Most of us if not all, have to drive. We have to since there maybe limited or no public transport to get us to our destination, on time and with the flexibility we want. As you will have noted it seems as if more and more cars are on "our" highways - all competing for that 20 feet or so of space.
So, not only has traffic density gone up but we have more distractions. The debate still rages over the relative distraction of tuning a radio versus using a cell phone versus talking to your passenger. No matter what your personal feelings on these issues the fact of the matter is that once you start your car, you and your loved ones are in a very dangerous environment. If you are driving an SUV then your chances of survival are probably better than most, but not all of us drive these vehicles, so what can we do to get the maximum protection for ourselves?
The first step is your state of mind when you get into your vehicle. You know that you are a good driver - right? So, you need to challenge yourself with the question "How can I be a better safer driver?" Back to the state of mind. You are not "just" driving; you are now responsible for yourself, family and the other road users. Start thinking about the potential impact of that 1,000th of a second slip in concentration. Start thinking about car control versus driving.
What's the difference? Car control is a major step in approaching defensive driving. It is an all-embracing process starting with you. Do you check your tires every week? Is there one tire that is always a few pounds off? Might that be a clue to having the tire or valve checked? Did you do a cockpit check when you got into the car? Did the warning lights go out before you started the engine? Were the instruments reading normally, were the passengers all strapped in with the doors secured before you moved away? Do you look at the ground after you have reversed out of the garage or away from a parking spot? Are there any vital fluids on the ground seemingly always in that same relative spot?
This is not boring stuff, this is critical to your safety. So now you are on the road. Do you do a moving brake test? It is a good habit to get into. Go to 20 mph and check the mirror, and breathe on the brakes - do they bite -well, now we know that they work.
The single biggest thing you can do to be a safer driver is to start talking to yourself. Give a commentary about traffic in general, cars changing lanes, slow cars, fast cars and more. Tell yourself about what you are observing and then what you are doing about it. Two things are going to happen, one your vision will go up, and with improved observation you now have the tool to plan.
The information you are gathering should be used in three ways.
- Take
- Use
- Give
Take the information in, use it appropriately and give it back to other road users. This can be through the use of turn signals, brake lights, hazard lights etc. With planning you will improve your hazard recognition and with that your hazard prioritization. With the foundation of information, the next layer is position, speed, gear and acceleration. The position, speed and gear overlap and ensure that you are always in the correct position at the right speed and in the correct gear for all hazards and occasions. You can then move to the acceleration phase with the car under complete control. If you can plan, you are going to be a smoother driver. You are going to take the "suddenly" or "I thought" or "He/she looked like…" out of the program. In almost all cases where there is a smoother driver, there is a safer driver. If someone describes you as a smooth driver, it is one of the biggest compliments you can receive.
A key statistic to remember - Driver error accounts for greater than 90% of all accidents. Think of your car as a half full bottle of water. You don't want all the water at one end. If that is where it is, then you are either braking or accelerating. Brake smoothly; feed power into the car through controlled acceleration. Consider the lateral effects and relate that to what the passenger is sensing. Can you make the journey more comfortable for everyone? I like to ask the people I coach to stop thinking in absolute terms of miles per hour. At 60 mph you are covering 88.2 feet per second or about 4 car lengths. The conversion is 1.47 but use 1.5 to multiply mph into ft/second for ease. Does that sound better or worse? I think it sounds more realistic because it directly converts into thinking about energy, and in a case of braking how one dissipates energy. If one car is overtaking another, and they are side by side with the slower car doing 70 mph, and the faster is doing 90 mph, they both brake at exactly the same time and with the same efficiency, what speed will the 90 mph car be doing when the 70 mph car is stationary? The answer is a staggering 57 mph. At 70mph, a 28.6% increase [90 mph] in your speed will result in a stopping distance 52% longer.
This is the "squared" rule in action, as you increase your speed you increase the vehicle's energy by the increase in speed squared, and the braking (not thinking) distance is proportional to the vehicle's energy. The figures here do not exactly follow the squared rule because of course "thinking" distance does not square with speed. The scary thing is that at 70 mph, and with ABS capable of 0.9g of deceleration, with an alert driver, anything within 270 feet of the front of your car is going to be hit. Speed does not kill, inappropriate use of speed kills. Safe controlled driving to you all. Talk yourself into talking, and you will be safer. Article contributed by Gordon Booth, Chief Instructor of Drivetrain Inc. based in San Jose California.
