Precision driving requires that drivers understand their vehicles, know the rules of the road and continually hone their driving skills.  Good things happen, or at least bad things are less likely to, when we adhere to those basics while operating our vehicles.

Given the principles surrounding mass and velocity, safety is always at issue from the moment an automobile begins to move.  Ideally, there should be no gap in a driver’s focus from when they take a seat in their vehicle to when they drive away.  Accidents often occur close to one’s home, so mental alertness is required right out of the chute.

Focused attention is mandatory, but driving successfully demands more.  Drivers must recognize and learn from errors, striving to not repeat them.  We all make mistakes, but admitting to them and working to minimize them is an important practice.  You may get away with missing a stop sign once, but the next time could be disastrous.

Basic operation of your car or truck may be simple, but wielding its mass, power and speed amidst traffic without incident is not.

There’s plenty to do besides sit, steer, accelerate and brake.  For example, good drivers check every single intersection they pass through.  Regularly, drivers roll through intersections with “blinders” on, failing to check for traffic, especially when lights are in place and they have a green indication.  It’s a recipe for ruination when drivers complacently pass by any potential outlet for vehicles (cross street, driveway, parking lot) without confirming the lack of conflicting traffic.  The next time you pass through an intersection where you have a green light, or pass a side street when you have the right-of-way, check to see if you are taking notice of potential light or sign “runners.”

Another precision driving requisite is checking rear-view mirrors often and identifying what you see there.  When you glance in your mirror, don’t just notice two cars and a truck, but identify them as a blue car, a silver SUV and a red pickup.  Then, if the silver SUV is not there the next time you look, you can make sure it isn’t in your blind spot before you change lanes.

Generally, defensive driving improves safety greatly.  That’s where you drive for yourself and everyone else, anticipating and accommodating the inevitable errors of other drivers.

While drivers can claim some credit for a reduction in traffic deaths, it’s not time to gloat.  Manufacturers are engineering more safety features into new vehicles, making the nation’s fleet inherently safer.  But good drivers, the most important factor affecting traffic safety, have likely played a role in the encouraging figures.  Aside from a reduction in total deaths, traffic fatalities still occur at the rate of nearly 100 per day.

The best news is that every driver can contribute to improved safety on our roads.  Maintaining our vehicles, being physically and mentally fit to drive, directing all of our attention to the task at hand, adhering to rules of the road and sharpening our skills enhance safety for everyone and save lives. 

It’s nice that carmakers are regularly improving vehicle safety, but we must guard against letting new features lead to contentment and sloppy driving habits.  Driving less is a good way to reduce exposure too, but when it comes to reducing traffic accidents, driving better is best.

Readers may contact Bill Love via e-mail at precisiondriving@spokesman.com.

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