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Defensive Driving Defined as "driving to save lives, time, and money, in spite of the conditions around you and the actions of others."

Aggressive Driving Is a form of automobile operation in which an operator will deliberately behave with contempt towards other drivers and drive in such a manner as to increase the risk of an automobile accident.

Vehicle Condition Should your car even be on the road? What about your brakes/tires? Windshield wipers? Proper air in the tires? Bald tires? Full tank of gas? Seat Belts?

Both good condition…maybe??? Safe???...I don’t think so!

Brakes Brakes are the only things that are going to stop you… in combination with your tires and the friction between the tires and the road. With all the things that work on stopping a vehicle, BRAKES still do about 99.9% of all the work

Tires and Wheels 101 Check the air pressure… Proper air pressure = better fuel economy Longer tire life Give you better traction Don’t forget to check the lug nuts!

Gas in the tank Larger distances between towns Wyoming weather unpredictable Could find yourself sitting waiting for the road to open Or for a crash to be cleared Or for rescue to come and help you

Planning the Trip Is your trip really necessary??? Plan your route Lets someone know where you are going and when you are going to return Do you have a phone?

Handy things for in the car during the winter Blankets Snacks Flashlight Tire chains Shovel Tow rope Jumper cables A Good Ice Scraper – so you don’t need to drive like a tank operator through the little hole in the window

Before you depart… Let the car warm up without you in it– this will help keep the inside of the windows from frosting over Clear off the vehicle completely – this includes the hood, roof and rear window. Scrape all windows – don’t rely on the defroster to clear the windows of snow and ice Make sure all outside lights are free and clear of snow and ice Don’t try to use the windshield wipers to clear off even 2” of snow from the windshield Make sure the windows are clean….i.e. road grime

Pay attention when you are driving Be well rested before driving Keep your eyes on the road Scan several hundred yards down the road for possible obstructions in road (people, animals, construction) Don’t over drive your headlights at night Feel tired? Pull over and take a nap (in proper parking area). Do not Text and Drive – it is the law! When you see emergency vehicles with flashing lights slow down 20 mph below speed limit and move over if possible – that is the law too!

Increase Following Distance Normal following distance 2-3 car lengths during normal conditions. On wet, icy or snowy roads increase your Following distance to car lengths or more. Distance Calculation

SLOW DOWN!!!

Speed is the major contributing factor in all Crashes. If the roads are bad or visibility is limited, then you need to slow down. Driving too fast on wet roads can cause you to Hydroplane. Driving too fast on icy/snowy roads makes it difficult to slow down in a timely manner.

Seatbelts Important? (You can not defy physics, so wear it!!) Video at:

Winter Driving Tips SLOW DOWN!!! Increase following distance!! If sliding don’t lock the brakes, total loss of control will result Bridge decks - let off the gas and coast across the surface Curves/corners – left off the gas, brake prior to turning If rear end slides out – turn towards the direction the rear end is going, do not apply gas or brake it will make it worse Take off the cruise control on wet/snowy/icy roads!!!

Again…slow down! You may have to drive by fog lines, rumble strips or mile markers. Try to relax and breathe. Stretch your hands from “WHITE KNUCKLE” driving.

4-Wheel Drive Larger 4-wheel drive vehicles get around better in the winter? True/False? 4-wheel drive may reduce the likelihood of a rear wheel drive vehicle from spinning out due to loss of traction The 4-wheel drive will get you around better in poor conditions but…. It does not help you stop any quicker The heavier weight can actually make you slide further

Icy Roads

Driving In The Fog Use your low beams or fog lights. Brights make it more difficult to see. You need to light the ground to see where you are going. Increase your following distance greatly! Don’t Stop or pull over! Look for taillights ahead of you.

Animals in roadway Do not swerve to miss an animal in the road! Brake hard and gently get over to one side or the other. If all else fails hit the animal. Cars can be fixed or replaced.