One element of defensive driving is driving to save money. Taking good care of your vehicle can pay cash dividends, and you’ll be much less likely to get stranded out on the road where you’d be vulnerable to a variety of calamities. “The devil is in the details”—ever heard that phrase? Most often, what stops …
On an afternoon, on I-10 south of Chandler, I was creeping along at a reduced speed in the summer monsoon. Visibility was about 100 feet and dust-covered the roadway that was slick from the rain, making it very slippery. A man in a black Camaro passed me doing about 70 mph. Not only was the …
Defensive Driving Tip #24: Slow Down in the Rain or Monsoon Read More »
Defensive Driving means using your headlights. Headlights are for seeing and BEING seen! Be sure to recognize the circumstances where lights are necessary for safety. The sobering statistic is that while only 25% of the miles we drive are at night, about 50% of the fatalities occur in the darkness—25,000 people each year. What can …
Defensive Driving Tip #23: Know When To Use Your Headlights Read More »
Arizona has earned the dubious title of red-light-running capital. According to the Institute for Highway Safety, Arizona led the nation for the most deaths caused by red-light runners. Fifteen years later, Arizona has improved, but our state is still in the top five when it comes to fatalities tied to red-light running. Red light and …
The high speeds of controlled-access highways and the density of traffic on them require a special set of operating rules. Depending on your location, they may be called highways, expressways, or “the super-slab,” but no matter what you call them, the standard operating procedures are the same. For this rule, I’ll call them “highways” for …
According to the Federal Highway Association (FHWA), about 2.3 million intersection crashes occur in the United States each year, resulting in over 7,700 deaths. Intersections are one of the most dangerous areas for any driver. One oft-quoted statistic is that over 80% of all city collisions involving injury or death occur within signal-light (or “controlled”) …
Defensive Driving Tip #20: Beware of Intersections Read More »
Whenever backing becomes necessary, you will have to choose whether you will back in or out. And it is supremely critical which one you choose. Unlike many other things in life, this decision is never something that is up for discussion or situational assessment. If you have to back up, then you must back in; …
When we assume our defensive driving “duties,” one of the most important is that we be responsible for our actions and the results of those actions. In almost every case, a driver involved in a collision had an opportunity to avoid the collision—even when the other driver was responsible for the errors that led to …
Defensive Driving means not driving in other drivers’ blind spots! Virtually all vehicles have blind areas—even motorcycles. (Older motorcyclists are sometimes limited in how far they can twist their head to look behind them.) Yet, every day you see some drivers habitually changing lanes without checking their blind areas for other vehicles. It’s a good …
Defensive Driving Tip #17: Know Your Blind Spots! Read More »
As a defensive driving instructor, I often ask people what behaviors do other drivers exhibit that drives them crazy? a common reply is that other drivers don’t signal turns and lane changes. How many times do you see drivers who do not signal? Or worse, drivers who signal a right turn but turn left? Other …
Defensive Driving Tip #16: Always Signal Your Intention Read More »
