Defensive Driving

Defensive driving means “always expect the unexpected.” The first step in driving defensively is to wear the safety belt. See Safety Belts on page 3‑15.

• Assume that other road users (pedestrians, bicyclists, and other drivers) are going to be careless and make mistakes.

Anticipate what they might do and be ready.

• Allow enough following distance between you and the driver in front of you.

• Focus on the task of driving.

    See also:

    What Will You See after an Airbag Inflates?
    After the frontal airbags and seat-mounted side impact airbags inflate, they quickly deflate, so quickly that some people may not even realize an airbag inflated. Roof-rail airbags may still be at ...

    Parking on Hills
    WARNING Parking the vehicle on a hill with the trailer attached can be dangerous. If something goes wrong, the rig could start to move. People can be injured, and both the vehicle and the trailer ca ...

    Checking Coolant
    The vehicle must be on a level surface when checking the coolant level. Check to see if coolant is visible in the coolant recovery tank. If the coolant inside the coolant recovery tank is boiling, do ...