DEFENSIVE DRIVING TACTICS, 2nd Edition

Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] The accident actually began to happen while the car was still parked at home and the driver was supposed to be having breakfast. [Music] The accident might have stopped at this point, but it didn't. It continued to develop. [Music] Hey [Applause] [Music] According to the authorities who've made a searching study of the problem, many accidents begin well in advance of the time and place in which they finally happen. [Music] Why should I put up with that kind of stuff? I'll take off for Tahiti. I'll show her. [Music] Only a few blocks from home. Instead of going to the South Seas, Mac went to the hospital. Accidents can be traced back to the big argument, a sleepless night, ill health, [Music] criticism, or failure to keep the car in safe running condition. And then there are more immediate causes. Inattention, which means thinking about anything except the business of driving. 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, a dangerous lane change, [Music] 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. [Music] You've got to drive with these characters and they're all over the roads driving with you and against you. To survive, you've got to defend yourself. You've got to practice defensive driving tactics. What is defensive driving? To drive defensively means two things. First, always make allowances for the erratic offenders. Look ahead. Anticipate what they might do to cause you trouble. Leave yourself an out. [Music] And this is the part that goes against the grain. Give way and live rather than arbitrarily asserting your driving rights at all times. [Music] Sure, we hate to back down to anybody. [Applause] But remember, it's not a fair contest. The offensive driver is not as alert as you are. Sometime he's practically driving by instinct and his instinct is usually to press on at all costs. Defensive driving techniques are basic and simple. [Music] 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, constantly adjust your position with relation to other cars to maintain this cushion of space. Don't tailgate and don't let others crowd you. Your eyes, while they keep checking the foreground, must also keep shifting constantly to assess the driving space situation well ahead. [Music] Only by allowing yourself ample protective space and planning every second how to keep it can you properly defend yourself. The defensive driver needs to be adaptable. For example, you're in the middle lane of an expressway. You want to get off the next exit. In the right lane, coming up fast is 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 cushion. It's better to miss the exit and wait for the next one rather than upset the traffic flow and jeopardize your safety and others. So, the cardinal rules are first, maintain as much clear driving space around you as possible. Always checking and planning for space while 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 you save your life. You may think that the offensive driver gains by pressure driving like this. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] shooting through every opening, dodging from lane to lane, racing every light. He doesn't. But to find out how much he gains, we went to Washington DC and made a comparison test on its heavily traveled streets and adjoining suburban areas. 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 everyday driving. Starting point, the Gathersburg City Hall and 23 mi away, the finish at the grounds of the Washington Monument. [Music] The test was done with the cooperation of the Maryland State Police and local police departments on route. Representatives of the US Department of Transportation, the University of Maryland, and the Washington DC Citizens Traffic Board were present. The American Automobile Association supervised the experiment. Our safe driver in the brown sedan must observe all vehicle code laws and at all times drive defensively. The offensive type driver in the red 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. An observer accompanied each driver to log the violations. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Both cars pulled away at 12:15 p.m. [Music] The first part of the run was through suburban shopping center type traffic, [Music] then onto the freeway for a 5m stretch, [Music] off the freeway, and onto Connecticut happen. [Music] past the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, and finally the Washington Monument. As was expected, the offensive driver crossed the finish line first in 1 hour and 7 minutes. [Music] The defensive driver took 1 hour 9 minutes and 25 seconds. A difference of 2 minutes and 25 seconds. [Applause] And now the observer's log. Sure, the offensive driver saved time, but how much was the 2 minutes and 25 seconds saved worth? 78 violations, including 10 dangerous lane changes. [Music] 11 instances of following too closely. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] 31 stretches in which the speed limits had been exceeded. 21 signal violations and five other miscellaneous violations. Any one of which could have gotten him a traffic citation or what's worse could have gotten him killed. [Music] In the words of Vincent Tophany, president of the National Safety Council, >> this test is shown very graphically the need for defensive driving. The National Safety Council is conducting an international campaign to make every driver a defensive driver. The technique of defensive driving is made up of a lot of little things, some of which you've seen in this film. The central idea is personal responsibility for the prevention of accidents. It's a simple idea, but a vital one. It is so important that I like to think of it as a new way to drive. >> All in all, the whole story can be reduced to these simple points. The ABCs of defensive driving. A attitude is all important. Yours and the other drivers, but the offensive driver's attitude is all wrong. So B, 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're in motion. The ABCs add up to D. The big D for defensive driving. [Music]