| Not that we recommend trying it, but you can't | | | | immediately begins to narrow down into "tunnel" |
| drive very far with your eyes closed without | | | | vision-and you lose your ability to detect |
| running off the road or hitting something! Many | | | | movement to the sides. Keeping your eyes |
| other physical impairments can be overcome in | | | | moving prevents this from occurring and helps |
| order to drive safely, but impaired vision may be | | | | you with your defensive driving techniques. |
| a real handicap in adopting defensive driving | | | | Peripheral Vision |
| techniques. If you drive, the health of your eyes, | | | | In addition to scanning conditions directly, use you |
| or sight, should be considered paramount. Have | | | | peripheral vision to become aware of situations |
| regular eye tests and adopt appropriate remedies | | | | that may require your direct attention. Your |
| for any condition which might effect your driving, | | | | peripheral vision picks up movement quickly, but |
| both during the day, and at night. | | | | doesn't provide a clear view. It is your "early |
| Quickly Scan Your Vehicle | | | | warning" vision for defensive driving techniques. |
| Even before getting into the driver's seat, a quick | | | | It's All Done With Mirrors! |
| scan of your vehicle may reveal problems such | | | | Your external and rear view mirrors serve a |
| as a deflated tyre, or external mirrors knocked | | | | most useful purpose in employing defensive |
| out of alignment. Such issues may compromise | | | | driving techniques. It is important to check your |
| your ability to implement defensive driving | | | | mirrors every 5 to 8 seconds while driving, but |
| techniques once you're underway. From inside | | | | you also need to know the blind spots on your |
| your vehicle you can again check your external | | | | vehicle, which are large often enough to hide |
| mirrors and adjust them if necessary. If someone | | | | other vehicles. Mirrors also will not reveal a vehicle |
| else has driven the vehicle before you, you may | | | | that is changing lanes behind you, so it is very |
| also have to re-adjust the rear view mirror to | | | | important to turn your head and quickly look |
| suit you. Be aware of any blind spots not covered | | | | before making a lane change. |
| by your direct vision, or your mirrors. The | | | | Mind Your Eyes! |
| external and internal cleanliness of the windscreen, | | | | One of the most important aspects of defensive |
| side and rear windows is also something to attend | | | | driving techniques is recognizing in advance, or |
| to. When you turn on the ignition, note what any | | | | anticipating, impending hazards before they |
| warning lights such as petrol, oil, temperature, etc. | | | | become a problem for you. Early recognition |
| may indicate. It can be very distracting having to | | | | allows the time you need to take action avoid |
| drive some distance worrying about having | | | | trouble. It is vitally important that you recognize |
| enough petrol to make it and constantly looking at | | | | and become immediately aware of what you see |
| the gauge to check. | | | | while driving. By "connecting your mind to your |
| Pay Attention | | | | eyes" you can realize the possibility the ball rolling |
| When driving, pay attention to the traffic | | | | across the road may be chased by a child, that a |
| conditions and the environment around you so | | | | vehicle approaching on an adjacent roadway may |
| you can apply your defensive driving techniques if | | | | not stop at a cross street, and recognize other |
| you identify a likely hazard. Keep you eyes up and | | | | potentially hazardous situations. Use your eyes to |
| look ahead, not just at the road or vehicle | | | | see, and your mind to analyze what you see for |
| immediately in front of you, but further down the | | | | potential dangers. |
| road so you can anticipate. You should be looking | | | | There are other important ways to use your |
| about 15-20 seconds ahead of your vehicle, | | | | vision as a key tool for defensive driving |
| farther if you can. This gives you the time to | | | | techniques for safe driving. Use appropriate |
| recognize and avoid most potential hazards before | | | | protection for your eyes, such as sunglasses to |
| they become a problem. | | | | reduce glare in sunny conditions. Make sure your |
| Actively Scandefensive driving techniques require | | | | windscreen wipers provide good visibility in wet |
| more than just staring passively through your | | | | conditions. Don't drive at all in conditions which |
| windscreen at the road ahead. You must actively | | | | severely impact visibility for all drivers. |
| scan traffic and environmental conditions at all | | | | Your vision is perhaps the most important tool |
| times. Don't concentrate on any one thing in your | | | | you have while driving. Use it effectively! Look as |
| field of view for more than a second, keep your | | | | far down the road as possible, and use a scanning |
| focused vision moving in a scanning "pattern" so | | | | motion to take in and analyze everything that is |
| that you clearly see everything that may affect | | | | happening around you or close enough to be a |
| your progress. If you allow your eyes to remain | | | | hazard. It's a defensive driving technique you can't |
| fixed on any one thing, your peripheral vision | | | | do without! |