The-Right-Way-To-Practise-Driving

荣格 · 发表于 2011-8-30 00:46

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http://www.dailywebtv.com/Peel/video/24010/ABC-Driving-School-The-Right-Way-To-Practise-Driving-

Observation, space and communication

There are many things to keep in mind while learning how to drive, all of which the instructors at ABC will teach; but when it comes to defensive driving specifically, there are three very important things to keep in mind.

1) Observational Skills:

This includes looking in mirrors, which should be done every five to 10 seconds, before applying the brakes to stop or slow down, after passing an intersection and making a turn to see if a new vehicle is following behind you, to make lane changes and before making certain maneuvers like parking, making three point turns, as well as leaving and entering traffic.

Observational Skills also include checking your blind spots before making lane changes and turning. Blind spots should also be checked before parking, making a three point turn, and leaving and entering traffic.

When making lane changes, it’s important to always signal before changing lanes. After signaling, check all mirrors and note the distance and speed of any other cars to make sure that it’s safe to merge in front of them.

If you’re not sure how close or far the vehicle behind you is, make sure that its whole front end is visible in the rear view mirror. When judging speed, note the shape of the car and whether it’s getting bigger – if so, that means that the other driver is going too fast and it’s not safe to change lanes yet. After checking mirrors, check the blind spot, look straight ahead and make the lane change. Then, turn the signal off.

When improving observational skills, there are two types of intersection checks that should be done – the general intersection check when the intersection is in sight but still a short distance away; and the point of no return check, a last minute check at the intersection before going through.

2) Space Management:

This is a skill that makes you, as the driver, more aware of the surrounding environment and other drivers on the road. The first rule of space management is to make sure there is a safe distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you –whether you’re driving or stopped.

When driving behind another vehicle, use the three second method, which means picking a stationary object and allowing three seconds to pass after the vehicle in front of you has passed this object. Once the vehicle passes the fixed object start counting to three, slowly, until you reach the same object. If you reach the same object at three that means you are a good distance away. For inclement weather conditions you should increase your space distance. If you reach the object in less than three seconds since the vehicle in front of you passed it, then you are following too closely.

On multi-lane roads, be aware of vehicles in other lanes and don’t drive in their blind spots.

When stopping behind a vehicle at a stop light or sign, one car length distance should be left between your vehicle and the one in front of you. If you’re not sure what a car’s length is, the general rule of thumb is to make sure you can see the bottom of the wheels of the car in front of you when you stop behind it. This is to ensure that if a vehicle hits you from behind you won’t hit the vehicle in front of you.

When it comes to space management and the road, you should maintain a one car length distance between your vehicle and the white line at a stop light.

At a stop sign, you can stop at the white line to ensure that you can see both ways. You should also take note of sidewalks, curbs, and signs. If there is a sidewalk, be sure to stop before the sidewalk. Some roads may not have a line or a sidewalk, in which case you would stop at the end of the road or curb.

Following these rules of space management ensures that you’re not getting in the space of other drivers, but it doesn’t always mean that they won’t get in yours. If someone is tailgating your vehicle then you have to move out of their way if you’re driving on a multi-lane road. Though you may be tempted to apply the brakes to get the tailgater to back off, this is dangerous and should be avoided.

3) Communication:

Using your signal to let other drivers know which way you’re turning is just one example of communication that’s used while driving. The horn can also be useful for alerting drivers who may not be paying attention. You should observe proper etiquette when driving and wave to other drivers who let you into traffic or to indicate to another driver that they can go.

Lights are very important signals so you should make sure that all of your lights work properly including high beams, reverse lights, brake lights and signals.

Communication is also key in emergency situations and can let other drivers know that you’re in trouble. Hazard lights, or four-way flashers as they’re more commonly known, are particularly important when you’re pulled over on the side of the road, even if it’s not an emergency, so that other drivers will see your vehicle.

Make sure that your vehicle is stocked with an emergency kit that includes reflectors or flares, a white flag and a call police sign. Other indicators include a red flag, which should be tied to objects that are long and sticking out of your vehicle and wide load and slow moving vehicle signs.

It’s not enough to let other drivers know what you’re doing, you should also be aware of signs and lights from other vehicles. For instance, flashing red lights mean emergency vehicles are up ahead or behind and you need to pull over to let the vehicle pass. Flashing blue lights are on snow plows, amber lights are utility and maintenance vehicles and green lights indicate a volunteer fire fighter vehicle.

All of these skills – observational, space management and communication – will help you to be a better defensive driver, ensuring your safety and the safety of others.

Don’t lose the attitude
http://www.dailywebtv.com/Peel/video/22681/Defensive-Driving-with-ABC-

At ABC Driving School, the emphasis is on teaching new drivers to get into their vehicles with a good attitude and learn defensive driving skills so that collisions are not just avoided, but prevented.

Head instructor of the Mississauga school, Ron Caldwell, says that attitude is what makes the difference between what he calls a good driver and a bad driver.

“Everybody can drive a car, it’s not difficult physically to drive the car,” says Caldwell. “Most people can steer and work the pedals. But obeying the law is hard, and whether you choose to speed, use a seatbelt, use your cell phone – that’s attitude and it’s hard to teach attitude but that’s what our focus is.”

How this translates to in-car training is that the instructors have students think about their actions and teach them that there are consequences to their actions.

Caldwell adds that while defensive driving skills are important, defensive means collision avoidance and ABC teaches collision prevention, which means that you “analyze the situation before you get into it so you don’t have to avoid a collision because it’s not going to happen in the first place.”

It’s all about forethought and paying attention to what’s happening in front of or behind you so that you have time to react.

When students begin to learn how to drive, it’s easy to go out with their parents or friends to learn. Parents have good intentions, but they’ve developed bad habits because they’ve been driving for so long and they unintentionally pass those habits on to their kids. Parents may also not be up-to-date on law changes, but ABC is. “We’re up-to-date on all of that information so it’s better for them to come to the driving school where they get the up-to-date information and they don’t learn the bad habits.”

ABC has been around for about 20 years with the head office in Mississauga and several schools across Southern Ontario. The school’s key to success has been the success of its students whose word-of-mouth referrals are the only advertising that the school does.

While keeping the school’s focus in mind, Caldwell suggests that new drivers “don’t drive unless you have to and get in a car with a good attitude…clear your head, make sure you’re in a great frame of mind and drive responsibly.”

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