Safe Driving Practices and Defensive Driving
Following distance and scanning
Use the three-second rule in good conditions: pick a fixed object, and when the car ahead passes it, count until your front bumper reaches it. Three seconds or more is a safe gap. Increase to four or more at night or in rain, and much more on ice or in snow. Scan about 12 seconds ahead, check mirrors every few seconds, and keep a space cushion on all sides rather than riding in another driver's blind spot.
Traction and vehicle control
If your vehicle begins to hydroplane, ease off the accelerator and hold the wheel steady; do not brake hard. In a skid, steer where you want the front of the car to go and avoid slamming the brakes. With ABS, press the brake firmly and hold it - the pedal pulsing is normal, so do not pump. Black ice forms first on bridges, overpasses, and shaded areas. New Mexico's dust storms and crosswinds demand reduced speed and a firm, two-handed grip.
Fatigue, lights, and conditions
Headlights are required from sunset to sunrise and whenever visibility is poor. Fatigue slows reaction time like alcohol; the only cure is rest. Never use cruise control on wet, icy, or gravel surfaces, because it can cause a loss of control when traction drops.
Worked example
At 60 mph you are covering about 88 feet each second. A three-second gap is therefore roughly 264 feet - nearly the length of a football field. Reasoning: multiply speed in feet per second by the seconds of gap, then add more time for rain or darkness.
Traps that cost marks
Pumping ABS brakes; believing four-wheel drive shortens stopping distance; assuming the posted limit is safe in fog or rain; using cruise control on slick pavement; tailgating to discourage lane changes.