Driving Safety: Smith System, Distractions, and Aggressive Drivers

Causes of Accidents

  • Turning or stopping without checking the rear.

  • Distraction by scenery.

  • Woolgathering about personal affairs.

  • Any distraction inside the car.

  • Lack of practice in unfamiliar driving tasks.

Driver Confusion

  • Drivers accustomed to rural roads can be confused by city traffic.

  • City drivers can be confused by country driving conditions.

The Smith System: Five Good Habits

The Smith system aims to prevent mistakes and protect drivers from others' errors, emphasizing attentiveness over reliance on advanced driver assistance systems.

1. Aim High in Steering

  • Target the center of your lane way out ahead.

  • Looking far ahead helps keep the car in the center of the lane.

  • Low aim driving, focusing over the left fender, can cause the car to drift to the left, setting up an accident.

2. Get the Big Picture

  • See the wide, deep scene ahead.

  • Note key parts of the picture, such as cars approaching from the left, brake lights, or parked cars with drivers.

  • Seeing the big picture allows you to speed up, slow down, or change lanes to avoid getting trapped.

3. Keep Your Eyes Moving

  • Continuously scan the roadway for a widescreen motion picture.

  • Continuously check the rear for possible hazards.

  • When you see a hazard, adjust speed, change lanes, or signal.

4. Make Sure Others See You

  • Before passing, ensure other drivers see you: use horn or lights.

  • Avoid driving in the blind spot of the car ahead for more than a second or two.

  • Signal with horn or light to ensure pedestrians see you.

  • Use your horn when approaching a parked car in turnout position, and be ready to slow down or stop.

  • Always signal your intention to turn.

5. Leave Yourself an Out

  • Blend in traffic, look for the line of least resistance, and avoid being an obstacle.

  • Maintain at least one car length between you and the car ahead for every 10 mph of speed. For example, at 50 mph, leave five car lengths.

  • Drive with open space to the right or left for an emergency lane change.

  • Adjust speed to shortened sight distances on hills or curves.

  • Observe the road shoulder to have braking distance or a swerving path.

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems

These systems help drivers but don't replace attentiveness:

  • Blind spot warnings: Don't rely solely on the mirror light; turn your head to look.

  • Lane assistance: Aim high in steering to keep the car centered.

  • Emergency braking: Be aware and leave enough room to stop; avoid relying on automatic braking.

True or False Quiz Review

  • Length of trip matters for safety: FALSE. Accidents can occur at any point, even shortly after starting.

  • Most accidents occur near home: TRUE. People tend to drive faster and less attentively on familiar streets.

  • Most accidents occur at lower speeds (under 35 mph): FALSE. While the speed limit might be under 35 mph, the collision speed can be higher.

  • Seat belts only prevent ejection: FALSE. They also prevent bouncing around inside the vehicle and protect other passengers.

  • Risk of being killed in a traffic accident starts at a low speed: TRUE. A collision's impact is determined by the combined speed of the vehicles.

  • Only the unbuckled are at risk: FALSE. Unbuckled passengers become projectiles, endangering everyone in the car.

  • Drivers aren't responsible for passengers buckling up: FALSE. Drivers are responsible and can be fined if passengers are unbuckled - 25 per person.

  • Drunk people make good decisions: FALSE. Intoxication impairs judgment, including seat belt use.

  • Headlights have no effect in the daytime: FALSE. Headlights increase visibility, especially for gray or dark-colored cars.

Vehicle Maintenance

  • Tire Tread: Monitor using wear bars, a penny test (if you can see Lincoln's head when the coin is placed upside down in the groove, you need new tires), or a tread gauge.

Driving Techniques

  • Hand Position: Keep both hands on the wheel at ten and two or nine and three, except when backing up.

  • Backing Up: Place left hand at the top of the wheel, brace right hand behind the passenger seat or on the center console, and look out the back window.

  • Airbags: Airbags and seatbelts work together; seatbelts keep you in place, while airbags provide cushioning.

Road Test Knowledge

  • High Beams: High beam headlights have a range of 350 feet, use on very dark, unlighted roads.

  • When to dim high beams: Dim as soon as you see another driver approaching.

Car Interior

  • Interior Lights: Avoid using dome lights while driving, as they cause reflections on the windows. Limit phone, tablet, and screen use.

Driving Signals and Lights

  • Hazard Lights: Use turn signals to indicate movement. Use hazard lights when stopped in an unusual place. In heavy fog you may need to completely pull off the road and turn lights off.

Dashboard Lights

  • Brightness: Dim at night to allow your eyes to adjust to the darkness outside. Adjust using a dial, button, or setting on the steering wheel.

Road Test Preparation

  • Sign-Up: Sign up for the road test with TDA immediately to coincide with your permit so you are prepared.

Brake Maintenance

  • Squealing Brakes: Indicates low brake pads. Get them replaced soon.

  • Grinding Noises: Metal grinding on metal means the brake pads are completely worn, and the calipers are grinding on the rotors.

  • Components: Brake rotor (shiny metal disc), brake caliper (squeezes the rotor), and brake pads (contact the rotor). Brake pads are inexpensive, while rotors are expensive.

Defensive Driving

  • Control Panel Checks: Glance at the control panel periodically to check speed, temperature, and gas levels.

Car Safety

  • Gas Tank: Don't let the gas tank get too low to prevent running out of gas.

  • Low Beams: Low beams have a range of 100 feet, use for general visibility.

Encountering Animals

  • Deer: If you see deer, slow down and use your horn to warn them. Use low beams because they get "deer in the headlights"."

Signal Usage

  • Turn Signals: Signal early, but not too early that it gives the incorrect indication. Use just before turning to avoid confusing other drivers.

  • Mirror Adjustment: New drivers should adjust mirrors to see a sliver of their car. Experienced drivers should adjust mirrors to eliminate seeing the car for a wider view.

  • Drivers thirty days before your road test, you must be done all driver ed requirements.

Aggressive Drivers and Road Rage

  • Aggressive Driving: Often characterized by repeated unsafe behaviors.

  • Key Actions: Avoid engagement, let them pass, and don't escalate situations.

Countermeasures for Horn Honkers

  • Take a breath and avoid succumbing to the pressure of other drivers on the roadway

  • If you feel pressured when making left hand turn at a complex intersection, just go straight, or make three right turns and return to intersection.

Recognizing and Avoiding Conflict

  • Conflict Avoidance: Avoid eye contact, rude gestures, and actions that escalate situations.

Addressing Targeting Behavior

  • If Targeted:

  • If Targeted Behavior: Make eye contact with the driver and be sincere.

    Communication: Verbally apologize (even if it isn't your fault) to de-escalate the situation.

Escaping: Leave yourself an out, avoid being boxed in, and never get out of the car.

Road Rage Incident

Three drivers fought because of flashing high beams. One pulled out a cross bow and killed the other

Crossbow incident started in Attleboro, Massachusetts and ended in Providence, Massachusetts, by the curves on Route 95.