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 20.{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-end collisionsare about the most preventable ofaccidents. Yet they are common. Allowenough following distance. Defensivedriving requires that a driver concentrateon the driving task. Anything that distractsfrom the driving task makes properdefensive driving more difficult and caneven cause a collision, with resultinginjury. Ask a passenger to help do thesethings, or pull off the road in a safe place todo them. These simple defensive drivingtechniques could save your life.288
