Many of us have had close calls when the unexpected happens while driving. Most of the time, other drivers cause the unexpected things that demand emergency maneuvers on our part. In a way, that's fortunate because it's far easier to predict the actions of another human being than events caused by inanimate objects, such as a tree dropping a large branch on the road. Those occurrences are usually rare.
The essence of defensive driving is actively using your mind to anticipate which drivers are likely to cut you off or make some other dangerous maneuver. This reduces your reaction time should your anticipation come true. The difference between an accident and a close call is those vital seconds it takes for you to recognize a danger and react
As pointed out by Meagher JA in Marien v Gardiner it is not possible that the driver could foresee and react to any event that could take place within the area surrounding the vehicle. Therefore, the driver could not have breached his duty of care in any circumstance that an object by chance is to collide with a vehicle on the road.
Aggressive driving can also result from drunk or drug driving and distracted driving. It is hence densely woven into multiple road dangers.
Defensive driving skills comprise practices that assist the drivers to drive the vehicle through challenging conditions. Consequently, it is essential for the school bus drivers, especially due to certain reasons. However, they need to wade through constantly varying conditions of weather and circumstances and have a responsibility to safely transport the most vulnerable group of people, the students.
Every person who has gets behind the wheel of a motor vehicle will be involved in some sort of automobile collision at some point in his or her lifetime. Traffic accidents account for over twenty thousand deaths each year and more than ten times as many injuries. There are a number of factors that contribute to these types of collisions, however, new and evolving laws can account for a large portion of successful preventable measures. In order for laws to be changed or added for the purpose of safer roads and highways, lawmakers have to first look at what factors contribute to such unsafe conditions. The top five causes of automobile accidents that cause injury are distracted drivers, driver fatigue, drunk driving, speeding, and aggressive driving. Laws can be proposed to reduce and even eliminate each of these risks.
Ever since the invention of the automobile, numerous efforts have been employed to try and improve its safety features. Judging by the current statistics, one could argue that driving has so far turned out to be a risky business. In actual fact, people of all ages and social status are considered to be in control of lethal weapons whenever they have to drive. According to the National Safety Council, it is estimated that more than 41,000 people lose their lives in road accidents annually and no less than 2 million more suffer from serious life threatening injuries (2009). Furthermore, it is estimated that at least 50% of the people killed in road accidents is as a result of their failure to adhere to safety measures such as wearing seatbelts while driving, driving under the influence, or careless driving (Ingalls, “Defensive Driving Strategies”). As an effect, huge losses occur with respect to life, injuries sustained, and damage to property.
As a distractive force, every time a driver toots, everyone in the vicinity will automatically jolt up to see what is going on, irrespective of whether one is also driving or just by standing. These sudden movements consequentially force the other parties to momentarily lose focus of whatever they were doing. In this event, many drivers are bound to cause accidents while the by standers who lose their guard in the process may also wade onto the roadsubconsciously with catastrophic results.
As the assignee of a company car, you are required to receive annual defensive driving training by our insurance carrier. In the interest of everyone’s time, I have put together a fast paced presentation that covers the essential elements of defensive driving that is only 60-90 minutes in duration.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), fatalities involving a vehicle have reduced by 64% from 1994 to 2013[2]. Many of these accidents are avoidable and some occur in a variety of situations. These situations include times when a distracted driver collides with a vehicle in its blind spot while attempting to change lanes, or fails to notice a stopped vehicle ahead to properly apply the brakes in time. Through the aid of modern technology, more accidents can be avoided. Automotive Sixth Sense is a transformation of non-autonomous vehicles into autonomous vehicles. Automotive Aftermarket Automatic Accident Avoidance Apparatus (A6th) will help to reduce collisions. This aftermarket product accomplishes goals
As a society, we are becoming increasingly busier. We are always looking for ways to save time. Unfortunately, many people think that they can do that behind the wheel. From eating to talking on the phone, multi-tasking shifts your focus and increases the chances of having an accident
Driving defensively is key to avoiding accidents. This refers to anticipating hazards and being prepared for them, or driving and expecting the worst. When I was practicing my driving, my dad told me, “When you feel like another driver is going to make a bad move, assume that they will.” Just because it’s wrong for that other driver to cut you off doesn’t mean they won’t do it, so always plan for the worst of things. The main takeaways of defensive driving are:
When driving really fast and knowing they are going to crash, their immediate instinct is to slam on the breaks which can and sometimes causes the vehicle to flip over. I myself have had a couple scares. I was once driving through a neighborhood and the speed limit was twenty-five miles per hour. I was going double the speed limit rushing to work. Out of no where, a man on a bicycle suddenly passed in front of my car. The look on this man’s face was complete terror, his skin turned pale. He thought I was going to hit him and so did I. Luckily, he was also moving very quickly on his bike, and I missed him by a hair. On another occasion, I was driving on the expressway to work and I wasn’t paying attention to the speed limits. I suddenly entered a “work zone” and completely ignored the speed limit that dropped from sixty to forty miles per hour. A highway patrol officer pulled me over as soon as I passed him. I received an extremely high fine and I was very frustrated with the officer and myself, because I didn’t see the sign stating the speed limit had
Defensive driving is the act of driving safely while being alert and aware of your surroundings and other drivers. It is the act of driving for yourself and others as well. You cannot be a defensive driver if you have distractions. Whether it be people, music or even objects, you should keep all of these things at bay.. By doing this you will become a better, more defensive driver. When driving it is important to stay focused by keeping your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel. You should never take your eyes off the road to do anything while the car is in motion, even if it is only for a split second because you could cause a very serious accident. It is also important to check your mirrors before you pull off and use them as you are driving. The only time that you should take your eyes off the road in front of you, is to check the road on the sides of you and in the rear of you by using your mirrors. This is an important factor for defensive driving because it allows you to make safe lane changes and be aware of your surroundings.
I do not know how many times I have been driving down the road when someone does something stupid, ranging from pulling out in front of me or tailgating. More and more drivers enter the road every year and it seems as if less and less of them know how to drive.
Driving in congested traffic is stressful for the best of drivers, and the slow unyielding driver make a bad situation more hazardous through their actions. In response to a slow driver in the fast lane, a faster car coming from behind is forced to brake which creates a wave or a slowing in response to the misuse of the "passing lane" by the slower driver. Next a host of other bad strategies typically follows in an effort to
“The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status, or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we all believe that we are above-average drivers” -Dave Barry, comedian. The number of accidents over the last ten years have drastically increased, drivers are paying less attention to the road itself. Many individuals behind the wheel of a car believe that their driving does not affect the road conditions, however it always will. The driving habits of today are catastrophic due to the reasoning that the driving will affect other lives through reckless or distracted driving, and disobeying traffic laws.