Texas Defensive Driving

Defensive Driving Strategies

Defensive Driving begins before you even start your car.

This should include at least the following tasks:

• Check your tires, air pressure, and brakes.
• Check your lights and signals.
• Check you windshield wipers and washer fluid.
• Check your mirrors.
• Check your oil, water, and fuel levels.
• Check your trunk for a spare tire, jack, tools, and emergency equipment.

The IPDE Process

IPDE (Identify, Predict, Decide, Execute) is a very useful strategy for driving.

IPDE is a way of gathering, interpreting, and acting on traffic information. It involves identifying possible hazards and predicting how they may affect you and other highway users. Then, using this information, you must decide what action to take to avoid a collision. Finally, you execute, or carry out your decision.

The first step in the IPDE process is identifying possible problems.

As you drive, constantly search for any objects or changes in the traffic situation that are possible sources of danger or hazards to you. Any part of the driving environment-including roads, traffic-control devices, your own car, other vehicles, and pedestrians-can become a hazard at any time. To avoid the hazard, you may have to change direction, change speed, signal others, or perform a combination of these maneuvers.

You can usually predict traffic congestion based upon common patterns. Traffic is usually congested during rush hour. Also, when returning to town after the weekend you can usually anticipate traffic congestion.

In addition, certain areas and certain roadways experience a great deal of traffic congestion, like shopping areas and areas around theaters and amusement parks.

You should also evaluate potential construction and emergency conditions before beginning your trip.

The second step in the IPDE process is the act of estimating what is likely to occur in a given situation.

You should always try to anticipate the actions of others. Be prepared for the unexpected: actions may change in seconds. Use your eyes and other senses, and study the road and road conditions. Read the road ahead for any emergencies, and understand the reactions of others to certain conditions.

For example, if you know how long it takes you to stop your car at 30 mph, you can plan the proper distance to stay behind other vehicles. If you know that a heavy truck is likely to pick up speed on a downgrade, you can keep to the right to allow the truck to pass. Predicting is an important step in your driving strategy because it enables you to think about hazards before they actually occur. As a result, you can reduce and sometimes even prevent the hazard.

If you had to face only one hazard at a time, you could easily predict the possible outcomes. However, often you are faced with more than one hazard (complex reaction abilities) and the task of predicting becomes more difficult. For example, if a car is backing out of a driveway ahead of you, you can predict that by stopping suddenly you run the risk of being hit from behind. You can also predict that swerving around the car ahead may create a conflict with traffic coming the other way. Being able to predict the possible outcomes of your actions helps you to decide the safest course to follow.

The third IPDE step involves choosing the safest way to handle a driving hazard. Your decision is likely to result in one or more of the following actions:

• Slowing or stopping your car.
• Changing direction-you may have to change direction by turning, changing lanes, or swerving.
• Signaling a warning to other drivers through the use of your turn signals, stoplights, or horn.
• Accelerating.

Use the IPDE process when making your decisions.

Remember, time is a factor of great importance.
A wrong decision, or a slow decision, may be your last!

Executing, or acting on, your decision is the final step in the IPDE process.

You must implement the necessary maneuvers to avoid collisions while driving. Be prepared to swerve or go off the road safely, and also be prepared to slow down, speed up, or stop safely.

To execute a maneuver, you must use your car's controls and equipment.

Please note that your Reaction Time on average is ¾ second before you begin to change speed or direction in response to a problem. At 55 mph, you are 67 feet closer to the problem before taking any action.

A good driver maintains a safe following distance so that he or she can see potential hazards and/or collisions better down the road and have more time to react to any given situation.

Always drive defensively

Whenever you are driving, the goal is not to win a race, or to show off your skills. The goal is to make it to your destination safely. Keep this in mind, and always concentrate on avoiding driving hazards. Everyone's safety should be your number one priority.