20190217-BASICS-3-SAFETY-BASICS

[Safety Basics] [Featuring excerpts from the 7 x 7 Quality Improvement Course] [Drive Ahead] >>Get into the habit of driving ahead. Driving ahead means you need to look down the road when you are driving. Not just one car ahead, not two cars, but two or three blocks ahead. When you drive ahead, it gives you time to plan for what you see. If you are driving ahead and you see that there is a problem - traffic, a closed lane, may be even an animal - you now have time to handle it. [Keep your eyes moving] Keep your eyes moving and your brain thinking. Look ahead, check your left mirror, look ahead, check your right mirror. Look ahead, check your rear view mirror, and then do it all over again. [Use your turn signals] One of the easiest things you can do to create a safer environment is to use your turn signals when you are changing lanes or turning on to another street. Using your turn signal allows people to anticipate your actions and make space for you on the road. [Leave time to make a decision] We have a video clip from our friends over at the New Zealand Transport Agency to illustrate this point. While we do not share every driving law, the need to allow ourselves just a little more time to make a decision while on the road is universal. [GASPING] >>Mate, I'm so sorry. I thought there was time. >>You just pulled out. I didn't have time to stop. >>Oh c'mon mate, it was a simple mistake. >>I know if I was going a bit slower... >>Please, I have a boy in the back. >>I'm going too fast. I am sorry. [Other people make mistakes. Slow down.] >>Now, in North America, the person at fault is the man driving out from behind the stop sign, right? The road was not clear, so he should have waited. But this whole accident could have been prevented if the gentleman with the tie had been driving just the touch slower. [People outside of the vehicle] Obviously, we are concerned about the safety of the people inside of our vehicles, but we also need to think about the safety of the people outside of our vehicles as well. It may not be in a vehicle that protects them, but they still have a right to use the road. >>Full and complete stops at red lights and stop signs give you time to see if there are any people trying to cross the street. It also gives you time to communicate via eye contact and hand gestures as to who is given the right of way. People just walking around can be a road hazard themselves since they do not always obey the law in regards to crosswalks, that means we need to be extra cautious in high foot traffic areas. If there are bike lanes in your city, it is dangerous to block them by double parking at them. >>I know you are just trying to get out of the way, but now you might be forcing a person on a bicycle further into traffic. [Review: Driving ahead and keeping your eyes moving both help you plan for what's on the road] [Your turn signal is one way to communicate] [What else can you do?] [Give yourself time to make a decision] [Driving just a little slower can save lives]