Defensive Driving

Monthly Training Topic

Ryder Safety and Loss Prevention

Defensive Driving Skills

Training Objectives
Participants will be able to:

Identify common causes and consequences of Motor Vehicle Accidents

List basic Principles of Defensive Driving

Be able to know when and how to apply basic Defensive Driving Skills

Why Drive Defensively?

Fact: Motor Vehicle Crashes are the Number One Cause of
Occupational Deaths
An average of 117 people died each day in motor vehicle crashes in

2006 one every 12 minutes.

In 2006, 385,000 large trucks (gross vehicle weight rating greater than

10,000 pounds) were involved in traffic crashes in the United States;

4,732 were involved in fatal crashes.

A total of 4,995 people died and an additional 106,000 were injured in

those crashes.

One out of nine traffic fatalities in 2006 resulted from a collision involving

a large truck.

Source: National Highway Transportation Safety Association, Traffic Safety Facts 2006

Why Drive Defensively?

Legal Responsibility
Every accident in which a driver is involved shall be considered

preventable unless there was no action, which the driver could

have reasonably taken to avoid the accident and that, his actions
in no way contributed to the occurrence of the accident. The driver
must drive in such a way that he commits no errors himself and so
control his vehicle to make due allowance for the condition of the
road, the weather or the traffic, and so that mistakes of other
drivers do not involve him in any accident. National Safety
Council

Why Drive Defensively?

Legal Responsibility

The National Safety Council defines a preventable

accident as;

Any accident involving a vehicle which results in property

damage and/or personal injury, regardless of who was injured,
what property was damaged, to what extent, or where it
occurred, in which the driver in question failed to exercise every
reasonable precaution to prevent the accident.

What is Defensive Driving?

Defensive Driving: Doing Everything Practicable to avoid a
collision.
A defensive driver learns to anticipate the actions of others.
This is accomplished by paying attention, anticipating and

knowing what is going to happen around the truck at all times.

Offensive Driving: Only paying attention to you own skills.

An offensive driver is not a safe driver.

Most Dangerous
Four critical types of vehicle accidents have been shown
to cause the most fatalities and serious injuries:
1) Hit others in rear
2) Intersection collisions
3) Pedestrians and Cyclists collisions
4) Head-on collisions

Implementing Defensive Driving practices can help

reduce your risk.

Most Dangerous
Collision Impact Points

Source: National Center for Statistics and Analysis, Traffic Safety Facts 2005 Data

Most Dangerous
Collision Impact Points
28 Percent of all two vehicle fatalities involving a Large truck and

another type of vehicle were head on collisions.

In half (51%) of the two-vehicle fatal crashes involving a large truck and

another type of vehicle, both vehicles were proceeding straight at the

time of the crash.

What driving habits would cause these types of crashes?

Source: National Center for Statistics and Analysis, Traffic Safety Facts 2005 Data

Stopping Distance
Managing the space in front of your vehicle to allow sufficient stopping
distance is a critical part of defensive driving.
Total Stopping Distance Includes:
Driver Perception Time
The time it takes the driver to see the hazard, and the brain to recognize that
it is a hazard. This perception time can be as long as to of a second.
Driver Reaction Time
The time it takes the body takes to move the foot from accelerator to brake

pedal. The reaction time can also be as long as to of a second.

Vehicle Braking Capability

The vehicles actual braking capability will vary with factors such as: type of
breaking system, vehicle speed, vehicle weight, tire type and condition, type
and slope of the road, foreign material on the road and the braking technique
applied by the driver.

Stopping Distance
Most of us understand that as
vehicle speed increases so does
the distance required to stop the
vehicle.

Under normal braking conditions, a

typical Class 8 tractor stops at a
deceleration rate of 3 feet per
second.

Stopping Distances
Examples of how speed effects the Total Stopping Distance:
55 MPH to 0 MPH = 1068 feet
65 MPH to 0 MPH = 1495 feet
75 MPH to 0 MPH = 1994 feet

This data relates to a typical

Class 8 Tractor

Speed Management
Speeding includes:
1. Traveling over the posted speed limit
2. Traveling too fast for conditions

Therefore it is possible to drive under the posted speed limit and

still drive too fast for conditions.

Examples of Conditions
Weather
Construction Zones
Heavy Traffic
Approaching intersections
Pedestrians are present

Speed Management
The Consequences of Excessive Speed
1. Accidents are more likely to happen at higher speeds
2. Damage is more costly and fatalities are more common when

speeding is a factor

A common belief of some drivers is that if their vehicle is going slower

than the vehicles around them, this will contribute to accidents.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has documented

studies that illustrate that this is not the case.

The fact is that as speed increases - so does the severity of the

accident.

Space Management
Peripheral vision is limited.
Useful for scanning so glance at mirrors frequently.
Check mirrors every 5 seconds.

Central vision is critical.

Can become fixed and hypnotic.
Shift attention every 2 seconds.
Pull over and rest to restore if needed.

Maintain Lane Control

Look up on the horizon to avoid weaving

Space Management
Manage all six sides
Above and below hazards are often overlooked.

Lightly loaded or unloaded vehicles ride higher

Defensive Driving Practices

Increase your look ahead capacity
Check what is occurring further down the road, where you will be in a

few seconds
Be aware of all areas and situations ahead of you, do not focus only on
what is happening directly ahead of you.

Defensive Driving Practices

Observe the whole scene
Know what is happening around your vehicle at all times
Be alert to changing traffic situations: Construction zones, busy

intersections, lanes merging, entrance/exit ramps, erratic drivers,

pedestrian traffic, etc.

Defensive Driving Practices

Communicate your actions clearly and early
Always use your turn signals, horn, and lights to help communicate what

you intend.
Allow other drivers space and time to react to your signals

Defensive Driving Practices

Always have an escape route
Plan ahead- be aware of possible hazards that could cause you to take

action.
Identify areas, or actions that could help you avoid hazards and put
distance between you and dangerous situations.
Always allow yourself enough space to react and adapt to changing
traffic situations.

Defensive Driving Practices

Take Decisive Action!!
It is important to be stay alert and ready to respond if traffic conditions

become hazardous.
By following the first 4 Defensive Driving Practices you will allow
yourself enough space and time to avoid the many hazards you will
come across on the road.

Key Point Review

As a Professional driver you have received training and
information that allows you to recognize and react to dangerous
situations and hazards on the road.

It is not realistic to assume that other

motorists are able to recognize these

same hazards and have to ability to
react to them.

As a professional driver you must

always drive defensively.

Key Point Review

Learning and observing simple defensive driving techniques improves the odds of
avoiding involvement in accidents.
Speed management requires adjusting to observable conditions and predictable
situations.
Braking Distance requires a sequence of perception, reaction and application.
Total braking distance estimates are based on optimum vehicle, driver and
environmental conditions.
Outrunning your vehicles braking distance will usually result in a collision if the
vehicle in front stops suddenly. The laws of physics apply no matter how
experienced the driver.
Blind spots around your vehicle and around vehicles near you create conditions
often leading to crashes.
Managing space includes awareness of clearances above and below your vehicle

Key Point Review

Being involved in accidents is costly, career threatening and can be
fatal.
Most accidents are predictable and avoidable.
Pre-trip awareness and preparation are critical factors in accident
prevention.
Human factors are an underlying cause in most accidents.