Teach yourself to judge crash avoidance space
Most crashes can be avoided if you have enough space in front of
your car. A common term for this space is 'crash avoidance space'.
When you have crash avoidance space you have room to stop
safely.
Good drivers can accurately judge their crash avoidance space at
different speeds in different driving conditions, and will
always try to keep this space free.
You can teach yourself to judge crash avoidance space from the
passenger’s seat.
Here’s how you do it:
In good driving conditions, an attentive driver can react and
brake to a stop just before a point that is three seconds in front
of their vehicle. If you are not concentrating, or the driving
conditions are not ideal, then your crash avoidance space will be
more.
You can learn about crash avoidance space by 'driving' online.
Now that you can judge crash avoidance space, try this:
- While riding as a passenger, imagine three seconds of crash
avoidance space in front of your car
- Notice whether or not the space is free. At no stage should any
other vehicle or person be in it. Things that could enter your
crash avoidance space are called hazards
- You will notice that lots of drivers choose not to keep their
crash avoidance space free, particularly when they follow other
cars; they often follow much too close. They are choosing to lose
control of their safety
- Notice also vehicles and pedestrians that could move into your
crash avoidance space from the sides.
- Say to yourself (or to the driver): 'The next hazard that
could enter my crash avoidance space is…'
Detecting hazards is only a first step in being safe. Learn
about protecting crash avoidance space by using the online driving
games.
Next activity: judge distance