Defensive Driving Tactics (1964)

Instead of going to the South Seas, Mack went to the hospital. Accidents can be traced back to the big argument, [Music] ill health, criticism, even a sleepless night or failure to keep the car in safe running condition. Then there are the more immediate causes, inattention, which means thinking about anything except the business of driving. And nowadays, driving is so automatic, it's easy to fall into this bad habit. We're apt to see other things and not what's in the road ahead. [Music] Finally, there's the last link in the fatal chain. Often something simple like failure to stop at a stop sign, violation of right away, or running a stale yellow light. However, we've said enough about such offensive drivers. This story is for you. Whether you're a female or a male, you've got to drive with these characters. [Applause] [Music] They're all over the roads driving with you and against you. To survive, you've got to defend yourself and your car against these offenders. You got to practice defensive driving tactics. What is defensive driving? To drive defensively means two things. First, always make allowances for the erratic offenders. Never permitting yourself to be trapped by anything they might do. Second, and this is the part that goes against the grain, give way and live rather than arbitrarily asserting your driving rights at all times. We hate to back down to anybody. But remember, it's not a fair contest. The offensive driver is not calm and alert like you are. Sometimes he's practically driving by instinct. and his instinct is usually to press on at all costs. Defensive driving techniques are basic and simple. The trick is to consciously use such tactics until they become second nature in your everyday driving. Two objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time. So the primary idea is to keep as much clear driving space around you as possible. Be a space driver. As you drive along the street, you must constantly adjust your position with relation to the other cars to maintain this driving space. Your eyes, while they keep checking the foreground, must also keep shifting constantly to assess the driving space situation well ahead. Only by allowing yourself ample protective space and planning every second how to keep it can you properly defend yourself. Every commercial airline pilot flies with a flight plan and an alternate plan just in case. The defensive driver needs such an alternate plan, a continually changing plan. For example, you are in the middle lane of an expressway and want to get off at the next exit. In the right lane and behind you, there's a solid line of cars. Should you take a chance and try to squeeze in? If you can do so smoothly, okay, but not if you must lose your vital space. It would be better to miss your exit and wait for the next rather than throw traffic off and jeopardize your safety and others. So the cardinal rules are first, maintain as much climbing space around you as possible, always checking and planning for space well ahead. Second, relinquish your right of way. Be willing to lose minutes or miles to avoid becoming a part of any dangerous situation. [Music] Time along with space constitutes the essence of defensive driving. You lose a little time and save your life. You may think that the offensive driver gains by pressure driving like this. shooting through every opening, dodging from lane to lane, racing every light. He doesn't. But to find out how much he gains, we conducted a test on the heavily traveled streets of Chicago and adjoining Evston, Illinois. The test was conducted with the cooperation of the Chicago and Evston Police Departments. Representatives of the National Safety Council and the Chicago Citizens Traffic Safety Board supervised the experiment and participated as observers. A route was selected that would offer the maximum amount of medium to heavy surface street traffic. A small portion of expressway and suburban road travel were added to simulate the everyday driving of the motoring populace. Starting point, the Museum of Science and Industry, 25 miles away, Northwestern University's famed Traffic Institute. Our safe driver in the station wagon was asked to observe all vehicle code laws to at all times drive defensively. The offensive type driver in the sedan was asked to drive as though he were late for an important business appointment and trying to make up that lost time on the road. Both cars pulled away together at 2:43 p.m. An observer rode with each man to keep track of the time and log the violations. [Music] The Chicago police along the route had been alerted to the test so that they wouldn't stop the aggressive driver. The Dan Ryan Expressway quickly brought us into downtown Chicago. Traffic is stop and go through the loop area. The two cars are separated only by seconds. At one point, they're at the same traffic light. So much for jack rabbit driving. And then we're on the outer drive and heading north. As was to be expected, the offensive driver first crossed the finish line at Northwestern University. 24.7 mi and 58 minutes. The defensive driver arrived at the traffic institute 5 minutes and 20 seconds later. And now the observer's log. Sure, the offensive driver saved time, but was the 5 minutes and 20 seconds saved worth those 138 violations, including 60 dangerous lane changes, 45 instances of following too closely, 23 stretches in which the speed limits had been exceeded, and 10 other miscellaneous violations, any one of which could have gotten him a traffic citation. or what's worse could have gotten him killed. In the words of Howard Pile, president of the National Safety Council, defensive driving can pay dividends, official road tests like these prove that although jackabbid driving can save a few seconds now and then, defensive driving can save wear and tear on your nerves, your car, and perhaps someday even your life. All in all, the whole story can be reduced to these simple points. The ABC's of defensive driving. A attitude is all important, yours and the other drivers. But the offensive driver's attitude is all wrong. So D, back down if necessary. give way even though you have to relinquish your rights for the moment because you must have C space clear driving space ahead as long as you are in motion. The ABCs add up to D. The big D for defensive driving.