The SAS Survival Driver’s Handbook

Attitude (#ulink_7e29c21f-59e4-55ae-880b-4e2208c7af70)

No driving test can assess attitude — for the duration of the test all candidates are on their very best behaviour, suppressing negative tendencies like aggressive behaviour and risk-taking. Unfortunately, once the test is over, there’s a tendency to forget about the rules of the road and the need for courtesy to other road users. Getting there in a hurry becomes all important, and drivers will risk their lives to gain a few seconds. As traffic grinds to a halt on congested roads and motorways, stress levels can reach the point where drivers show no tolerance for one another and ‘road rage’ breaks out.

ROAD RAGE (#ulink_5662309c-ddaa-5b05-ab6b-b82b865e8902)

Why do otherwise normal, law-abiding people turn into violent maniacs when they get behind the wheel? Research surveys show that most road-rage offenders believe themselves to be the victims of someone else’s bad driving. They interpret some simple incident like being overtaken or cut in on as a threat, and respond aggressively. Or they react to antisocial behaviour, such as driving too slowly or hogging the overtaking lane, by setting out to teach the other driver a lesson. This leads to headlight flashing, horn tooting, obscene gestures and verbal abuse, which can in turn escalate into tailgating or deliberately obstructing the other vehicle’s progress. While this sort of activity is going on, those involved get so caught up in the battle that they lose sight of the risks they are taking. They ignore the traffic around them, the condition of the road surface, and the rules of the road, particularly the speed limit.

To combat road rage:

STAY CALM. Avoid letting yourself get stressed. Concentrate on your driving. Don’t get into the car fuming over a row you’ve just had — that’s giving road rage a head start. Don’t set yourself an impossible deadline which the traffic won’t allow you to keep — leave plenty of time for your journey, plan for delays. Play soothing music, think calmly and logically about the task in hand — giving a running commentary on your driving may help to focus the mind. When you feel the stress mounting, try counting to ten or deep breathing exercises, or pull over when safe to do so and take a break. If you know you are overwrought and having difficulty controlling your emotions, don’t drive. Seek counselling or take steps to sort yourself out before you do something you’ll regret.

BE TOLERANT. You’re not a mind reader, so why assume that the other driver is deliberately trying to annoy you? Chances are it’s a genuine mistake, so let it go. And when you make a mistake yourself, take an apologetic and courteous attitude. Most people respond in kind, so courtesy will smooth over a potentially explosive situation, while abuse will make it worse.

CONCENTRATE on your driving. Remember, safety is paramount. Think of the consequences dangerous driving can have.

DISENGAGE. Don’t let it get personal — even if you’re certain the other driver’s action was deliberate, do not retaliate or engage in vehicle combat. It’s not your place to teach anyone a lesson. Sooner or later, dangerous drivers get their just deserts with no help from you. When someone drives like an accident waiting to happen, your priority should be to get out of the disaster zone before it’s too late. Even though it’s galling to let them have their own way, in the interests of self-preservation you must resist the impulse to take up their challenge. Let them think you’re a coward — better that than to be pronounced dead.

For further tips on what to do if you become a victim of someone else’s road rage, see Under Attack.

SPEEDING (#ulink_e481264c-a2df-5580-832b-564d05cefff8)

Drivers don’t only take risks when aggression and stress cause them to lose all sense of caution. Some do it for the thrill of danger, or to impress others, or because they enjoy the illusion of being in control of a powerful car at high speeds. Young male drivers are particularly at risk. Often they think that the speed of their reactions is fast enough to cope, but in many cases a fast reaction will be the wrong reaction, because they haven’t allowed themselves time to consider all the possible implications. Even on an empty road, with no other traffic to contend with, speeding kills. In nearly 20 per cent of accidents, no other vehicle is involved.

DRIVING OFFENCES (#ulink_4034c3c8-42eb-51cd-ac10-7b91ba8f145c)

Driving without due care:

• overtaking on the inside

• driving too close to another vehicle

• driving through a red light.

Driving without reasonable consideration:

• using headlamps or foglights to dazzle other road users

• forcing other drivers to give way by flashing headlights

• using the wrong lane to avoid queuing

• remaining in an overtaking lane

• unnecessarily slow driving or braking without good cause

Dangerous driving:

• racing or competitive driving

• inappropriate use of speed for prevailing road conditions

• intimidatory driving, e.g. cutting in or tailgating

• deliberate disregard of traffic lights or other road signs

• persistent or deliberate bad driving

There does not have to be an accident for police to bring a prosecution for motoring offences.

In many countries it is illegal to use devices which detect or jam radar frequencies in an attempt to defeat police speed traps. You can be prosecuted for using these devices.

Penalties for speeding include substantial fines, licence endorsements and/or disqualification.

Driving too fast causes thousands of avoidable deaths and injuries every year. The risk of your having an accident increases the faster you go, while the chances of survival for you and road users in your path decreases as the needle on the speedometer climbs. Nine out of ten pedestrians will survive being hit by a car travelling at 10 mph, but at 40 mph nine out of ten is the death toll.

Obeying the speed limit is not necessarily the same thing as travelling at a safe speed. The speed limit represents the maximum permissible speed in optimum conditions. A safe speed is one which allows you to stop safely within the distance you can see to be clear.

When assessing what would be a safe speed, you need to take into account:

Weather: It takes much longer to stop on wet or icy surfaces. ABS brakes help prevent skids, they don’t reduce your stopping distance.

Visibility: At night or in fog you won’t be able to see far ahead.

Road conditions: Bends and hills mean blind spots. Stopping distances increase when travelling downhill. In densely populated areas there’s a danger of pedestrians stepping off the pavement into your path.

Traffic: heavy traffic means more hazards to watch for.

Driver: High speeds require total concentration, excellent vision (to scan the horizon), and the ability to evaluate hazards and take appropriate action. This level of concentration cannot be sustained over long periods, even by the most experienced driver. Know your limitations, the speed you are safe and comfortable with, and drive accordingly.

Vehicle: The power of the engine and braking characteristics will determine how fast it can travel in safety. Worn brakes, worn tyres, and poor suspension make it more difficult to stop in a hurry.

It’s easy to speed unintentionally when your speed perception gets distorted, as happens in poor visibility or after you’ve been travelling at high speed on a motorway. Keep checking your speedometer.

TAILGATING (#ulink_8bd2c5e2-e848-518e-a7b4-0c589905dff1)

Driving too close to the vehicle in front is so common that many drivers aren’t even aware of the risk they’re taking. At least 10 per cent of accidents occur as a result of this practice, and it’s one of the things most likely to incite road rage in others.

Allow yourself time to react to hazards by leaving a safe gap between your car and the vehicle in front. If someone behind you draws too close, increase the gap in front of you to compensate. That way you won’t find yourself sandwiched between other vehicles in the event of a crash.

The following distances are based on a vehicle in optimum condition on a flat, straight road in good, dry conditions, with an alert driver:

STOPPING DISTANCES

*Thinking distance is the time it takes for the driver to recognize the need to brake and apply pressure to the pedal.

ANTICIPATION (#ulink_19fb8743-64de-5719-9dc3-62c991a9b42f)

The old motto, ‘Be prepared!’ applies as much on the roads as in the Boy Scouts. Develop your ability to read the road and identify potential dangers early on, so that you can respond in good time should the need arise. Remain constantly alert to the changing road conditions, even when you’re certain you know the road like the back of your hand — most accidents happen within 10 miles of the driver’s home. Never be complacent in your driving; other road users can make mistakes or take reckless chances. Drive at a speed which allows you time to evaluate and act upon any hazards which may arise.