It’s A WOMAN Thing!

When I took driving lessons, defensive driving was my first exercise.  Here’s sharing with you some tips courtesy of IDT:

Scanning

To be a good driver, you must know what is happening around your vehicle. You must look ahead, to the sides, and behind the vehicle. Scanning helps you to see problems ahead, vehicles and people that may be in the road by the time you reach them, signs warning of problems ahead, and signs giving you directions.  Searching and scanning critical areas should be done in a regular sequence. A visual search pattern, such as in the guidelines described below, helps you adjust to any unusual events.  Whenever there is a lot of activity along the side of the road, there is a good chance that someone will cross or enter the road. Therefore, it is very important to look to the sides when you are near shopping centers and parking lots, road work areas, busy sidewalks, and playgrounds and schoolyards.

Looking Ahead

In order to avoid last-minute braking or the need to turn, you should look down the road at least 10 seconds ahead of your vehicle.  By looking well ahead and being ready to stop or change lanes if needed, you can drive more safely, save on fuel, help keep traffic moving at a steady pace, and allow yourself time to better see things around your vehicle and along the side of the road.  Looking well down the road will also help you to steer straighter with less weaving.  In the city, 10 seconds is about one block.  When you drive in city traffic, you should try to look at least one block ahead.  On the highway, 10 seconds is about four city blocks or a quarter to one-third of a mile.

How do you know how many seconds you are looking ahead? Here is how to figure if you are looking 10 seconds ahead:

• Find a non-moving object like a sign or telephonepole near the road about as far ahead as you are looking
• Start counting one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand,three-one-thousand, etc., until you reach the object
• The number of seconds you have counted is thenumber of seconds ahead that you were looking

You can be a safer driver by looking well ahead. You can avoid the need to stop or turn quickly. By looking well ahead, you can save on fuel. Every time you have to stop quickly, it takes time and fuel to get your car back up to speed. Traffic would flow more smoothly if everyone looked well ahead. Making driving changes before the last moment gives drivers behind you more time to react.  As your speed increases, it is most important to look farther ahead.

Look to the Sides

Since other vehicles or pedestrians may cross or enter your path anytime, you should look to the sides to make sure no one is coming. This is especially true at intersections and railroad crossings.

Intersections

Intersections are any place where traffic merges or crosses.  They include: cross streets, side streets, driveways, and shopping center or parking lot entrances. Before you enter an intersection, look left, right and left again for approaching vehicles and/or crossing pedestrians. If stopped, look left, right and left again just before you start moving. Look across the intersection before you start to move to make sure the path is clear through the intersection.

Railroad Crossing

As you approach any railroad crossing, look both ways on the tracks to make sure a train is not coming. Do not assume a train is not coming even if you have never seen one at that crossing before. That is one of the leading causes of fatalities at railroad crossings. At crossings with more than one track, wait until the passing train is well down the track before starting to cross. Another train that might have been hidden by the one that just passed could be coming.

Look Behind

Besides watching traffic ahead of you, you must check traffic behind you. You need to check your mirrors more often when traffic is heavy. This is the only way you will know if someone is following too closely or coming up too fast and will give you time to do something about it. It is very important to look in your mirrors for vehicles when you change lanes, slow down, back up, or are driving down a long or steep hill.