Drive defensively to avoid accidents
Sep 04 '00 Write an essay on this topic.
In the early 80's, I had my only accident in 21 years of driving. I was driving one of the worst cars ever made, the Chevy Vega, since it was all I could afford. The top speed of my Vega was about 60 mph on flat ground, and I was dumb enough to try to accelerate that thing onto the N.J. Turnpike. I slipped on ice in the acceleration lane and a truck hit me. The accident produced one good thing: no more Vega! Defensive driving in this case would have redirected me to the slower road, which is the way I usually went back in those days. Aside from this blemish on my driving record, I've avoided accidents with a little luck and a lot of defensive driving. It has saved me from an accident more than once, especially in the past 7 years of driving in the Washington, D.C. area. The drivers in this area are the most aggressive I've seen anywhere, even when compared to Northern New Jersey/New York and Los Angeles (my direct experience and the collective experience of several friends).
To stay out of accidents, it is probably more important to respect road conditions and the reactions of other drivers than it is to strictly obey all traffic laws to the letter. I obey traffic laws so that I don't get a ticket. I use common sense to avoid accidents. For instance, suppose that the speed limit is 55 mph on a highway in good condition, and everyone around is driving around 70 mph. In many situations, it's safer to drive above the speed limit to avoid getting hit in the rear. On the other hand, if it's raining hard or snowing, 35 mph may be more appropriate. Defensive driving in inclement weather means respecting the limitations of other drivers as well as the road conditions - even if the driving is specifically within the law. For instance, SUV's and big rigs usually have better visibility in the rain than smaller vehicles, due to less water splashing from the ground into their windshields. These vehicles also cause quite a bit of splashing onto smaller vehicles when passing. There's no law against them passing (even "aggressively") in the rain, yet this practice wears on other drivers and could even spray enough water to cause an accident in some cases.
The driver with the right of way can also create dangerous and/or unpleasant driving conditions. For instance, consider the case where a car is trying to exit (enter) a crowded highway, but needs to switch lanes to exit (enter) in less than 1/4 mile. Since the driver already in the lane has the right of way, she could technically block the other driver from exiting (entering). This is not only rude but very dangerous, since it causes the other driver to either slow down and risk getting hit from behind, or to try to take the lane "by force". Neither is an acceptable choice for the poor driver who needs to get on or off the road. Other aggressive driving such as speeding up to "make the light", tailgating, and frequent lane changes is discouraged by the law, but often not specifically prohibited. I remember that New Jersey used to have a law that forbade passing on the right. I don't know if it's still on the books, or how many states have such laws, since I see passing on the right frequently.
Driving to avoid accidents involves the same type of courtesy that most of us learn from our parents as children. If more people would extend that type of courtesy to the roadways, then they would be much safer than they are now.
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