good motoring
Defensive driving
H. Kishie Singh

IT'S common enough to see electric wires lying across the road after a storm. What do you do at a time like this? The answer is simple. Stop. Turn around. Find an alternative route. It would be foolhardy to drive over a wire. It could be live, i.e. an electric charge could be running through it. Your rubber tyres may not provide the required insulation, as they could be wet. There could be sparking. Don’t take any chances.

A very important rule of good driving is that the driver at all times must have an escape route. It is this escape route that will give you space to manoeuvre and take evasive action.

For example, if you witness a pile-up of cars ahead—a common occurrence during foggy days—you brake to slow down and simultaneously check the rear-view mirror. You could have someone too close for comfort on your rear. If you brake too hard, you could invite a rear-ender. And if you don’t brake hard enough, you could run into the pile-up ahead. At such a time you should remember that lesson to maintain a safe distance.

You can avoid being part of the pile-up by quickly swerving left or right. Check your side mirrors. They are of immense help at such times. Change direction and, if necessary, leave the road, avoiding trees, of course. Look for bushes. They will cushion and slow the car. You may get away without damage and, if any, it will be far less than if you had contributed to the pile-up.

It is for this reason tailgating is the most dangerous way to drive on the road. It is for you to maintain a safe distance for your own sake, for the occupants’ sake and for other road users. Even if you maintain a safe distance, you may have no control over the driver behind you who has his front bumper up against your rear bumper. That could be dangerous.

Safety first. Let him pass. In case this is not possible slow down, very gradually. Hard braking could have him collide with you.

If the rear car driver’s driving was aggressive at first, now that you have forced him to slow down that may not make him very happy. Now he will demand that pass. He may even attempt to overtake from the left—another dangerous move. So give him that important pass. Your troubles and danger would be over.

One of the most important aspects of defensive driving is to avoid danger. It’s called defensive driving. This ability is enhanced if the driver can "read" the road conditions. Road conditions in India change by the minute and by the metre. If you see a cyclist in the left hand lane glancing over his right shoulder, be prepared to have him turn right, cutting across your path.

One of Winston Churchill’s famous quotes—"Hope for the best, prepare for the worst!" —would be very apt for driving on our roads.

Happy motoring.