Unit 8: Defensive Driving
A distraction is anything that takes your attention away from driving — including mental distractions, not just physical ones. Avoid cell phone/texting, stressful conversations, eating, and unsecured children or pets while driving. You are responsible for operating your vehicle safely at all times.
Aggressive driving includes speeding, following too closely, frequent lane changes without signaling, and passing on the shoulder. Aggressive driving is a traffic-safety-law violation; road rage is a criminal-law violation (angry, hostile behavior that can escalate to violence) — aggressive driving can turn into road rage but is not the same thing.
If confronted by an aggressive driver: do not make eye contact, remain calm, try to move away safely, do not challenge them with speed, wear your seat belt, ignore gestures, and report them to law enforcement (with vehicle description/plate/location/direction). If followed, drive to the nearest police station rather than stopping.
You must obey the posted speed limit. If no limit is posted, the default maximum is 55 mph (88 km/h) — but New York City has a default limit of 25 mph (48 km/h) unless another limit is posted. Some highways also have minimum speed limits, since driving too slowly can be dangerous too.
Four of every 10 crashes are rear-end collisions, usually from following too closely (tailgating). For a proper space cushion, use the two-second rule: pick a fixed point the vehicle ahead passes, then count "one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two." If you reach that point before finishing the count, you're following too closely. Increase to 3–4 seconds in bad weather or behind large trucks.
New York is a "primary enforcement" state — an officer can pull you over solely because you or a passenger isn't wearing a seat belt.
Speeding fines DOUBLE in a work zone, even if no workers are present. Orange diamond "work zone" signs warn of hazards ahead; a flagger has the same legal authority as a sign. Merge into the correct lane as soon as you see a lane-closure warning — don't speed to the end of the closing lane. Keep at least a two-second following distance to avoid the most common work-zone crash: rear-end collisions.
A roundabout is a circular intersection where entering traffic yields to circulating traffic, which moves counterclockwise. Speeds within a roundabout are designed to be 30 mph (50 km/h) or less. When entering: look left, yield to traffic already circulating, and wait for an adequate gap. Once in the roundabout, you have the right-of-way over entering traffic; signal right before your exit. Bicyclists may use the travel lane like any other vehicle — do not pass a bicycle inside a roundabout.
Driving and sleep do not mix — fatigue slows reaction time and impairs judgment, just like drugs or alcohol. Young people are among the highest-risk groups because they tend to stay up late, sleep too little, and drive at night. If you're drowsy: pull off into a safe area for a brief nap (15–45 minutes); caffeine can help but takes about 30 minutes to enter the bloodstream. Do not depend on the radio or open windows to stay awake — find a safe place to stop.
It is a traffic infraction to speak into or listen to a hand-held mobile phone while driving. Hands-free phone use is allowed at any time.
It is the operator's responsibility to ensure the vehicle is safe. Pay special attention to brakes, steering, lights, tires, and the horn. Tires must have at least 2/32 of an inch of tread (check with the "penny test" — if you can see all of Lincoln's head, the tire is too worn).