Defensive Driving Rules

Rule 12:Choose Your Route for Safety


“What seems to be an easy path may not take us to our destinations.” “Losers chose the path mostly free of hassles.” Are these valuable lessons applicable while we are driving on the road? “Certainly not”

People die because they choose not to drive in a way which is considered decent. We consider it beneath and go beyond the limit of what our bodies can take. And the result is obvious: thousands die in every year and thousands are left incapacitated. The point is: can’t we practice defensive driving and learn to find out where the dangers are and plan ahead to avoid them?

Let me give you an example: I ride my motorcycle everyday to work on the highly congested and busy freeways of Washington DC. Needless to say this is a dangerous ride: too many people jostling each other, harried, angry and mostly distracted. What do I do to keep myself from trouble? In all these years I’m pretty used to mixing up with them but that doesn’t mean I don’t keep track of them. It’s certainly very difficult and I mean it.

Different routes pose different challenges: No matter where you drive be it city streets or boulevards, you are always subject to an intersection collision (mostly while you are driving a bit faster) On the freeways, you might get run over, or hit from behind if you happen to brake suddenly. Changing lanes, all of a sudden, not keeping ears and eyes open, getting impatient in traffic congestions, not bothering about weather conditions are some of the key reasons why we land up in trouble.

Sometimes, mostly while we are riding a motorcycle, we tend to follow short cut or dare to cross three lanes of heavy traffic. Picture yourself hundreds of vehicles of all kinds changing lanes to the left while others changing lanes to the right to exit at the next off ramp. Oh, too horrific! What’s the point taking smaller route if it is highly congested? Riding or driving a couple of miles more will not make a hole in our wallet; nor does it sound our beneath. Why not manage the risk by taking a safer route? Can’t we take another safer route to avoid a particular intersection? The answer is yes we can. All it takes a cool mind and some time to think. The key to defensive driving is to save your life and drive off the edge.

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How to use speed limits safely

Speed kills
The single biggest road safety issue in the US and other parts of the world today is speed – drivers speeding too fast for the conditions.
In 2007, speed was a factor in:
• 32 percent of all road deaths ( about 40,000 deaths)
• 18 percent of all reported injuries from road crashes (about 300,000).

Driving safely with speed limits

Many drivers might not be aware of the fact that they can be driving at the speed limit and still be driving unsafely.
The speed limit is the maximum legal speed at which one can travel on in perfect conditions. But that doesn’t mean you are supposed to driver at that speed even if you are in bumper to bumper traffic. You’ll agree that road conditions are seldom ideal particularly in cities. As a safe driver, you'll have to look out for changes in traffic, road and weather conditions, and vary your speed accordingly.

Traffic conditions to watch out for include:
• high volumes of traffic on the road
• pedestrians, joggers and cyclists
• parked cars.

Road conditions to watch out for include:
• bumpy or narrow areas on the road
• wet, icy or unsealed road surfaces
• signs warning of hazards such as sharp curves or a slippery surface.

Weather conditions to watch out for include:
•rain, wind or fog.

Ideal speed depends on conditions

While driving, you need to be careful judging the safe speed for the stretch of road at any point of time. This is called driving to the conditions. If you don't adjust your speed to suit the conditions, you may be driving too fast, even if you're within the speed limit.

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Defensive Driving Rules

Rule 11: Stop tailgating






‘Don’t tailgate other vehicles’- the significant piece of advice you receive from most of driving instructors. It is another important reason why the proportionate percentage of accidents is increasingly taking place. Fatal accidents are quite likely to happen. According to survey, 40% of death in road accident is the cause of tailgate. So, it is better to maintain fair distance while driving. You should also be careful about yourself of being tailgated.

First, don’t be too close to the vehicle ahead of you. Maintain at least 4 seconds distance in hand so that you can slow down or stop your car when necessary without hitting anything or the vehicle.

Second, be careful about the tailgaters around you. Slow the speed down the normal flow of traffic speed which would help the vehicle behind you to pass easily without any hazards. But your poor judgment or carelessness might irritate or frustrate them about you; so play it safe.

Finally, don’t be in a haste to hit the brake instantly, keep the speed in a position to slow it down comfortably. Slamming on the brake light frequently is not only against the law but you are taking risk of irritating the other drivers behind you.
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Defensive Driving Rules

Rule 10: Look After Your Vehicle

If you aren’t mechanically apt enough to check the brakes, request someone to check it or help you show the fluid reservoir. Though, brake fluid levels don’t change naturally, otherwise is undoubtedly dangerous. Regular check ups of the brakes will be much help decreasing the thickened threat of road accidents.
If, in case, you find brakes or tires are not functioning properly, it is better to replace them with quality parts; cheaper priced tires or brakes might cause you great mishaps or lead you to regret because both are significant parts of driving; once you have lost either of them you have lost total control on driving.

Check your coolant system if it is working perfectly. Be also careful about all services of cooling systems whether they have been taken on manufacturing schedule. If you are thinking of saving money and letting your cooling system continue till the red flag, a tight lesson you are quite likely to receive shortly. Simply your coolant system will lose its alkaline nature and you might not be left with any option without changing your water pump, thermostat, radiator, heater core and hoses. So your damage is double than you have ever thought of.

Keep your observant mind and eyes open to the sounds your car makes and repair them as soon as possible. Various sounds are responsible for different parts’ damage. If it is weird or like metallic scuffing, beneath your foot then remember your brake needs instant attention. Rattling or clanging sound indicates steering problem; shrieking or whirring underneath the hood specifies the problem like losing your water pump or power steering pump; ratcheting sound can cause the damage of CV struts.

You should also check the oil on a regular basis and other requirements of your car. Don’t compromise with the quality oil.

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Rule 9: Be cautious while you are on the road





Communicate with other drivers to alert them about your presence. It considerably decreases the chances for mishaps or accidents. Use your light and horn to inform the other drivers especially while driving in congested traffic. Making direct eye contact, if possible, would be the best way to let them aware of your presence.

If you are in a hurry but unable to go ahead because of the car in front of you, then the easy process is to give signal or press the horn to express your intention to pass so that the other drivers can leave enough space for you. Though, this act is no more taken as a matter of courtesy in recent time, your intention can be taken otherwise which can fuel their arrogance to speed up instead of letting you pass by. So be aware of this kind of hazards and steps to be taken intelligently not haughtily.

Make sure that the horn and lights are functioning properly; if not, take it to a mechanic. Remember, they are the main instruments to grab the attention of others and save yourself from collision.

Most of the accidents occur at the turning points where you are unable to foresee if anyone is approaching towards you and need to slow down. Press the horn to let the drivers, coming to you, know of you so that they can equally be alerted of your presence. It might sound impossible to you to keep all the traffic rules in mind while driving; in fact, it is a matter of regular practice.

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Defensive driving rules