THE SMITH SYSTEM OF 'SPACE CUSHION' DRIVING

Year Published: 1968

Description: Produced in 1968 by Ford as part of driver's education training, "The Smith System of 'Space Cushion' Driving" features Harold L. Smith’s Smith System, a five-rule driving method designed to improve safety by emphasizing space and visibility. The film was shown to a whole generation of young drivers in training. Harold Smith, a renowned driving safety expert, created the Smith System in 1962 to help drivers avoid accidents through simple, easy-to-remember techniques. The five rules are: Aim High in Steering, Get the Big Picture, Keep Your Eyes Moving, Leave Yourself an Out, and Make Sure They See You. These principles help drivers stay centered, scan the environment continuously, maintain escape routes, and communicate effectively with others on the road. Through both city and freeway driving demonstrations, Smith shows how applying these rules consistently leads to smoother, safer driving. The system empowers drivers to anticipate hazards, respond early, and navigate with greater confidence and control. The film was shot in Los Angeles, including at Hoover High School. It features Ford vehicles; Smith drives a Ford Torino convertible. 00:00 The film opens by emphasizing the importance of safe driving, stating that over 100 million Americans need to drive safely. Improper driving contributes to about 80% of traffic accidents, prompting national efforts to improve driving skills. Harold L. Smith, a renowned safe driving expert, created a simple system of five logical rules focused on maintaining space and visibility to help drivers avoid accidents. 1:00 Smith’s system is built on the need for two essentials: space for the car and visibility for the driver. His five rules—Aim High in Steering, Get the Big Picture, Keep Your Eyes Moving, Leave Yourself an Out, Make Sure They See You—form a space cushion that enhances driving safety in all situations. [2:00–3:30] The first rule, Aim High in Steering, advises drivers to focus far ahead in the center of their lane to stay aligned and avoid accidents. Adjustments must be made in poor weather or at night when visibility is limited. [3:30–5:20] The second rule, Get the Big Picture, involves broad and deep scanning of the road to anticipate movements, like vehicles pulling out or turning. Drivers are advised to maintain a safe following distance—especially behind large trucks—to preserve visibility and reaction time. [5:20–6:20] Rule three, Keep Your Eyes Moving, encourages continuous scanning of both the road and mirrors to monitor front and rear hazards. Drivers should avoid tunnel vision and react early by adjusting speed or lanes as needed. [6:20–7:50] The fourth rule, Leave Yourself an Out, focuses on always having an escape route in case of unexpected movements from other vehicles. An example demonstrates how maintaining speed and visibility helps prevent a crash when a driver pulls out from behind a truck. [7:50–9:30] The fifth rule, Make Sure They See You, emphasizes communication through horn, lights, and eye contact to ensure other drivers and pedestrians are aware of your presence and intentions. [9:30–13:00] Harold Smith demonstrates these principles while driving on city streets, constantly scanning ahead, maintaining safe space on all sides, using the horn courteously, and adapting to changing situations like parked cars, stale green lights, and inattentive drivers. [13:00–17:30] Smith then transitions to freeway driving, applying the same principles at higher speeds. He highlights the importance of entering traffic with awareness, keeping a steady speed to avoid bunching with other cars, and using deceleration lanes properly to exit safely. [17:30–end] The video concludes by reinforcing the five rules as a universal formula for all driving situations. By focusing on space and visibility, drivers can improve safety, reduce stress, and enhance their overall driving experience.

Online Copy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PecB7LQrozU

Metadata Source:YouTube