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You Can Spot
Potentially Dangerous Situations
 You can spot potentially dangerous situations:
By keeping a few safety tips in mind, you can increase
your chances of avoiding an accident.
- being prepared --- Watch carefully what's happening
on the road ahead of you so that you can be prepared
to take evasive action if necessary to avoid an
accident. A good rule of thumb is to be looking
about one block ahead at city driving speeds and
about one-fifth of a mile ahead at highway speeds.
- keeping a safe distance --- Keep enough distance
between your car and the one ahead of you so that
you can always stop safely. Experts advise determining
the safe distance by using the following
method:
- Watch the car ahead of you as it passes a reference
point, such as a shadow on the highway.
- Then count "one-thousand-one, one-thousand-
two." If you pass the same spot before you finish
counting, you're following too closely.
- avoiding tailgaters --- Get out of the path of tailgating
drivers whenever possible. If you're driving on a
multilane highway, slow down and allow the other
driver to pass on your left.
- being aware of distracted drivers --- Be careful of drivers
who are talking or looking frequently to the side
since they may make sudden movements.
- looking out for parked cars --- Observe cars parked
along the roadway. They may not see you and
might suddenly drive out in front of you. Or, they
may open the car door into your path, or step out
in front of your car.
- keeping away from erratic drivers --- Stay out of the
path of a car that is weaving --- the driver could
be drunk or sleepy.
Watch for poor road conditions: When the weather
is bad --- raining, snowing or icy --- it will take you
longer to stop, it may be difficult for you to steer
your car, and your visibility will be cut down. You
can help reduce your chances of having an accident
by slowing down, leaving extra space between you
and the car ahead of you, and keeping your windshield
clear.
Here's how you can recover: If your car skids, a
tire blows out or your wheels drop onto the shoulder,
knowing how to react could save you from injury.
Here are a few pointers to help you recover ---
- from a skid --- Don't panic and don't touch the brake
pedal. Take your foot off the accelerator, keep a
firm grip on the steering wheel and steer the vehicle
in the direction of the skid. This technique applies
to both front- and rear-wheel drive cars.
- from a blowout --- React as you would in a skid.
Remember that saving yourself is much more
important than saving the tire.
- when your wheels drop off the pavement and onto the
shoulder of the road --- if the shoulder is only slightly
lower than the pavement, recovery should be easy.
After you have eased off the gas, steer so that your
car straddles the pavement's edge. Then turn the
steering wheel until the right front tire is on the
pavement's edge and countersteer as necessary to
steer straight down the roadway.
If the shoulder is much lower than the pavement,
be extremely cautious. In general follow the pro-
cedures noted above. But, if the front tire rubs
against the side of the pavement, DO NOT increase
the angle of steering --- with too much angle, your
car may jump back onto the roadway with such
force that you will veer into another lane before
you are able to bring the car under control. Instead,
ease off the gas and try again until you find a spot
where you can re-enter the roadway safely.
If you need to brake to avoid an accident: Avoid
slamming on the brakes --- the wheels could lock up
and the car could skid. Instead, "squeeze" the brake
--- apply pedal pressure, then release the brake slightly
and "squeeze" the brake again. This method will help
you maintain steering control and may help you dnve
around the problem if there is not enough stopping
distance.
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