This one seems like such a no-brainer, but you see vehicles stopped on controlled-access highways all the time. You may have no other choice if you have an emergency, but otherwise, take an off-ramp and find a parking lot to get out of traffic and off the road for a minute or two, to read …
Defensive Driving Tip #61: Never Stop on a Freeway! Read More »
In defensive driving class we talk about when you have a choice whether to use a controlled access roadway (or freeway, expressway, etc), or a city boulevard, you should choose the controlled access road, because your potential for a collision is less. A freeway has no intersections, and, with few exceptions, traffic is typically moving …
Defensive Driving Tip #60: Use the Center Lane for Safety Read More »
This is a simple defensive driving tip, but it is one that many drivers don’t think about. When you are driving down a city street, and you see a pedestrian crossing the roadway ahead of you, you know you must yield to them; but what about the pedestrians that you cannot see? We teach in …
Defensive Driving Tip #59: Beware of Stopped Vehicles at Crosswalks Read More »
This important defensive driving tip is about visibility in heavier traffic situations and collision prevention. You cannot assume the other guy is paying attention — sometimes he’s not — and you cannot assume you will be readily visible. Many factors can prevent the other driver from having a clear view and keep him from recognizing …
Defensive Driving Tip #58: Move Right When Approaching Intersections Read More »
In Defensive Driving class, some folks call the center two-way turn lane the “suicide” lane! That’s a little extreme — traffic engineers will tell you these lanes are actually pretty safe. But every day, you see people using them in ways that were never intended, and some of these actions are NOT safe. The lane …
Defensive Driving Tip #56: Don’t Abuse the Two-Way Left Turn Lane Read More »
In the United States, a driver’s natural tendency when making a right turn is to look left, since the left is the direction the traffic is coming from (we hope). For this reason, right-turning motorists are one of the biggest dangers to bicyclists! We teach in defensive driving class that many bicyclists ride on the …
Defensive Driving Tip #54: Turn Right, LOOK Right! Read More »
Some of my defensive driving rules focus on preventing trouble in specific danger spots. Especially when they’re in tight, congested areas where it is difficult to maneuver, drivers sometimes get impatient. In situations like trying to get into traffic from a parking lot or making a left turn across heavy traffic, drivers often take advantage …
Defensive Driving Tip #53: Beware of Traffic Gaps! Read More »
Did you know that the AVERAGE speed of a vehicle passing through a controlled intersection is about 52 mph? How many times have you approached and entered an intersection without having any idea if someone is about to run the red light? That means they are traveling roughly 80 feet a second.I teach in our defensive …
Defensive Driving Tip #52: Slow Down When Approaching Intersections! Read More »
We teach in defensive driving school that you can minimize the danger of collision at intersections by learning to stop defensively. First, make sure your deceleration to the stop doesn’t surprise the guy behind you. You already know how to identify a “stale” green light — by watching the pedestrian signal. Typically, when there are …
Defensive Driving Tip #51: Make Defensive Stops! Read More »
What color is a “yield” sign? Think about that for a few moments and we’ll come back to it. We teach in our defensive driving class that human beings are prone to operating on “autopilot.” Especially on familiar roads, our minds wander away from our immediate task to other things. It is virtually impossible to …
Defensive Driving Tip #50: Connect Your Mind To Your Eyes! Read More »
