Safety and Health Topic: Defensive Driving

Safety and Health Talks: Driver Safety

Defensive Driving Tips
This is the last of a series on automobile safety and we’re citing tips from the National Safety Council on what we drivers can do to make things safer.

Safety Tips
First of all, always wear your seat belt when driving and insist your passengers wear a seat belt, too. Wearing a seat belt is required by law in every state, except New Hampshire.

Stay Alert
• Don’t drive when you’ve been drinking alcohol. Alcohol slows your reaction time, blurs and distorts vision, and impairs your judgment about distance.
• Never use illegal drugs.
• Read the warning labels on your prescription medications; ask your doctor about how your medications or over-the-counter drugs could affect your driving.

Follow the Rules of the Road
• Never exceed the posted speed limit. Weather conditions permitting, always maintain the legal speed limit.
• Keep a safe distance between you and the car ahead. A safe following distance is at least two seconds time between you and the car ahead of you. Add one second for each adverse driving condition such as bad weather.

Intersections
• When approaching a green light, be ready for it to turn red. It may have been green for a long time.
• If you’re stopped at a red light and it turns green, go ahead slowly. Look left and right before you drive through the intersection.
• Yellow lights mean caution. Don’t speed up to get through the intersection before the light turns red.
• Turning right at a red light is not permitted in every state. Even in states where it is permitted, turning right is not allowed in some intersections. Look for signs at intersections.

Passing
• Make sure you are in a passing zone.
• Be sure there is no oncoming traffic.
• Check your mirrors carefully before making a lane change.
• Look behind you for any vehicles that might be trying to pass you.
• Stay aware of your blind spots. Once the lane is clear, signal your move.
• Move into the passing lane, and accelerate to pass the car in front of you.

Thanks for the share RF!