Defensive Driving

This is an acquired set of skills, normally gained through trial and error over a set period of time, generally being the entire driving experience of the driver.

I have attempted to pass on what I have learned to young drivers, and I intend to do the same thing to my son. Essentially, it is a matter of learning to defend one’s self from the actions of other road users, and when mistakes are made, to use them as learning examples.

We never stop learning when in our original country, and the lessons start anew when moving to another country. There is a common thread, however that follows wherever we go, and that is anticipation. To anticipate what the other driver will likely do in a certain situation and to be ready to compensate for it.

Some examples from driving in Spain:

- Drivers emerging from side streets tend to poke the nose of the vehicle forward without first stopping until the driver is able to see whether there is cross traffic flow. If you’re the cross traffic and if you are driving close in to the right side of the road, there may occur a crash. However, by anticipating that this will happen you should place your vehicle closer to the centre of the road, leaving about the width of a parked car. The other driver will be able to see you sooner and the crash will hopefully avoided.
- We are terrible about taking the time to properly correct our mistakes. If we suddenly find that we are taking the wrong exit, the proper and safe thing to do is to follow through with the mistake and make the correction when it is appropriate to do so. What usually happens is that one minute we are in the exit lane, and the next we make a violent left lateral movement that puts us back into the main traffic flow, to the complete surprise of the drivers following.
- The opposite of that is we find ourselves passing the exit that we need, and instead of carrying on to the next exit and then doubling back, we make a violent right movement that puts us in front of other traffic on the exit lane. Both of these moves set up a potential crash that is completely avoidable.
- When driving through estates where there are many crossroads, we have to anticipate that we will meet other traffic. There may be stop signs or not, but we know from experience that road signs are mere suggestions in this country, so we have to be ready to give way even if we have the right of way. The object is to avoid the crash at all costs. To say that we were in the right is O.K. for afterwards, but beware at all times.
- People here take driving very casually, almost as if they are at home in their own living rooms. We often see drivers fully engaged with their passengers in conversations. I once suffered a BMW that was simply driven into the back of my car in downtown Valencia because the driver was paying total attention to his passenger. The truth is, we cannot divert our attention when driving in the city even to blink. What on earth was that man thinking?
- When passing a crash site, all drivers need to be totally alert to other traffic. What happens is that everybody is busy looking at the scene. You need to be hyper alert to traffic ahead and behind. I was recently stuck in very slow moving traffic until we came upon a scene on the other side of the road. I’m not certain what that was all about because the car ahead of me braked and slowed, but the driver behind kept coming. A blast from my horn alerted him and I survived to drive another day. If your car is the one in the centre of a three car pile-up, you come out of it with a shorter vehicle than when you went in.
- Sometimes, the way to avoid trouble is just to simply not drive at certain times. Peak driving times when everybody and his brother is leaving the city to drive to some popular holiday destination is the time to be sitting at home with a G&T. I don’t really know what brings about such high death tolls during holiday driving times. Oh, I know that alcohol is involved in a lot of the cases and that speed and inattention are prime causes, but what I don’t know is why so many people choose to do those things when they are supposed to be about motoring pleasure.
- A very common error that leads to the happening of far too many “accidents” is the misinterpretation that the vehicle approaching from your left along the main road signalling a right turn, means that he is going to turn right before he gets to you. Actually he means I’m going to turn right just after I pass you. If you can anticipate that this is probably what he means, you will hold until the situation completely shows itself.

Defensive driving is also about adapting your driving to local situations. Strangers go barging through where locals know to tread lightly. You need to read the road conditions and make adjustments accordingly. For instance, if the main road connects with a natural T-junction, and the main road has the right of way, but general practise is that no-one stops or slows down, that is a crash waiting to happen. It doesn’t have to involve you. Use extreme caution.

Finally, it really goes without saying that these roads are far too dangerous already to add alcohol into the mix. Make it a rule, as is the case with airline pilots to separate throttle from bottle by at least twenty-four hours. Stay Safe! It’s a concrete jungle out there!

Please don’t overtake along two-way road systems. Save your life for those who love you!

Copyright (c) 2007 Eugene Carmichael