIRES

Unfortunately very few of us change this bad habit of notchecking the tires until it is too late.

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Did you know that tires too have Expiry Dates??? Its 4 years after date of manufactured! Which is stamped on the side of the Tires

This numbers indicated on the tire reads as such (5107)

“51” would mean the 51st week (which would mean the 3rd week of December) “07” would mean the year 2007.

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If expired tires are used most likely this tires could puncture easily or even burst while in use, resulting in serious injuries or even fatality.

Another important point to remember about tires is to inflate it properly.Information on proper PSI for your car Tires could be found in the Owner Manual.

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Information on PSI could also be found on the side of your car tires,Indicating the maximum allowable inflating pressure for that specific Tire brand.

Another important fact to consider is the load put on our car tires. Overloading ourcars would put a strain on our tires & could also be factor to tire failure.

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Attached is the maximum load carrying capacity per tire.

Load Index

Pounds Kilograms Load

IndexPound

s Kilograms

71 761 345 99 1709 77572 783 355 100 1764 80073 805 365 101 1819 82574 827 375 102 1874 85075 853 387 103 1929 87576 882 400 104 1984 90077 908 412 105 2039 92578 937 425 106 2094 95079 963 437 107 2149 97580 992 450 108 2205 100081 1019 462 109 2271 103082 1047 475 110 2337 106083 1074 487 111 2409 109584 1102 500 112 2484 112985 1135 515 113 2561 116486 1168 530 114 2640 120087 1201 545 115 2721 123788 1235 560 116 2806 127589 1279 580 117 2892 131590 1323 600 118 2982 135591 1356 615 119 3074 139792 1389 630 120 3169 144093 1433 650 121 3267 148594 1477 670 122 3368 153195 1521 690 123 3472 157896 1565 710 124 3580 162797 1609 730 125 3690 167798 1653 750

Did you know that the only part of your vehicle that touches the ground is your

TIRES!

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Tire Information

What we need to know about TIRES

Date of manufactures Maximum inflating pressure Maximum load capacity Tire Size Temperature resistance.

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SIGN TYPES AND SHAPES

Regulatory / Mandatory signs

Warning signs

Guide / Information signs

Overtaking

Overtaking might not be the most common cause of road accidents, but overtaking accidents are certainly amongst the most serious.

If You are Not Sure Then

DONT DO IT !!!!

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Night Driving Driving at night presents a whole new set of challenges, reason is visibility reduced by the darkness, hazards that may be glaringly obvious in daylight might be harder to see. However, there are steps you can take to ensure a safer drive through the night

How well can you see? Do you need glasses or contact lenses? Consult your optometrist, you might need to wear prescription glasses for driving.

Go slow when you are leaving a brightly lit building. This will give you eyes time to adjust to the darkness.

A windscreen that is clean and clear to improve visibility.

Use the light of oncoming vehicles and the vehicles ahead of you to gain valuable clues on the layout of the road. Think about what might be lying ahead and use all the clues you can to anticipate what might be coming up. Clues available include road signs, white lines, and other markings.

If you are feeling tired, stop. The undeniable fact is, night driving is very tiring because you have to concentrate harder. Make sure there is good ventilation in your car, get plenty of rest before embarking on your journey, and schedule frequent rest stops into your journey to prevent driver fatigue.

When in doubt, don’t overtake. Drivers are advised to be extra careful about overtaking at night. Hazards may be out of the range of your headlights and pose a significant threat if you can’t react fast enough.

Maintain a safe speed. It is advice not to drive at night at high speed. In conditions of poor visibility caused by heavy rain or fog is advise to discontinue

driving Keep your distance from the vehicle in front by using the two-second rule. Use your high beams on open highways but always know when to change to low

beams. High beams blind other drivers and increase the likelihood of a crash If you have car trouble, pull off the road as far as possible. Warn approaching cars

by turning on your emergency light or hazed lights

Wet Weather

In wet weather your cars stopping distance is greatly reduce. It would require double the distance to stop then in dry weather.

It is advised that the 2 second distance is maintained while you are driving in wet weather. This would provide you adequate time to react if there was an emergency or danger. Reduce the speed you are travelling as speed in excess of a mear 60 kilometres would render you vehicles light and un responsive due to no traction or gip provided by your tries. It is best that

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on wet surface you gradually slow down by gently applying the brakes to avoid the vehicles form skidding out of control.

All the above tips as well as Do’s & Don’ts are not meant to burden you while you drive it rather has been created to make your drive on the road safe as possible.

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Defensive Driving

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