Defensive Driving

OBJECTIVES
To know the hazards & danger involved in
driving a vehicle and take necessary precautions
to save lives, time and money.
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Light

Defensive
Driving

Vehicle
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Defensive Driving: ?
It is the driving to save lives, time & money in-
spite of the conditions around you and the actions
of others.
Conditions: Roads, weather, traffic, light etc.
Actions of others: Violations, discourtesy, lack of
knowledge of other Drivers etc.
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TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS:
• Every 8th minute, there is 01 road casualty in India.
• There are 11 accidents for every 1000 vehicles.
• Every year out of 01 lacs unnatural deaths in India,
nearly 68000 (more than 34%) are due to road
accidents.
• Mostly males, who are earning members in the
family, die.
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SPOTS OF ACCIDENTS:

Narrow Roads 385 15.26%

Turns 414 16.38%
Slopes & climbs 296 11.71%
Straight Roads 1431 56.65%
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ACCIDENT BLACK SPOTS:

• Uncontrolled junction
• Bus stop
• Gaps within Road Dividers
• On street Parking places
• Building access (while reversing)
• Road Bend
• National Highway
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“ACCIDENTS DO NOT HAPPEN, THEY

ARE CAUSED”.
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STOP
• Do not cause – stop next
• Accidents need to be stopped
• By whom ?
• How ?  By defensive driving.
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Factors involved for causing road

accidents
• Light
• Road
• Weather
• Vehicle
• Traffic
• Driver
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ORDER OF THE DAY

• Jumping red lights
• Violating traffic rules
• Crushing an injury
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ROAD SPACE
• Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata & International Standard;

Delhi 25% of urban area

Mumbai 12% of urban area
Kolkata 6% of urban area
International 25% of urban area
Standard
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ROAD USERS IN INDIA

Pedestrians:
• No Footpath
• No Zebra Crossing
• They cross out of zebra crossing
• Bus Stops not provided
• Walk in groups
• Creating fun on the road
• They do not walk facing the incoming traffic
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ROAD USERS IN INDIA

Animals:

• Foster Animals (Dogs, Cats etc.)

• Slow moving animals (Cow, Buffalo etc.)
They are not visible at night.
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ROAD USERS IN INDIA

Vehicles:

• Major vehicles are old

• Roughly handled
• Poorly maintained
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DRIVER
• Low education level
• Inadequate training
• Easily obtained License
• Lack of knowledge of rules & regulations
• Long working hours fatigue
• Health fitness is poor
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DRIVER
• Drinking habits
• Emotional stress
• Over confidence in driving
• Seeing Ability:
-Colour blindness
-40% elderly drivers can not see road signs at night.
-10 to 30 times more illumination level is required to
see at night.
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DRIVER

• Physical stress
• Illumination
• Knowledge and skill
• Attitude
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Traffic Control Devices Promote

Safety
Types:
• Traffic Signs
• Road Markings
• Traffic signals
• Hand Signal
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ROAD MARKING

• Central Line
• Lane line
• Double while lines
• Stop lines
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Two way road

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Slow Medium High

Marking in the lane

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Centre line
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Road Safety Signs

Cautionary Informatory
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Road Safety Signs

Mandatory Signs:-

In accordance with the Motor Vehicles Act 1988,

every driver of a motor vehicle shall drive the
vehicle in conformity with any indication given by
the mandatory signs.
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Road Safety Signs

Cautionary Signs:-

Cautionary signs are meant for cautioning the

driver about the hazards lying ahead on the road.
The driver should obey these for safety.
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Road Safety Signs

Informatory Signs:-

Informatory signs are erected on the road to

provide information on direction, destination,
roadside facilities, etc. to the road user.
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Road Safety Signs

• Railway crossing sign board: 200 Meters & 100

Meters before the crossing.
• For road sign boards: before 50 meters each.
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TRAFFIC SIGNALS
Stop

Ready

Go
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TRAFFIC SIGNALS

Stop
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Factors affecting driving skills

• Fatigue (overworking hours)
Stop when you feel tired/ sleepy, take rest, tea &
arrange other driver to drive.
• Medicine (calmpose, avil, benadryl)
• Disturb mind
• Distraction (pet, children at back seat, loud music,
etc.)
• Drunken driving
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Sign of Fatigue
• Constant yawning
• Driving across the lane
• Eyes closing
• Difficulties in keeping head up
• Increase/ decrease of speed
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Mental Stress
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LOADING
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Overloading – a serious problem

• Maximum permissible single axle loading is 10.2 T.
For tandem axle it is 19 T. Majority vehicles are
mostly two axle rigid vehicles.
• Container revolution has added to the problem and
90% vehicles carry excess load.
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RESULT OF OVERLOADING
• Damage to the Road
• Stress on axle, steering, wheels, brakes & chesis
• Physical stress to the driver causing fatigue
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TYRES & ROAD SAFETY

• Tyres form a vital link between vehicle and road.
• Safe journey depends largely on the fitness of tyres.
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Radial Radial
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Ordinary Ordinary
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Radial Ordinary
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ALCOHOL & DRIVING

Effects of alcohol;
• Promotes risk taking
• Lower reflexes
• Vision and hearing capacity diminishes
• Reaction time increases
• No control over controlling devices
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ALCOHOL & DRIVING

Driving errors:
• Fast & slow
• Wrong lane
• Running over the footpath
• Not signaling
• Quick & jerky start
• Changing lanes frequently
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DRUGS
Effects;
discuss
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EMERGENCIES
• Bursting of tyres
• Accelerator sticks
• Skidding
• Brake failure
• Bonnet flies up
• Vehicle stalls
• Running off the road
• Fire
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BREAKDOWN
• Inform convoy supervisor
• Switch on warning lights
• Keep vehicle away from movement of traffic
• Display warning triangle
• Apply hand brake
• Convoy supervisor will inform to the control room
• Control room will inform emergency breakdown
control point.
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MECHANICAL FAILURE
• Brake failure
What to do?
• Tyre burst
What to do?
• Sudden loss of acceleration
What to do?
• Bonnet flies up
What to do?
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If vehicle lights go off

• Keep the vehicle straight on the road, slowly
• Take to the shoulder
• Brake to stop
• Park
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FIRE
Disconnect the battery.
Discuss, what to do?
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Responsibility in case of Accident

Inform police;
-if to man
-if to animal
-in case of Fire
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Accidents (what to do?)

• Note the vehicle no.
• Stop the vehicle
• Switch on warning lights
• Render first-aid to injured
• Rush to the hospital
• Inform police, irrespective who is at fault.
• Get medically checked if you also have received
injury or head hit.
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Accidents (what to do?)

• Note the name of Driver, license no.
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PEDESTRIANS
They walk on the roads and have risks.
Safety hints for pedestrians;
• Use footpath, keep away from the edge of the
carriage way.
• If no footpath, walk on the extreme edge on the
road facing oncoming traffic.
• Watch pot holes, fruit skins and other obstacles on
the road.
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PEDESTRIANS
• Never play on the road and footpath.
• Use footwear to avoid injury from glass pieces, nails,
etc.
• At night/ dark cloudy weather, wear light colour
clothes.
• Never accept a ride from strangers.
• While crossing the road, use the zebra crossing, if a
zebra crossing is not available, choose a safe point
where traffic is clearly visible on both the sides.
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PEDESTRIANS
• Never cross a blind curve
• Five steps for crossing a road;
1. Stop at the curve
2. Look to your right
3. Look to your left
4. Look to your right again
5. If the road is clear, walk straight across. Do not
run.
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PEDESTRIANS

• At an intersection, never try to cross diagonally.

• Do not cross in between parked vehicles or run out
from behind them.
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COLLISION WITH PEDESTRIANS

• Common type of accident
• Major injury/ death is sure
• Causes;
1. Living in road sides
2. Many people walk on the road as if they are
walking in the garden.
3. They move without making visible lights
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COLLISION WITH PEDESTRIANS

Remedy;
• Be alert
• Blow horn
• Slow down
• Give them priority
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TYPES OF RAILWAY CROSSINGS

• Manned
• Unmanned
• Indicators provided
• Collision is common
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COLLISION

• Electrical poles/ walls etc.

• Many while reversing
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COLLISION WITH ANIMALS

• Cows, buffalos, horses, cats, dogs, etc.

REMEDY

• Slow down
• Their behaviour is unpredictable
• Give them priority
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COLLISION WITH BICYCLE

• It is a vehicle
• Expected to follow traffic rules
• Two wheelers are vulnerable to death
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Convoy at cross roads

What to do? discuss
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Expecting collision with approaching vehicle

• Stay left
• Do not cross centre line.
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Collision with an oncoming vehicle

Rule 1: Read the road ahead
Rule 2: Drive to the left
Never crowd the central line. Ride in the centre of a lane
& give the centre line plenty of room. Make a habit of
using the far left lane.
Rule 3: Reduce speed
Slow down, blow horn/ flash your lights to warn the
erring driver. Continue slowing down and be prepare to
stop until the hazard is gone.
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Rule 4: Ride on the left off the road

If oncoming vehicle is still on your path, you
have only one choice left, to right ride off the
road on the left, either on the footpath or even to
the ditch, if necessary. The negative fear of
overturning should be avoided. Anything is better
than a head-on-collision.
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VEHICLE BEHIND
• You are equally responsible from a cross from
behind a vehicle.
• Keep watch through rear view mirror.
• Indicate them by indicator or by hand.
• Avoid sudden stop.
• Allow the vehicle to pass/ don’t increase your speed.
• If the vehicle does not pass, slow down.
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OVERTAKING
• Most accidents happen while overtaking/ being
overtaken.
• You may have head on collision & a side sweep or
run off the road.
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DO NOT OVERTAKE
• On a marked NO OVERTAKING ZONE.
• On curves
• On hills
• 100 meters before & at railway crossing or cross
roads.
• A vehicle, slowing down to give way to
pedestrians
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Avoid following too closely

• Reaction time: 3/4th of a second
• Gap between the vehicles: keep one vehicle
distance for every 10 kmph speed.
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Defensive Driving Good Habits

• Observation;
-Who, where, when & what to look for.
• Communication
• Coordination
• Consideration
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DISCOURTESY
• Excess speed
• Reckless passing
• Crossing the lane
• Blocking the traffic
• Excessive horn
• Wrong signaling
These are in your hand.
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COOPERATIVE DRIVING
• Not blocking the intersection
• Using signals while turning or changing the lane
• Not following too closely
• Smooth driving
• Changing the lane correctly
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Keep your mind cool, Manage stress

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SCHEDULE DELAY
• Plan your trip, this will reduce driving time.
• Hurry leads to mistakes and accidents
• Beware of bad weather, traffic conditions & route.
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ATTITUDE
• Willing to admit mistakes
• Tolerance towards the mistakes of others
• Respect for the law
• Respect for other road users
• Courtesy
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EFFECT OF OVER SPEED

• Impact is more
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DAILY INSPECTIONS:
• Leakage of Oil, hydraulic oil & fuel
• Oil, hydraulic oils & water levels
• Lights & indicators
• Horn
• Reverse horn & lights
• Wipers
• Tyre pressure
• Jack, wooden plate & spare parts
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DAILY INSPECTIONS:
• Presence of safety equipments
• Brakes
• Tyres
• Fire extinguishers
• Rear view mirrors