Safe Driving Practices and Defensive Driving
Defensive driving questions ask you to spot a hazard before it becomes a crash and to choose the safest response under time pressure.
The system
- Scan 12 to 15 seconds ahead, check mirrors every 5 to 8 seconds, and shoulder-check before every lane change.
- Use SIPDE: Scan, Identify, Predict, Decide, Execute.
- Leave a two-second gap in good conditions, at least three seconds in rain, and four or more on snow, at night, or behind a large vehicle.
- Keep an escape route and a space cushion on all sides, and stay out of other drivers' blind spots.
Conditions
- Hydroplaning: ease off the accelerator, keep the wheel straight, and avoid hard braking.
- Fog: use low beams and slow down; high beams bounce light back at you.
- Skid: look and steer where you want to go, ease off the accelerator, and do not slam the brakes.
- Winter: clear all snow and ice, fit winter tires below about 7°C, and double your following distance.
- Fatigue: sleep is the only cure; caffeine and fresh air buy minutes, not safety.
Worked example
At 80 km/h you follow a truck in rain. Two seconds is about 44 metres, which is not enough. Rain calls for three to four seconds, so you need roughly 67 to 89 metres. To check, pick a fixed object and count 'one-thousand-one' until the truck passes it; if you reach the object sooner, drop back. The wet road also lengthens your own stopping distance, so the gap protects you twice.
Traps
- Braking hard during a skid or while hydroplaning.
- Using cruise control on wet or icy roads.
- Overdriving your headlights so you cannot stop within the lit distance.
- Believing ABS shortens stopping distance on ice; it preserves steering, not grip.