defensive driving

DON’T SPEED
According to the Insurance Institute for
Highway Safety (IIHS), speeding is a
factor in about one-third of all fatal
crashes, which kill more than 1,000
Americans every month. In 2006, more
than 13,500 people died in fatal
crashes.

The faster you drive, the more likely
you are to die if you’re involved in a
crash. “Your vehicle’s safety features
and devices, such as air bags and safety
belts, are designed to protect you in the
event of a collision at speeds under 50
mph,” Solomon says. “But at higher
speeds, the force of the collision is
more dangerous to your body.”
Between 50 and 60 mph, your risk of
death from a collision is double what it
is at less than 50 mph. At 70 mph, the
risk of death doubles again. At 80
mph, it doubles again, and at 90 mph,
it doubles yet again.

OBEY THE THREE-SECOND RULE
Always leave plenty of room between
you and the vehicle in front of you. The
NSC recommends that you follow the
three-second rule, which provides a
cushion of space between your car and
the one in front of you. When that
vehicle’s rear bumper passes a stationary
object, such as a road sign, tree or
telephone pole, begin counting “onethousand-
and-one, one-thousand-andtwo,
one-thousand-and-three.” You
should be able to finish counting before
your front bumper crosses that same
point. “Add another second for each
deteriorating road condition, like snow,
rain, ice or fog,” Solomon says.

BEWARE OF TAILGATERS
When someone tailgates you, they’re
putting you at risk. The worst thing you
can do is contribute to the situation.
“Tailgating is aggressive driving,”
Solomon says. Don’t tap the brakes or
flash your lights. Doing so might make
the tailgater angry, and he or she might
pass you and cut you off, or worse.
Instead, let the car pass you, increase
your following distance and steer clear.
The tailgater is likely to tailgate the
vehicle in front of you. If that driver
reacts by braking quickly, you’ll need
extra stopping distance.

DRIVE IN THE PROPER LANE
When driving on the freeway, the left
lane is for passing. If you’re in the left
lane traveling the speed limit and cars
behind you want to pass, move to the
right and let them. If you don’t, they’ll
pass you on the right and possibly cut
back in front of you, increasing the
chances of an accident.

“Remember, on the freeway it’s
about survival, it’s not a contest; let
them go,” Solomon advises. “Your job
is not to be the police or to teach others
how to drive.”

Also try to avoid stopping on the left
shoulder in emergency situations.
“You’re only inches away from the left
lane and the fastest-moving cars on the
road,” Solomon warns. Instead, try to
move to the right, pulling off to the
right shoulder as far away from traffic
as possible.

DON’T GET DISTRACTED
A distraction is anything that diverts
your attention from the road, which
can include eating, reaching for something,
smoking, adjusting an iPod or
putting in a CD. According to the AAA
Foundation for Traffic Safety, inatten-
tive driving is a factor in more than 1
million crashes in North America
every year, and drivers are doing something
potentially distracting more than
15 percent of the time.

Cell phone use is one of the biggest
driving distractions. If you need to
make or take a call or text a message,
pull off the road. Better yet, turn off
your cell phone while you drive so you
won’t be tempted to answer calls.
“Using a cell phone while driving is
the equivalent, in terms of mental
impairment, of a blood-alcohol level
of .08,” Solomon says. “And if you’re
texting while driving, you’re as mentally
impaired as if you were on
cocaine.”

- GEICO DIRECT, Spring 2009