NARRATOR: Let’s learn some responsible driving strategies that Tim could have used to help prevent this collision. The first step toward learning these strategies is to understand what a space cushion is.
A space cushion is the clear space around your vehicle that moves along with you as your vehicle moves. Depending upon your speed and driving conditions, you want to maintain this safe distance or cushion between yourself and the vehicles near you.
This margin of safety is in front, behind, and on both sides of you. Because you don’t ever know what other drivers are going to do, you have to control your distance from other vehicles so that you have time to react and avoid a collision when someone does something you don’t expect.
Whenever possible, you want to keep your space cushion free of traffic, so that you always have time and space to react to what other drivers are doing.
It may seem obvious, but to maintain your space cushion, you must first be able to see the vehicles around you, and this is a task that is much more difficult to accomplish when a driver is distracted. Any activity that takes your eyes and mental focus off the roadway conditions, traffic control devices, and other traffic around you can cause your space cushion to be eliminated in a matter of seconds, and should be avoided at all times while driving.
One technique that you can use to help maintain your space cushion is called the two-second following distance rule. Under good driving conditions, you’re safe as long as you are a full two seconds behind the car ahead.
When the rear end of that car passes an object such as a traffic light or shadow in the road, count one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two. If you pass the designated point or object before finishing your count to two, then you are following too close.
Let’s try it by using the car ahead at the next traffic light. Ready? Now. One thousand one, one thousand two.
Good. It looks like you’re keeping a safe two-second following distance. Now, let’s change the setting and see how well you do.
At the overpass ahead, start your two-second count. One-thousand-one, one-thou...
Looks like your following distance is too close. Obviously, the greater your speed, the faster you cover the distance. In this case, it would be a good idea to stay farther back.
Keeping a safer distance, let’s try testing the two-second rule again. At this next overpass ahead, begin your count. One-thousand-one. One-thousand-two.
Much better. Now you are keeping a safe following distance.
The two-second rule applies just as well to cars behind. You’re driving the speed limit in the "fast lane" when a speeding car approaches you from the rear. Does it look like the driver of the car behind you is maintaining a two-second following distance? Clearly, that driver is less than two seconds behind your vehicle.
While your Parent Attitude State might be saying "I’m driving the speed limit, so he needs to go around me," your Adult should be telling you that the safest option is to get out of his way. Enforcing speed limits is the job of the highway patrol, and you have better things to do with your time than get into a road rage confrontation with an aggressive driver.
Make sure the lane to your right is clear of traffic, then activate your turn signal and prepare to change lanes. Scan around your vehicle carefully to make sure no one else is going to "swoop" into the lane you intend to use, including the aggressive driver behind you. When you are sure you can change lanes safely, move into the lane to your right.
But what do you do if you are already in the rightmost lane and someone is tailgating you? You want the other driver to either fall back or pass.
There are a number of options you can choose in this situation. You can tap your brakes lightly to encourage the other driver to pass, simply slow down by removing your foot from the accelerator, or in an extreme situation, you might even consider pulling over if you have clear space to do so. But don’t encourage another vehicle to pass unless you’re in a safe passing zone.
In adverse weather conditions you can’t stop as quickly, so you have to allow more space for escape. This illustration shows what your two-second following distance must increase to in various weather conditions. The two-second rule must be increased in bad driving conditions so you can anticipate stops and begin slowing earlier to avoid the possibility of losing control or skidding.
Let’s do a quick review.
We have discussed what a space cushion is and shown you how to use the two-second following distance rule to establish your space cushion. With this in mind, we’ll turn our attention to a DTA responsible driving strategy called "Isolate."
Isolating is simply the strategy of establishing a sufficient space cushion ahead of, behind, and alongside your vehicle. It means controlling the space you need to use, and when potential trouble does get into or destroys your space cushion, you should attempt to re-establish an isolated position by reducing speed, changing lanes, or both.
Now that you understand what a space cushion is and the strategy of isolating your vehicle, let’s check back with Tim and learn more details about the crash.
(Phone ringing)
CARRIE: Hello.
TIM: Hey Carrie, I was just in a wreck.
CARRIE: Are you OK?
TIM: Yeah, I am fine, but the car has some damage to it.
CARRIE: What happened?
TIM: Well, you know we were running late this morning right, because of Liz and school and everything? So I forgot to download a map and I was looking up the directions on my phone when this car came up in the left hand lane and got right in front of me. And there was another car in the right hand lane and they were going about the same speed. I couldn’t get around them! So I was looking down at my phone trying to get directions and I looked up and he slammed on his brakes and it was too late. I hit him in the bumper.
CARRIE: Well, I am glad you are OK.
TIM: I am just so mad. I mean I shouldn’t have been messing with my phone, but people ought to know better than to drive side by side like that! They should get tickets for holding up traffic and doing that kind of stuff!
CARRIE: It is going to be ok, just calm down.
TIM: I’ve got to call my clients. I am going to reschedule those meetings.
CARRIE: OK. Call me later.
TIM: Alright. I love you.
CARRIE: Alright, bye.
NARRATOR: What was Tim’s Attitude State? Did it contribute to the crash in any way?
When you heard Tim’s use of phrases like "should know better" and "They should get a ticket for holding up traffic" you might have concluded that his punishing Parent Attitude State was in control of his personality. You might also have interpreted Tim’s tailgating as a Parent attempt to "correct" the behavior of the driver ahead of him by getting that driver to speed up or move over.
While Tim did admit that he was guilty of being distracted by his cell phone, he still tried to place the blame for the crash on the drivers around him. The "Parent" driver is always quick to point out the faults in other people’s driving while overlooking their own mistakes and shortcomings. However, if Tim had been in his Adult Attitude State, this crash most likely would have been avoided.
Apart from remembering to keep his Adult Attitude State in control, Tim could have used a number of defensive driving strategies to help prevent this crash. First, Tim should have planned better for his trip by looking up the directions to his client’s office before he got on the road.
Second, if Tim was in a hurry and didn’t have time to plan ahead, his next safest option would have been to pull over and check the directions on his mobile device.
Third, Tim allowed himself to become distracted by his cell phone, losing valuable seconds that could have been used to perform avoidance maneuvers.
Finally, Tim should have realized that even though he was late and in a hurry, it was still important for him to isolate his vehicle from hazards. By tailgating, he failed to establish a proper space cushion that would have enabled him to stop safely in case the driver in front of him decided to brake suddenly.
So far, we have seen that the strategy of isolating involves establishing a space cushion on all sides of your vehicle. But once your vehicle is properly isolated, how do you keep it that way? The answer is by using another DTA strategy we call stabilizing, which involves constantly working to maintain your isolated position within the flow of traffic.
One important element of stabilizing is choosing the path of least resistance, or in other words, driving in those areas of the roadway that contain the fewest obstacles and hazards.
On multiple lane roads like this, the center lanes are usually the safest for through traffic.
Stabilizing usually means avoiding the inside and outside lanes since these locations are often occupied by drivers turning off of or onto the roadway, as you can see here.
On freeways, highways, and interstates, your margin for error is very small because of increased speed, frequent lane changes, and heavy traffic volume.
On these types of roadways, establishing an isolated position and stabilizing your vehicle in traffic are both crucial strategies for safe driving.
It takes work to maintain your margin of safety.
Do you notice how closely the white truck towing that trailer is following the other truck? How well is he using the strategies of isolate and stabilize?
Let’s change the setting now to a busy freeway. As you merge with traffic, try to maintain the safest space cushion you can. You should attempt to flow with traffic.
Using the IPDE strategy, you’ll IDENTIFY the speed of traffic, PREDICT the estimated speed to enter traffic, DECIDE on the lane of least resistance, and EXECUTE by signaling and accelerating into the flow of traffic.
Sometimes it takes patience when traffic is this heavy. Turn signals and brake lights are important clues in heavy traffic. Be ready to brake in the event that another car pulls in front of you. Heavy traffic may mean stop-and-go driving, which can test your patience, so stay in your Adult.
In traffic like this, it’s usually best to stay in the same lane. Moving from lane to lane doesn’t necessarily get you to your destination any sooner, and you could become a hazard to others.
The IPDE strategy should also be used when exiting the freeway: identify the exit, predict the lane of least resistance, decide the speed at which you will exit, and execute by signaling and decelerating out from the flow of traffic.
Let’s summarize what we’ve just learned about how to isolate and stabilize your vehicle. You should isolate your vehicle by establishing a space cushion to the front, back, and sides.
Once your vehicle is isolated, stabilize it in the flow of traffic by taking the following steps: 1) choose the path of least resistance; 2) keep a relatively constant speed and lane position; 3) change lanes or speed only when necessary; and 4) do it systematically and with adequate warning to the drivers following you.
In this unit, we have increased your understanding of the IPDE strategy by showing you how to identify potential hazards in and around the roadway.
You now know how important it is to predict the worst about these hazards so that you can be best prepared to deal with them effectively.
Finally, we have shown you the advantages of isolating and stabilizing your vehicle in traffic through the use of a space cushion and a two-second following distance. In the crash scenario that we just studied, Tim could have benefited greatly by using these responsible driving strategies.
When you are faced with situations and circumstances like Tim was, that might tempt you to take unnecessary risks or become distracted while driving, you must resist the urge to let your Child or Parent State take over.
So, if you are distracted, or running out of patience and in a hurry, or getting knocked out of your Adult Attitude State for any reason, take notice, and remember that you can only make safe, responsible driving decisions when your Adult is in control.