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On the Arrive Alive Road Safety Website, we find a rather comprehensive section devoted to Defensive Driving. In South Africa with approximately 35-40 road deaths daily it is imperative that we focus on being defensive on our roads. It is dangerous to make any “safety” assumptions about our fellow road users. We would like to share a brief section from this content:
Defensive Driving and Safe Driving Techniques
It is only appropriate that we also share some other defensive driving techniques not shared in the above sections:
- Overtaking cautiously: Apply “acceleration sense” by leaving some additional following distance behind the vehicle to be overtaken. This enables you to accelerate in this lane to gain speed before moving out to overtake. This makes the overtaking manoeuvre much quicker and safer.
- Consider power loss when overtaking at altitude and also when overtaking uphill. Remember that a vehicle may lose 15 to17% of power in the thinner air at higher altitude.
- Avoid sudden movements and lane changes by planning ahead of your turn or off-ramp.
- Drive predictably!
- Remain alert to quieter more vulnerable road users such as bikes or cyclists who might be lane-splitting.
- Allow cyclists the recommended 1.5m of space when overtaking them.
- Avoid driving too close to trucks or behind them for prolonged times. Stay alert to the reduced visibility and the risk of debris projected from their tyres.
- Consider why other vehicles might have come to a standstill. Don’t just speed past- If others are hitting the brakes, then something’s going on, so be alert.
- Do not make it difficult or impossible for others to overtake – allow them to overtake safely by rather slowing down a bit.
- Avoid changing lanes in intersections. (a rule of the road).
- Do not assume perfectly maintained roads. Stay alert to potholes, fallen tree branches, debris etc., especially after storms.
- Pay attention to warning signs warning of criminal activity in specific areas such as hijacking and smash-and-grab hotspots.
One of the leading construction companies, Franki, has made a rather insightful compilation of defensive driving safety tips for their workers and have given us permission to share this!
