Your Driving, the Road, andYour VehicleDefensive DrivingThe best advice anyone can give about driving is:Drive defensively.Please start with a very important safety device inyour vehicle: Buckle up. See Safety Belts: TheyAre for Everyone on page 22.{CAUTION:Defensive driving really means “Be readyfor anything.” On city streets, rural roads,or expressways, it means “Always expectthe unexpected.” Assume that pedestriansor other drivers are going to be carelessand make mistakes. Anticipate what theymight do and be ready. Rear-endcollisions are about the most preventableof accidents. Yet they are common. Allowenough following distance. Defensivedriving requires that a driver concentrateon the driving task. Anything thatdistracts from the driving task makesproper defensive driving more difficultand can even cause a collision, withresulting injury. Ask a passenger to helpdo these things, or pull off the road in asafe place to do them. These simpledefensive driving techniques could saveyour life.274
