Defensive Driving
A SAFETY TALK FOR
DISCUSSION LEADERS
This safety talk is designed for discussion leaders to use in preparing
safety meetings.
Set a specific time and date for your safety meeting. Publicize your
meeting so everyone involved will be sure to attend.
Review this safety talk before the meeting and become familiar with its
content. Make notes about the points made in this talk that pertain to
your workplace. You should be able to present the material in your own
words and lead the discussion without reading it.
Seating space is not absolutely necessary, but arrangements should be
made so that those attending can easily see and hear the presentation.
Collect whatever materials and props you will need ahead of time. Try
to use equipment in your workplace to demonstrate your points.
DURING THE MEETING
Give the safety talk in your own words. Use the printed talk merely as
a guide.
The purpose of a safety meeting is to initiate discussion of safety
problems and provide solutions to those problems. Encourage employees
to discuss hazards or potential hazards the encounter on the job. Ask
them to suggest ways to improve safety in their area.
Don't let the meeting turn into a gripe session about unrelated topics.
As discussion leader, its your job to make sure the topic is safety.
Discussing other topics wastes time and can ruin the effectiveness of
your safety meeting.
At the end of the meeting, ask employees to sign a sheet on the back of
this talk as a record that they attended the safety meeting. Keep this
talk on file for your records.
Defensive Driving
When you're at the controls of any vehicle, it is important to remember
that defensive driving is a full-time job. The most dangerous mile you
have to drive is the one directly ahead of you. Anyone can drive
perfectly for 10 feet or 100 feet or even one mile, but it takes a real
professional to drive perfectly for 100,000 miles or more. To be a
professional driver there are many things you must observe and practice.
A safe driver is not merely someone who has been lucky enough to avoid
accidents, but is one who drives defensively and looks out for others.
But today's driving standards demand more skill, knowledge and decision-
making ability.
Drivers who are safety-conscious have developed good habits and practice
them daily. Every time they get behind the wheel, their driving record
is on the line. They must drive like a professional and be prepared
mentally and physically.
If you are a driver who has a safe attitude about your driving, you will
be able to drive with a sense of security in inclement weather, on
difficult roads and through heavy traffic.
In addition, to be a good driver you should respect all traffic laws and
be courteous to others. Don't be in a big hurry--you're just asking for
trouble.
When bad weather affects driving conditions, you must adjust your
driving time and habits. Driving on wet or slippery roads is not the
same as driving on dry surfaces. The number of traffic accidents and
cars running off the road during rainy weather could be reduced if
drivers would anticipate the slippery road conditions and adjust their
driving habits.
Stay a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you--one vehicle
length for each 10 mph. Start stopping sooner. Apply your brakes the
instant you see a hazard developing, but apply them gradually so you
don't go into a spin or grind to a stop so quickly that you risk a rear-
end collision.
Defensive driving is driving to prevent accidents, in spite of the
incorrect actions of others or adverse weather conditions. ANTICIPATE
driving hazards and know how to protect yourself from them. Be alert
while driving by keeping your mind free of distractions and your
attention focused on driving; alertness involves watching and
recognizing accident-causing factors instantly. The professional driver
has foresight, the ability to size up traffic situations as far ahead as
possible. The driver must ANTICIPATE traffic problems that are likely to
develop and decide whether these developments could be dangerous.
Many drivers fail to understand why they were given a "preventable" for
an accident when they were not legally at fault. A "preventable
accident" is one in which you fail to do everything you reasonably could
have done to prevent it. Even though the driver cited with a
"preventable accident" did not violate any traffic laws, the
professional driver should have seen or anticipated the incorrect
actions of the other driver in time to take actions to prevent the
accident from happening. However, you may also learn the valuable
lessons that near-misses offer and make the necessary adjustments in
your driving habits.
As a defensive driver you must operate your vehicle in a manner to avoid
contributing to an accident or being involved in a preventable accident.
Awareness of the vehicle's limitations is essential; pre-trip checklists
and inspections can familiarize you with the vehicle and point out
things that might need attention.