| Years ago I took a Defensive Driving Course and | | | | you could under normal conditions. |
| many of the techniques stuck with me. Indeed, some | | | | When road conditions are bad you don't want to be in |
| of them probably kept me out of serious accidents. | | | | the position where you have to make a panic stop, |
| Here are a few of the common sense tips I learned: | | | | because then you will lose control of your vehicle. You |
| 1. When traveling on a 4 lane or wider highway always | | | | must be able to slow down gradually and under |
| stay in the right hand lane (at least in the good old | | | | control. |
| USA) unless you are passing someone. | | | | If someone behind you gets impatient and passes you, |
| If an oncoming car loses control, and swerves across | | | | simply back off and put an appropriate distance |
| the median, the chances are that he will hit a vehicle in | | | | between you and them. It could save your life. |
| the left lane before hitting one in the right lane. So the | | | | 4. Be very cautious at stop signs and traffic lights. |
| right lane is the safest place to be. Always play the | | | | Whenever you take off from a stop sign or a traffic |
| odds in your favor. | | | | light after stopping, always look for oncoming cars that |
| Along the same lines, if you're traveling in the left lane | | | | may be turning in front of you, and for cross traffic |
| and someone coming towards you swerves across | | | | from both directions on the street you are going to |
| the line, you have very little time to react. This is how | | | | cross. Don't assume that someone is going to stop just |
| head-on collisions occur. | | | | because they have a red light or a stop sign. Don't pull |
| Curves are especially dangerous in this respect. The | | | | out in front of them until you are sure they have |
| next time you are traveling around a curve on a road | | | | committed to stopping or yielding the right-of-way to |
| where there is no median, look at how worn the | | | | you. |
| center line is. This is from cars crossing over into the | | | | Also, when you are driving down the road always be |
| oncoming lane. Be cautious, and stay to the right, | | | | on the look out for drivers who may not stop at side |
| especially on curves. | | | | streets or intersections where they have either a stop |
| 2. When traveling on a multi-lane road always give | | | | sign or a red light. When you see someone |
| yourself maneuvering room in case another car looses | | | | approaching, slow down and be ready to stop just in |
| control. Don't drive along right next to another vehicle, | | | | case they don't....and when slowing down always be |
| especially big trucks. One false move and you could | | | | aware of how close cars behind you are. You don't |
| get tangled up under the wheels of an 18 wheeler. | | | | want to slow down too quickly with someone on your |
| The idea is to always have an escape area, or a | | | | rear bumper. |
| space to the front, rear and sides of your vehicle. That | | | | 5. Don't trust that a car is going to turn just because |
| way if something goes wrong you have a place to | | | | they have their turn signal on. If you're waiting to pull |
| maneuver into in order to avoid crashing. | | | | out and a car is coming with it's turn-signal on just wait |
| 3. Distance between you and the vehicle in front of | | | | until they actually commit to turning before you pull out. |
| you is absolutely critical. You must be able to | | | | 6. With the advent of cell phones and navigation |
| maneuver, under control, if something happens to the | | | | devices it's more important now than it ever has been |
| vehicle in front of you. | | | | to be cautious and observant when driving. Your life |
| This is especially true if you are traveling in the rain or | | | | and your passenger's lives may depend on it, so be |
| snow. Allow yourself additional space if the road | | | | careful and be safe out there! |
| conditions are bad, because you can't stop as fast as | | | | |