Transcript Lousy Drivers - Nueces County, Texas

How to Be Obnoxious and
Dangerous at the Same Time
Welcome to the Jungle
Roads are full of bad drivers
 Many of them just don’t care about other
people
 Others lack fundamental skills
 Some suffer from “Hurry Disease”
 Some good drivers are over-confident
 This presentation describes their habits

Self-Absorbed
 Putting
on make-up, grooming
 Eating
 Reading
 Talking
on cell phone or texting
 Wearing headphones
Failing to Communicate
 Not
using turn signal
 Driving unpredictably
 Riding the brakes
 Not looking before changing lanes
More Important Than You
 Not
allowing cars to merge
 Not waiting their turn at 4-way stops
 Stopping in the middle of the street
instead of pulling over
 Won’t move right for
passing traffic
Can’t Plan Ahead
 Cutting
across three lanes of traffic to
make an exit
 Waiting at a “right turn on red”
intersection until a car is coming, then
pulling out in front of it
In a Bigger Hurry
 Accelerating
to an obvious, easy-tosee red light or traffic jam, then
braking hard to stop
 Tailgating
 Weaving
through busy traffic
where everyone is already
going above the speed limit
Ignorant or Unskilled (or Both)
 Straying
out of the lane
 Trying to merge into highwayspeed traffic at 35 mph
 Holding up the fast lane – not
moving right per the law
 Cutting off people in the middle
lane who need to get in the right
lane to take an exit
If You’re a Great Driver
Maybe you can make your car or
motorcycle do whatever you want on a
closed course
 You may be in complete control of your
vehicle
 However, you can’t control (or even
predict) the actions of the others on the
road or the road conditions/obstructions
 They can distract you and make you lose
control

Defensive Driving Tips
 Stay focused. Pay attention to road
conditions, speed, traffic laws, signs,
signals, and the cars around you.
 Stay alert. You must be able to react
quickly to hazards and problems.
 Leave plenty of space between you and
the car in front. The 3- to 4-second rule
will usually give you enough time to
brake.
 Get away from erratic drivers.
Defensive Driving Tips, cont.
 Scan the road well ahead of where you are.
Don’t drive behind big trucks that block your
view.
 Don’t assume another driver is going to move
out of your way or let you merge. Anticipate
worst-case scenarios.
 Position your car where you have the best
chance of seeing and being seen.
 Don’t speed. Posted limits are for ideal
conditions.
 Let tailgaters pass when safe to do so. You have
more reaction capability for things in front of you.
From a Motor Trend on-line poll
“Most of this could be cured if people
practiced courteous, considerate driving
habits, instead of acting like the prudish,
self-centered, egotistical manics our
society has become in pretty much all
arenas of life.”
Nueces County Vehicle Policy
No cell phone use.
 Operator& Passengers must be county
employees.
 For official business only.
 No headsets/headphones allowed.
 Report accidents/damage immediately
to your supervisor.
