Safe and Defensive Driving
Core concepts
Defensive driving means assuming other road users may make mistakes and leaving yourself time and space to react. The central tool is the two-second rule: pick a fixed object, and when the vehicle ahead passes it, count two seconds; if you reach it sooner, you are too close. Double this in rain, at night, or when following a large vehicle that blocks your view.
Other core ideas: scan far ahead and check mirrors regularly; maintain a space cushion on all sides; adjust speed to visibility, road surface, and traffic, not merely to the posted limit; anticipate at junctions, bus stops, schools, and market areas where pedestrians and animals appear unpredictably. Manage fatigue with breaks, never drive after drinking, and always wear seat belts. In rain, braking distances lengthen and grip falls - slow down and increase following distance.
Traps in questions
- "Within the speed limit" trap: the limit is a maximum for good conditions, not a target. Driving at the limit in fog or rain can still be dangerous driving.
- Following-distance trap: answers that give a fixed number of meters ignore speed; the time-based rule is safer.
- Overtaking trap: never overtake at a bend, crest, crossing, or anywhere you cannot see far enough ahead.
- Distraction trap: phones, eating, and loud music all reduce reaction time and are treated as unsafe.
Worked example
You are behind a truck on a wet road at 50 km/h. The truck passes a roadside pole; you count and reach the pole after about one second. You are too close: ease off, rebuild at least a four-second gap (double the dry-weather minimum), and wait for a clear, straight stretch before considering any overtake.
Rule of thumb: only drive as fast as you can stop within the distance you can see to be clear.