REVEREND FB.COM | Daren’s Driving Handbook - Chapter 8

Daren’s Driving Handbook

Chapter 8 - Defnesive Driving Techniques

This is the key to it all!

Defensive Driving
IS
NO ACCIDENT!

Outside of a car, people are defensive by nature. Remember the Park Bench Story? Let me refresh your memory....

You’re walking around in New York City by yourself, and you come across a park bench that seats seven people. You’re exhausted. Where do you sit? (Imagine the seats numbered 1-7)

If you’re an extremely friendly and confident person, you might sit in seat number 4, but MOST people would pick an end seat. Let’s assume you pick that end seat (1 or 7)

The NEXT person to sit will invariably sit on the opposite end, leaving as much space as possible between him and you. Think about that. In that situation, if a guy came along and sat in the seat right next to you, you’d not only assume he was gay, you’d probably be so uncomfortable that you’d move - assuming you weren’t in a mood to confront him. (If it was a girl, you’d feel like she "wanted" you.) Either way, it’s an invasion of privacy that we that we are all aware of.

The 3rd person will sit in seat number 4 - the middle - leaving two seats between each of the three people.

As those other four seats get filled up, you’ll notice people starting to shuffle, getting uncomfortable, and making sure that their belongings are closer to them than before. They’ll be much more watchful of their surroundings....

...as in CHECKING THEIR BLINDSPOTS!

HA! You thought I was on some useless side thought with no where to go, didn’t you? DIDN’T YOU? LOOK at me when I’m talking to you!

Go ahead - Connect it!

Most people - inside a car - feel "protected."

"Defensive Driving" is nothing more than not turning into an animal when you get behind the wheel.

If you wouldn’t feel safe WALKING in the path your car is taking, then DON’T DRIVE it!

Drive at a speed where you can stop in the distance you can see.

ALWAYS have "somewhere else to go" if your path is suddenly obstructed.

NEVER stay in someone’s blindspot, and NEVER let someone stay in YOURS.

Keep a "cushion of space" all around your car.

ALWAYS expect the unexpected.

NEVER begin a turn, unless you can see clearly far enough ahead of you to complete the turn. And never expect the other driver to complete THEIR turn.

Try desperately to do things as gradually as possible. (EXAMPLE: When you see a "REDUCED SPEED AHEAD" sign, just take your foot off the gas. You’ll be going the right speed by the time the speed limit changes. You’ve gradually forced the guy behind you to slow down, and you didn’t surprise anyone.)

.... and THAT’s defensive driving, FELLA!

(Well, okay, it's not ALL of it... Most of it is covered elsewhere. I figured if you got it a little bit at a time, you wouldn't gripe about it so much.)