Section 4 - COMMON SENSE DRIVING PERCEIVE, PREDICT, & PERFORM To drive defensively, as expert drivers do, you must use the "Triple P System": Perceive, Predict, and Perform. You must be able to perceive potential danger, predict what is likely to occur, and perform the necessary accident avoidance action in time. To help with the "Triple P System," there are five good looks you should perform: Looker Look Far When you throw a baseball, you aim for the target. You could not throw with accuracy if you looked at your feet when you threw. Sometime try throwing that way or maybe try walking while looking at your feet. You can imagine that it would be awkward, wouldn't it? It is called being "short-sighted." Even good walking requires farsightedness to avoid potential danger. The average person looks about 85 feet or more ahead when walking, and the average walker walks slower than four miles an hour. Amazingly, some people do not look beyond 85 feet ahead when they are driving, and their speed is ten or more times faster than when walking. They are poor drivers because being short-sighted allows you to see only what you will be encountering in the next few moments, not what lies farther down the road. Defensive driving requires you to be "far-sighted." You need to be far-sighted to chart a safe path for your vehicle. A good driver looks far ahead several hundred yards to see where he is going and what obstacles and dangers may be there. By looking far ahead, he can spot potential dangers and have time to react safely. Look Wide Good drivers look in Cinemascope, not microscope. As you move through traffic, you are constantly entering new areas and new situations; and each presents a different challenge. To see potential hazards, you need to look far and wide. A driver must get the big picture. What is happening around and in front of you? In our side view, there are such things as lamp poles, parked vehicles, obstructions, and vehicles entering from side streets and on-ramps. Your Cinemascope picture also must see signs. There will be stop signs, warning signs, yield signs, one-way street signs, curve signs, slippery pavement signs, construction signs, and many others. There are all kinds of signs affecting your driving path, and these signs are there to help you drive safely. Then, of course, there are people. Perhaps we should say that, in terms of our driving, most importantly, there are people. These people will be driving, walking, and riding on bicycles and motorcycles. These people are making decisions independently from us. People who can walk, drive, or ride into your path create a potential hazard. DMV Image How wide is your picture? In city driving, the width of your picture needs to be at least sidewalk to sidewalk and about a block in advance (typically 600 feet). By keeping plenty of space between you and the driver in front of you, you will increase the scope of your picture. More room to see means more room to react. Look Constantly When driving, always keep your eyes moving. Do not permit yourself to become fixated on one thing. While you are watching it, something else could be threatening danger, a danger you did not see. Focusing on the bumper of the car in front, staring at a stoplight until it turns green, watching a pretty girl or handsome guy on the sidewalk -- these are all fixations that can kill. A good driver should always avoid bumper fixation. When you look at the bumper directly in front of you, you are placing the responsibility of driving on the driver of the car who owns that bumper. It effectively blinds you to the hazards for which the vehicle in front of you has to adjust. When he must react by making an emergency stop, you can easily become a statistic. Drivers who focus only on the bumper in front of them join the "Stupid Club." The Stupid Club gathers members who do dumb things and have accidents. A rear-end collision is one of the dumbest of all accidents as it is so avoidable. That is why any driver of a vehicle hitting the rear end of another vehicle will almost always be held responsible for the collision. A good driver should also avoid signal fixation. Fixating on the stoplight and accelerating when it turns green blinds you to the vehicle trying to "beat the red." The other driver was wrong; but by fixating on the light, you could be dead. That is one more assumption that could kill. You assumed that when the light turned green, no one would run the light. Welcome to the Stupid Club. Watching the pretty girl or handsome guy is another quick way to join the Stupid Club. Life can present many distractions along the sides of a road, including billboards, scenic wonders, or just unusual occurrences that can all take drivers' eyes off watching where the car is going. As a passenger, you may enjoy these things; but as a driver, you must always keep your focus on moving your vehicle safely down the road. When your vehicle is moving, your eyes should also be moving. It is OK to be curious. It is OK to be nosy. Find out what's happening all around and in front of you. Ask yourself what threat it could pose. If you ignore any part of the picture, you are vulnerable to the danger potentially there. The traffic around you is moving, and your eyes should be moving. Think of it as a moving picture, and you must watch it in Cinemascope. Watching only one actor will blind you to what another is doing. A good driver must always look wide. Nature intended us to have busy eyes by providing us with dual vision. Human eyes produce a clear central "target" vision providing a sharp focus, a fringe vision that is less sharp, and a peripheral vision that detects only blurry movement. The clear, sharply focused target vision is limited in size. At 100 feet, it is only five feet wide. In other words, at 100 feet, we can see clearly a spot only five feet wide. At one thousand feet, the clear spot is fifty feet wide. The rest of our fringe and peripheral vision is indistinct and blurry. Drivers must keep their eyes moving so that the focus is clear in every direction. In this way, an emergency might be anticipated. Fringe and peripheral vision can alert only to the need to focus; and by then, it could be too late. It is important to emphasize once again that State Troopers claim that the most common excuse from accident victims is "I didn't see...." Look for Escape Even with the most advanced driving skills, any driver will still encounter emergency situations. No one who drives, no matter how safe, can avoid them completely. You can be sure of it. So, we all must anticipate these times. As you drive along, imagine the situations that could necessitate an escape. Always look for a way out. For example, predetermine what you will do if the vehicle in front makes an emergency stop or if another vehicle changes lanes abruptly. Allow yourself room to maneuver and give yourself a place to escape. Of course, as stated earlier, finding an escape route is much easier when you keep a buffer bumper all around you. DMV Image As you constantly look far and wide, stay alert to potential problems. Keep in mind where you are in traffic and what it would take to stop, slow, turn, or make evasive action. Often, drivers who don't do this are driving too fast for the conditions. Conditions, such as rain, snow, sleet, icy pavement, fog, or even smoke from a fire or factory, can present many problems when you will have to change speed or direction. Unsafe traffic conditions, driving a car with bad brakes or steering, being in poor condition from fatigue, being under the influence of drugs or alcohol, even having a negative, angry state of mind also can present the same safety issues as poor weather. Severe weather can create emergency road conditions, such as flooding, washouts, or fallen trees. Unseen hazards just over the crest of a hill or around a curve or anything that creates blind spots are all reasons to be thinking constantly about escape routes. A common driving mistake is to allow yourself to become "blocked in" without a buffer bumper. Being surrounded by vehicles and having no method of handling an emergency is a recipe for disaster. It is amazing how many drivers are literally willing to bet their lives and the lives of their loved ones that nothing will happen requiring emergency maneuvering. It is a sucker's bet. So, whenever possible, always look for an escape route and provide ample room to put it into effect. Look to be Seen "What we have here is a failure to communicate." That famous line from the movie Cool Hand Luke quotes a failing that causes problems in more than interpersonal relationships. It is also a problem between drivers and pedestrians. It is important to communicate with anyone who is in potential conflict with you, whether it be a driver, a cyclist, or a pedestrian. You can never assume that people will do what they are supposed to do. Almost everyone breaks the law, either accidentally or deliberately. Try to make eye contact with the other person to make sure he sees you. If, for any reason, you think he does not see you, tap your horn and alert him. Better he should be upset with you for honking than dead from not seeing you. Use your signals. The law requires that drivers signal their intention to turn or change lanes, and the reason is obvious. People are not mind readers. Let them know what you intend to do, and let them know in time to adjust to it. The minimum distance you should begin signaling for a turn or lane change is about thirty yards. The faster you travel, the sooner you should begin signaling, so the other drivers around you will have time to adjust. DRIVING IN HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS Reduced Light Driving in reduced light, whether produced by bad weather or normal conditions, also increases risk. Reduced visibility from overcast days, fog, dusk, or nighttime lessens your ability to see and be seen. You have to be much closer to an object to see it; consequently, you have less time to react. Also, light does not bend around curves and corners or over hills. Sometimes, drivers cannot see a car coming over a hill or around a corner until the car is right on top of them. Darkness limits vision even more to the side and to the rear where there is no assistance from headlights. Even though fewer miles are driven at night than during the daytime, over fifty percent of all fatal accidents occur after dark. Alcohol, fatigue, inexperience, and reduced vision all contribute to this statistic. Each mile driven after dark is 2 1/2 times more dangerous than miles driven during daylight. Think about it: In the dark, you are 2 1/2 times more likely to be hurt or killed. Doesn't that require some special consideration? Your odds of survival can increase greatly if you follow these common sense driving tips: Be visible. Turn on your lights. Your lights may not always help you see better, but they will better help you be seen. Professional drivers, like the ones who drive the big rigs, recommend keeping your lights on day or night just because it makes you more visible. It is cheap insurance. Make sure your lights work. It may seem like such an obvious safety precaution; yet every day on the street, you see people whose lights don't work or work poorly. The Virginia Vehicle Code requires that ". . . every motor vehicle other than motorcycles [they have their own requirements], shall be equipped with at least two lighted head lamps. . . ." This isn't to inconvenience you. It is required because it is so essential to safety - your safety. Make sure all your lights, front, side, rear, and brake, are functional. Be sure to check both your high and low beams. Sometimes, the high beams work, and the low ones do not, or vice versa. Quite often, drivers will check their lights when they are on high beam and assume they work. Then, at night, when the low beams are turned on, one of the lights does not work! Other vehicles' taillights warn drivers of vehicles ahead of them, and brake lights warn them that vehicles ahead are slowing down or stopped. Back-up lights, turn signals, and emergency flashers similarly serve the purpose of warning other drivers of various maneuvers a vehicle is taking. Keep them clean. As part of your regular car servicing, clean your headlights, taillights, mirrors, windshield, and windows. This is a no-brainer. Why have fully functional lights that do not fully function because they are dirty? It also helps other drivers see you. Why clean the mirrors, windows, and windshield? Because light rays from approaching vehicles and other glare will distort a driver's view if the windows and windshield are smeared with road oils, dirt, or tobacco smoke residue. The same thing is true for rear and side view mirrors. Even light swirls on the glass will greatly reduce visibility. dim your lights Clear ice, frost, film, or dew from all windows before you drive. While driving, and as it is needed, use your windshield washers to clean your windshield. By the way, it is illegal to block your view of the road by putting signs or other objects on the windshield. Those little mementos hanging on the rear view mirror are legally prohibited. You may not put anything in your vehicle that might block your view through the back or side windows. Make sure you are able to see and be seen. If you drive in rain or snow, you may have to stop sometimes to wipe mud or snow off your windshield, headlights, and taillights. Keep them accurate. It is also important to keep headlights accurately aimed. A headlight only one degree too high will cast light five feet too high at a distance of 300 feet. If the light is one degree low, the illumination at 300 feet is reduced over 20 percent below normal. Headlights aimed too high will also blind oncoming drivers and create a potential disaster for both drivers. Use high beams wisely. Never use high beams in fog, rain, or snow. Fog, rain, and snow act like prisms or reflectors, shining light back into eyes and blinding the driver. However, it is important always to turn on your low beams in fog, rain, or snow to increase visibility. So, to summarize, having lights on in fog, rain, or snow is important; but do not use high beam. Slow down. Reduce your speed. So what if you are a good technical driver and can control the vehicle with more speed. Not every one you share the road with is, and you need to have time to react to the mistakes of others or adjust to potential hazards. Reduced visibility increases the need for reaction time since there will be less time between when you see the hazard and your reaction. At 55 miles per hour, if drivers cannot see clearly for 400 feet in front of them, they cannot stop in time for a hazard. Why? Because it takes 400 feet to get their foot on the brake and stop the vehicle. At 35 miles per hour, one needs to see clearly for 210 feet because that is how long it takes to stop. It isn't higher math; it is common sense. Don't blind yourself. Never wear dark glasses in reduced light. Another no-brainer, yet it is amazing how many people will wear dark glasses no matter what the conditions. Not only does it limit your vision even more than the reduced light already has, it increases glare from what little light there is. Save the "cool" look for walking or driving on sunny days. How about tinted windows? Tinted safety glass is allowed in a vehicle if the glass meets U. S. Department of Transportation standards and it is installed in a location permitted by those standards. Motorists with sun-sensitive skin can use removable sunscreens on their vehicle's side windows during daylight travel if they have a letter from their physician. Accept your vulnerabilities. There is no weakness in recognizing our humanness, but there is weakness in denying it. Take periodic rest breaks when driving long distances. Never drive while fatigued or under the influence of alcohol or any other drug, not even with some over-the-counter medications like antihistamines. If it is not possible to stop safely, roll down your window, turn up the volume on the radio, drink coffee, sing, do anything to increase your alertness. At the first possible safe moment, stop and take a break or catch a quick nap. Here is what the law says about these important safety issues: Lighting Equipment Requirements All lighting equipment shall be maintained in good working order: Lamps shall be equipped with bulbs of the correct voltage rating corresponding to the nominal voltage at the lamp socket. Foglamps: Any motor vehicle may be equipped with not to exceed two foglamps which may be used with, but shall not be used in substitution of, head lamps. Auxiliary Driving and Passing Lamps: Any motor vehicle may be equipped with not to exceed two auxiliary driving lamps mounted on the front at a height of not less than 16 inches nor more than 42 inches. Foglamps, driving lamps, and passing lamps look similar to one another, but must meet different photometric specifications, and the laws concerning their use are different. high and low beams Rear Lighting Equipment Tail Lamps: Every motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer which is being drawn at the end of one or more other vehicles, or motorcycles shall carry at the rear a red light plainly visible in clear weather from a distance of 500 feet to the rear. The license plate is required to be lighted by a white light so that it may be seen from a distance of 50 feet. Brake Lamps: Every vehicle, other than a motorcycle, shall be equipped with a brake light visible in clear weather from a distance of 500 feet to the rear. Antique vehicles not originally equipped with brake lights are exempted. Supplemental High-Mount Stop Light: Every passenger car manufactured for the 1986 or later model years shall be equipped with a supplemental center high-mount stop light approved by the Superintendent of the State Police. Signal Lamps and Devices Turn Signal System Required: All motor vehicles, except motorcycles, manufactured after January 1, 1955 are required to be equipped with front and rear turn signals. They must be installed so as to give a signal plainly visible in clear weather and under ordinary traffic conditions from a distance of 100 feet to the front and rear of the vehicle. The Law: Windshields and Mirrors Windshields: All motor vehicles, except motorcycles, registered in Virginia must be equipped with a windshield unless the vehicle was manufactured before July 1, 1970. Windshield Wipers: Every motor vehicle equipped with a permanent windshield must also be equipped with a device for cleaning snow, rain, moisture, or other materials from the windshield in front of the driver. The device must be constructed so as to be controlled or operated by the driver and must clean both the left and right sides of the windshield. The device can be of either electrically or mechanically operated type. Condition and Use of Windshield Wipers: Windshield wipers must be maintained in good operating condition and must provide clear vision through the windshield for the driver. Wipers must be operated under conditions of fog, snow, or rain and be capable of effectively clearing the windshield under all ordinary storm or load conditions while the vehicle is in operation. Windshield Defroster or Defogger: Every Virginia registered motor vehicle newer than 1968 required to have a windshield must be equipped with a windshield defroster or defogger. These must be in good working order at all times when the vehicle is operated on the highways. Materials Obstructing or Reducing Driver's View: It is unlawful for any person to drive a motor vehicle in Virginia with any object or objects, other than a rearview mirror, sun visor, or other equipment approved by the Superintendent of State Police, suspended from any part of the motor vehicle in such a way as to obstruct the driver's clear view of the highway through the windshield, the front side windows, or the rear window. It is also illegal to alter passenger-carrying vehicles so as to obstruct the driver's view through the windshield. However, these rules do not apply when the driver's view through the rear window is obstructed if the vehicle is equipped with a mirror on each side giving the driver a view of the highway for at least 200 feet to the rear. Defective Windshields and Rear Windows: It is unlawful to operate any motor vehicle upon a highway when the windshields or rear window is in such a defective condition as to impair the driver's vision to the front or rear. Sun Screening Devices: Requirements Sun screening or tinting devices shall meet the following requirements: No tinting films may be applied to the rear side windows or rear window that reduces the total light transmission to less than thirty-five percent. No tinting films may be applied to the front side windows that reduce the total light transmission to less than fifty percent. No sun-shading or tinting films may be applied to any motor vehicle that reflect more than twenty percent or produce a holographic or prism effect. There is an exception for vehicles used to transport persons with a medical condition that renders them susceptible to harm or injury from sunlight. This exception requires written authorization. Mirrors Every motor vehicle on a highway in Virginia must be equipped with a mirror that reflects to the driver a view of the highway for a distance of not less than 200 feet to the rear. All vehicles manufactured after 1968 must be equipped with at least one outside and one inside rearview mirror. Soft Shoulders The soft shoulders referred to here are deceptively named. If the edge of the road, known as the shoulder, has loose dirt or other soft material, it is dangerous. Generally, soft shoulders are found in rural areas, but they can be anywhere. Soft roadway shoulders are deceiving. The surface may appear firm; but when it is driven on, it can cause the vehicle to swerve out of control as the tires sink into the roadway. The tires may even stick. Sometimes, the soft shoulder is a temporary condition due to construction or other short-term situations. In those cases, the road should have warning signs to alert drivers. Drop-Offs Drop-offs can occur when wind, water, or construction erodes shoulder areas. If your wheels leave the pavement and hit either a soft shoulder or a drop-off, DO NOT APPLY YOUR BRAKES. Braking will cause the right and left wheels to slow unevenly due to reduced traction on the right wheels. Grip the steering wheel firmly, slow down by taking your foot off the accelerator, and steer straight ahead. When the vehicle has slowed significantly, return to the pavement by turning sharply to the left when it is safe to do so. "When it is safe to do so" means when turning sharply, the turn won't throw you into another hazard, such as an oncoming car. Irregular Pavement When the roadway has loose rocks or gravel on it, or is deteriorating or has puddles or leaves (especially wet leaves), friction between tires and pavement is impaired, therefore, reducing braking ability. Drive just as if you were on very icy or snowy pavement. Seasonal Hazards Seasonal hazards can be defined as changing conditions natural to an area. In general, mountains have snow, the seaside has fog and drizzle, and rural areas have poorly maintained roads. Vehicle maintenance and hazard awareness improve your safety in these conditions. DRIVING IN BAD WEATHER The safest, most responsible drivers always adjust their driving to accommodate environmental conditions. Driving at night; in rain, fog, or snow; in the desert; or over mountainous terrain can pose unique hazards. To be a skilled, safe driver, you must know what to expect and how to adjust your driving to handle each correctly. Three things have to happen before you can safely stop your vehicle in an emergency situation. You must do the Triple Pperceive the hazard, predict how the hazard will affect you, and perform evasive maneuvers. Perceive the hazard. Let us say you see a child playing near a street. A ball he or she was playing with bounces into the street. Predict how the hazard will affect you. You may assume that the child is likely to run into the street after the ball. This action would force you to have to stop quickly. Perform evasive maneuvers. You must get your foot on the brake and stop in time. Doing all that in bad weather is much harder than in normal weather; and if that happens to be the case, you must make allowances for this in your driving behavior. Bad weather, such as rain, ice, snow, or fog, usually decreases visibility, sometimes even to just a few feet. At 30 miles per hour, you are moving at a rate of 44 feet per second. Just to move your foot from the gas pedal to the brakes takes an average of 3/4 of a second, or 33 feet of distance. "Stopping on a dime" is impossible under even ideal conditions. Add this distance to recognition time (1 second = 44 feet) to the stopping distance on wet pavement (147 feet), and you can easily understand the problems of driving under poor conditions. At only 30 miles per hour, the total distance traveled, including recognition and stopping distance, is 224 feet. At 30 miles per hour, it takes about two seconds and 224 feet to stop. In those two seconds with that amount of stopping distance, it would not be hard to injure or kill someone. Basic Rules for Driving in Bad Weather In bad weather, reduce your speed and increase your following distance. This will increase your braking distance and recognition time to help compensate for the diminished visibility. The normal safe following distance for good weather is three seconds. In bad weather, increase it to four seconds or more. Here is how to compute a three-second following distance. Wait until the vehicle in front of you passes a stationary object like a sign or telephone pole. After the vehicle in front of you passes the object, start counting: one thousand and one, two thousand and two.... If you reach the stationary object before you reach the count of three thousand, you are too close for safety even in good weather. Remember, increase it to four or more seconds in bad weather. Test your brakes. When you first encounter bad weather, test your brakes at a low speed to determine traction. This is done by gently applying pressure on the brake pedal. Do not SLAM on the brakes! Give signals earlier than usual. Other motorists experience the same weather-related problems as you. Give them ample warnings if you intend to change lanes, slow down, or turn. Remember, your safety does not depend solely on your own driving but on the driving of others around you. The better you communicate with them, the better your chances of arriving safely at your destination. Brake well in advance. Give yourself plenty of time to stop in bad weather. If traction is poor, early braking with lighter pedal pressure will give you time to adjust and still stop in time. If you brake later, then you must brake harder, and consequently the potential for skids and disaster increases. Make yourself visible. Drive like the pros. Turn on your headlights, even in daytime, to make yourself more visible. Check out the vehicles with their lights on in bad weather; it is easier to see them, isn't it? If you are in a line of traffic, and vehicles ahead of you and behind you have their headlights on, but you don't, you can practically disappear from other drivers' sight. This may explain why they seem to do unpredictable things like turning left across your path or changing lanes and nearly colliding with you. It's as if they didn't see you -- you can bet they didn't. DRIVING DANGERS IN BAD WEATHER Driving in bad weather, such as rain, ice, or snow, increases stopping distances because traction between the road surface and the tires is reduced. During rainy periods, a phenomenon known as hydroplaning occurs; and in any type of bad weather, you may have to deal with skids. Hydroplaning If you've ever seen a "hydrofoil" boat cruising in a harbor, you have seen the principle of hydroplaning in action. Chances are, you have been in the same situation - driving without knowing that your vehicle was riding on a cushion of water. It occurs very easily in wet weather. When you drive at a fairly high rate of speed, such as highway speeds, water begins to collect in front of and under the tires faster than the treads can channel it away. When hydroplaning occurs, your vehicle actually rides on a film of water and road oils. This condition is at its worst when rain first begins to fall and the road oils exude from the pavement in the greatest amounts. With hydroplaning, your vehicle is "skating" on a cushion of oil and water underneath - not the best conditions for traction and control. With a sudden gust of wind, a slight over-correction of steering, a minor curve in the road, you are out of control. When you feel your vehicle start to hydroplane, indicated by a lessening sense of control in the steering wheel, take your foot off the accelerator and reduce your speed. Whatever you do, do not hit the brakes. It will throw you into a skid. As your vehicle slows, the tires will regain traction with the pavement under the water, and the hydroplaning will be over. You will regain the normal control of your vehicle. As a rule of thumb, do not wait to "feel" your vehicle hydroplaning. In rainy weather, automatically reduce speed, allowing your tires to have traction. Skids Skidding is most likely to occur when you change speed or direction. Your wheels have the firmest grip on the road when they are rolling straight ahead at a steady pace. As soon as a vehicle's wheels start to slide, a driver can lose control because the coefficient of friction is reduced. If your car is equipped with antilock brakes (ABS), you could notably decrease the possibility of skids. Types of Skids All-wheel braking skid: Any sudden and heavy application of your brakes could cause all four wheels to lock. The more slippery the road, the less brake pressure it takes to create a skid. Rear-wheel braking skid: An improperly adjusted brake is usually the cause of this type of skid. It can cause the vehicle to turn completely around if the road is slippery enough, and you hit the brakes hard enough. Front-wheel braking skid: This skid is also caused by improper brake adjustment. In this case, the vehicle will continue to roll straight ahead with no steering control. You can gain control only when there is rolling friction between the tires and the pavement, so let off the brakes completely. Power skid: Too much acceleration in a rear-wheel vehicle can cause the rear of the vehicle to lose traction. Continued acceleration with counter steering can make the vehicle "fish tail." "Fish tailing" occurs when the rear end of the vehicle begins swinging back and forth. Since acceleration is the culprit, easing off the accelerator and steering into the skid will correct the problem. Spinout skid: Going too fast through a turn or curve can cause the rear of a vehicle to skid from side to side. A strong gust of wind striking the vehicle from the side, coupled with incorrect steering, can cause a complete spin on slippery roads. Avoiding Skids The smartest driving method for handling skids is to avoid them in the first place. Here are some tips on how to avoid skids: Use tire chains. When driving in snow or icy weather, put on tire chains. The law requires this anyway. Make sure they fit and learn how to put them on before you find yourself in bad weather. Check your tires. Incorrect tire pressure can adversely affect a vehicle's handling, tire wear, or gas mileage. Check your vehicle's manual for the proper tire pressure level and keep your tires properly inflated. Also, make sure the tread is deep. Bald tires cannot grip the road, and that will increase the possibility of skids. To check the tread depth, use "The Abe Lincoln Test"... Place a penny into the tread. If the grooves are at least as deep as Abe's beard, there is enough tread. If not, you are at risk of skidding when having to brake suddenly. Adjust your brakes. Have your brakes serviced and adjusted on a regular basis. Your life or that of your loved ones may depend on it. Drive sensibly. Drive at moderate speeds appropriate for the conditions you find yourself in. The faster you go, the harder you have to brake in emergencies, and the greater the risk of skids. Do not make hard turns at the last minute and do not wait to stop until you have no choice but to slam on the brakes. Make your turns carefully, brake early and easily. Check your brakes occasionally by gently pressing on them to make sure they are functioning normally. Be especially careful in cold weather. One degree of temperature could make the difference between life and death. At 33 degrees Fahrenheit, the road is WET; at 32 degrees Fahrenheit, it is ICY, and traction is at its poorest. Keep in mind that bridges and overpasses are the first to freeze and the last to thaw in these weather conditions. Remember, bridges and overpasses are the first to freeze and the last to thaw in bad weather conditions. Do not weight the trunk. A common misconception for increasing traction is to place weights in a vehicle's trunk. It is a dangerous mistake. All it does is reduce traction on the most important wheels - the front ones. These are the wheels most necessary to steer your vehicle. If you add weight, add it to the center of the vehicle, where the weight will be evenly distributed on all wheels. Putting weight in the trunk of a front-wheel drive vehicle is doubly dangerous. Front-wheel drive vehicles not only steer from the front, they pull from the front; and the added weight in the rear diminishes both steering and power, two important things for correcting skids. Correcting Skids Sometimes skids cannot be avoided and must be controlled and corrected. Here are four rules you should memorize to control skids. These rules constitute the short-hand version for correcting skids. Memorize them now while you are safely sitting in front of your computer, and they could save your life later when you are driving. The Short Version: * Regain control of steering BEFORE applying a vehicle's brakes. * Ease up on the accelerator. * If you have a manual transmission, briefly depress the clutch to relieve engine pressure; then let it back out slowly. * Steer in the direction of a skid. The Long Version: * Remain calm. This is the most important rule for any emergency. Panic makes the situation worse. It clouds reason and inhibits motor responses. Staying calm can save your life. * Get off the gas. Ease up on the accelerator without removing your foot completely. Letting off the accelerator quickly will only cause the engine pressure to increase and reduce forward motion. This can worsen the skid. * Steer into the skid. If your vehicle is skidding to the left (meaning the back of the vehicle is sliding sideways to the left, causing the front of the vehicle to point more to the right than you want it to), turn your steering wheel to the left. Resist the natural impulse to turn away from the skid; it will only make it worse. Steering into the skid is the only way to regain control of the vehicle. * Straighten wheels and turn into the skid again. As the vehicle begins to skid in the opposite direction (which is what you want it to do), straighten the wheels. The vehicle will start to swing in the opposite direction again. Once again, steer into the skid. Repeat this procedure, and each time the skid will be smaller as the vehicle comes increasingly under control. * Brake only when the vehicle is under control. As the vehicle straightens and you are moving forward in a controlled direction, start applying your brakes. Remember, brake only when you have reached this moment of control. Braking too soon can throw you back into another skid.