Video at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmXAsfeQ_4E
Defensive Driving
 Defined as
"driving to save
lives, time, and
money, in spite of
the conditions
around you and
the actions of
others."
Aggressive Driving
 Is a form of automobile
operation in which an
operator will
deliberately behave
with contempt towards
other drivers and drive
in such a manner as to
increase the risk of an
automobile accident.
Vehicle Condition
 Should your car even be
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on the road?
What about your
brakes/tires?
Windshield wipers?
Proper air in the tires?
Bald tires?
Full tank of gas?
Seat Belts?
Both good condition…maybe???
Safe???...I don’t think so!
Brakes
Brakes are the only things that are going to stop you… in
combination with your tires and the friction between
the tires and the road.
With all the things that work on stopping a vehicle,
BRAKES still do about 99.9% of all the work
Tires and Wheels 101
 Check the air pressure…
 Proper air pressure =
better fuel economy
 Longer tire life
 Give you better traction
 Don’t forget to check
the lug nuts!
Gas in the tank
 Larger distances between
towns
 Wyoming weather
unpredictable
 Could find yourself
sitting waiting for the
road to open
 Or for a crash to be
cleared
 Or for rescue to come
and help you
Planning the Trip
 Is your trip really necessary???
 Plan your route
 Lets someone know where you are going
and when you are going to return
 Do you have a phone?
Handy things for in the car during the winter
 Blankets
 Snacks
 Flashlight
 Tire chains
 Shovel
 Tow rope
 Jumper cables
 A Good Ice Scraper – so you don’t need to drive like a
tank operator through the little hole in the window
Before you depart…
 Let the car warm up without you in it– this will help keep
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the inside of the windows from frosting over
Clear off the vehicle completely – this includes the hood,
roof and rear window.
Scrape all windows – don’t rely on the defroster to clear the
windows of snow and ice
Make sure all outside lights are free and clear of snow and
ice
Don’t try to use the windshield wipers to clear off even 2” of
snow from the windshield
Make sure the windows are clean….i.e. road grime
Pay attention when you are driving
 Be well rested before driving
 Keep your eyes on the road
 Scan several hundred yards down the road for possible
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obstructions in road (people, animals, construction)
Don’t over drive your headlights at night
Feel tired? Pull over and take a nap (in proper parking
area).
Do not Text and Drive – it is the law!
When you see emergency vehicles with flashing lights slow
down 20 mph below speed limit and move over if possible
– that is the law too!
Increase Following Distance
 Normal following distance 2-3 car lengths
during normal conditions.
 On wet, icy or snowy roads increase your
Following distance to 5 -10 car lengths or
more.
 Distance Calculation
SLOW DOWN!!!
SLOW DOWN!!!
Speed is the major contributing factor in all
Crashes. If the roads are bad or visibility is
limited, then you need to slow down.
Driving too fast on wet roads can cause you to
Hydroplane.
Driving too fast on icy/snowy roads makes it
difficult to slow down in a timely manner.
Video at: http://flashovertv.firerescue1.com/Media/849-Drive-Cam-No-Seat-Belt/
Seatbelts Important?
(You can not defy physics, so wear it!!)
Winter Driving Tips
 SLOW DOWN!!!
 Increase following distance!!
 If sliding don’t lock the brakes, total loss of control will
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result
Bridge decks - let off the gas and coast across the surface
Curves/corners – left off the gas, brake prior to turning
If rear end slides out – turn towards the direction the rear
end is going, do not apply gas or brake it will make it worse
Take off the cruise control on wet/snowy/icy roads!!!
 Again…slow down!
 You may have to drive by
fog lines, rumble strips
or mile markers.
 Try to relax and breathe.
Stretch your hands from
“WHITE KNUCKLE”
driving.
4-Wheel Drive
 Larger 4-wheel drive vehicles
get around better in the
winter? True/False?
 4-wheel drive may reduce the
likelihood of a rear wheel
drive vehicle from spinning
out due to loss of traction
 The 4-wheel drive will get you
around better in poor
conditions but….
 It does not help you stop any
quicker
 The heavier weight can
actually make you slide
further
Icy Roads
 www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPL8lgrHc2U
 http://bcove.me/su70swid
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDsclaXxy6c
Driving In The Fog
 Use your low beams or fog
lights. Brights make it
more difficult to see. You
need to light the ground to
see where you are going.
 Increase your following
distance greatly!
 Don’t Stop or pull over!
 Look for taillights ahead of
you.
Animals in roadway
 Do not swerve to miss an
animal in the road!
 Brake hard and gently get
over to one side or the
other.
 If all else fails hit the
animal.
 Cars can be fixed or
replaced.