Defensive Driving, Most Complete Guide :

Educating with values

Traffic is done by people. And, as in other human activities, four principles are important to the
relationship and social coexistence in transit.

The first is human dignity, which consist in human rights and fundamental values and attitudes
for democratic social coexistence and mutual respect and absence of discrimination of any kind,
necessary attitude to the promotion of justice.

The second principle is the equality of rights. All have the opportunity to exercise full
citizenship and, therefore, there must exist equality, yet there’s the need to consider the
differences of people to ensure equality which, in its time, based on solidarity.

Another is the participation, the reasons for mobilization society to organize itself around the
problems of transit and its consequences.

Finally, the principle of co-responsibility for social life, regard to the formation of attitudes and
learn to value behaviors necessary for safety in transit, to accomplish the right to mobility for all
citizens and require the government actions of improvement of public spaces, build new and
better roads and keep the old ones safe.
Risks, hazards and accidents

In everything we do there is a amount of risk: whether at work, when repairing something at

home, playing, dancing, practicing a sport or even going through the streets.
When a situation of risk is not perceived, or when a
person can not see the danger, increases the
chances of an accident to happen.

Traffic accidents result in damage to vehicles and

their loads and cause injuries in people. It is not
necessary to say that they are always bad for
everyone. But you can help prevent
and collaborate to reduce accidents:
■ the suffering of many people, and deaths
caused by injuries, with sequelae including
physical and / or mental, often irreversible;
■ financial losses, loss of income and remoteness
labor;
■ legal constraints, for police investigations and
proceedings, which may require the payment of
damages and even jail to those held responsible.

Defensive or safe driving

Defensive or safe driving is the best way to drive and to behave in traffic, because it helps to
preserve life, health and the environment. But what means defensive?
It is the way you read the streets and situations, which allow you to recognize early the
dangerous situations and predict what may happen to you, with your companions, with your
vehicle and the other users of the road.

For this, you will learn the concepts of defensive driving and use this knowledge effectively.
Always drive carefully, to predict in advance what to do and take the right decisions to prevent
accidents.
The first thing to learn is that no accident happens by chance, by the work of fate or bad luck.
In most of accidents, the human factor is present, drivers and pedestrians held a good dose of
responsibility.
All tragic occurrence, when predictable, is preventable. The risks and dangers to which we
are subjected in transit related:

■ Vehicles;
■ The conductors;
■ The Inland Transit;
■ The Environment;
■ The behavior of people.
Vehicle
Your vehicle has equipment and systems
important to avoid the hazards that can
lead to accidents, as brakes, suspension,
steering system, lighting, tires
and others.
Other equipment is adequate to reducing
the impacts caused in cases of accidents,
such as safety belts, the "Air-bag" and
the body of the car.
Maintain such equipment in good condition is
important for them to meet their duties.

Periodic and Preventive Maintenance

All systems and components of your vehicle wear out with the use. The wear of a
component can harm the operation of others and compromise its security. This can
be avoided by observing the life and durability defined by the manufacturers for the
components within certain conditions of use.
To keep your vehicle in safe conditions, create the habit to make regular preventive
maintenance. It is essential to minimize the risk of traffic accidents.
Please respect the deadlines and guidelines and the owner's manual, where
necessary, use qualified professionals.
A maintenance done up to date prevents losses, costs with repairs and, especially,
accidents.

THE VEHICLE

Check up of the vehicle

■ Fuel: see in the panel if you have sufficient to reach the destination;

■ Level of oil brake, engine and hydraulic steering: observe their tanks, as state in the owner's
manual;

■ Level of oil of the transmission system (exchange): to vehicles with automatic transmission,
see the level of the reservoir. In other vehicles, look for leaks under the vehicle;

■ Water of the radiator: the water in refrigerated vehicles, see the level of the reservoir of water;

■ Water System windshield wiper: check the reservoir of water;

■ Reeds of windshield wiper: replace, if resected;

■ DEMISTERS front and rear (if any): make sure they are functioning correctly;

■ Operation of lights: check visually that all are lighting (lights low and high);

■ Adjustment of headlights: run by professionals authorized;

■ Front and rear lamps, lights, indicative of direction, brake light and taillight: visual inspection.

Tires

Tires have three important functions: drive, and

brake maintaining, the drivability of the vehicle.
Check if:

■ Calibration: Follow the manufacturer's

recommendations vehicle, observing the situation of
loading (cargo and empty maximum). If tires have
shriveled his lifetime surely decreased, will affect
the stability, increase the consumption of fuel and
reduce the grip on the road with water.

■ Wear: the tire grooves should be at least 1.6 mm

deep. The function of grooves is allow the flow of
water to ensure perfect adherence to the floor and security in case of wet floor.

■ Deformations in the carcass: see if the tires are not blistered or with cuts. These deformations
can cause a burst or rapid loss of pressure.

■ Dimensions Irregular: Do not use tires of a model or different sizes recommended by the
manufacturer, they probably will reduce the stability and other wear components of the
suspension.

You can identify other problems with the tires ease. Vibration of the steering wheel indicate
possible problems with to balance the wheels. The vehicle pulling to one side indicates a
possible problem with the calibration of tires or the alignment of direction. All this may
reduce the stability and the ability to braking the vehicle.

THE VEHICLE

A stability the vehicle is also related with calibration the correct tires.
Remember that all of these recommendations also apply to spare tire, in vehicles where it is
required.
Safety belt

The seat belt purpose is to limit the movement of

occupants of a vehicle in case of accidents or a
sudden brake. In these cases, the belt prevents
people shock with the internal parts of the vehicle or
being thrown out of it, thereby reducing the severity
of possible injuries. For this, the safety belts must be
in good storage conditions and all occupants must
use them, including the rear seats of passengers,
even pregnant women and children.

Always make an inspection of belts:

■ Make sure the belts don't present cuts;

■ Make sure there are no seams to stop perfect elasticity;
■ Test the lock to see if is working perfectly;
■ Make sure the belts for rear seats are available for use of the occupants.

Correct use of the belt:

■ Adjust the body firmly, without being loose;

■ The range should be below the lower abdomen, especially for pregnant women.

■ The belt must be across the shoulder, crossing the breast without touching the neck;

■ Do not use clamps. They eliminate the effects of seat belt security.

Transport children up to ten years of age only in the bank rear of the vehicle, and staying on
retainer affixed to the vehicle safety belt, appropriate to their stature, weight and age.
Some vehicles have no back seat. Exceptionally, and only these cases, you may carry children
children under 10 years in the front seat using the seat belt security. Depending on the age, they
should be placed in appropriate chairs, allowing the use of seat belts.
If the vehicle has "air bag" for the passenger, it is recommended you disconnect while carrying
the child.
The safety belt use is individual. Transporting child in the lap, both with the same belt, may
cause serious injury and even death of the child.
People in general have no exact notion of significance of the impact of a collision in traffic.
Learn that, under the laws of physics, colliding with a pole, or similar to a fixed object, 80
kilometers per hour, is the same as falling from a building of 9 floors.

Suspension, Steering, Lighting system and brakes

Suspension

The purpose of the suspension and dampers is

maintain the stability of the vehicle. When wear,
may cause the loss of control of the vehicle and
rolling over,
especially in curves and breaking. Check
periodically the state of preservation and operation
of them, on the basis of manufacturer's manual and
taking the vehicle to authorized personnel.

Steering

The steering is one of the most important security

components of the vehicle, one of those
drivability. Any fails in the steering system of the
vehicle can start "pulling" to one side, leading the driver to lose his control. When braking, these
defects are increased. You should periodically check the system, correct the steering and make
the preventive revisions in time in the manual of the manufacturer, with specialized staff.

Lighting System

The lighting system of your vehicle is essential, both for you to see your path, and to be seen by
all other users of the road and thus ensuring traffic safety. Without lighting, or with poor
lighting, you may cause collisions and other accidents. Check and avoid the main events:

■ lights burned in a bad state of conservation or

misaligned: reduce the panoramic visibility and you can not see anything that you should; See
and be seen by all makes the traffic more secure.

■ Lanterns position of the defective or burnt at night or in darkened environments (rain,

shadows): undermine the recognition of your vehicle by other users of the road;
■ brake lights burning or malfunction (night or day): you brakes and that is not flagged the other
drivers. They will have less time and distance to brake safely;
■ direction indicator lights (blinker) burned or malfunction: prevent the other
drivers from understand your direction and this can cause accidents.
Periodically check the condition and the operation of lights and lanterns.
Brakes

The brake system wears with the use of your vehicle and has reduced its efficiency. Brakes
require higher spending distances to brake safely and can cause accidents. The main components
of the brake system are: hydraulic system, fluid, pads and discs or canvas, depending on the type
of vehicle.

Here are the main reasons for loss of efficiency and preview:
■ Level of fluid low: just observe the level of shell;
■ fluid leak: note the existence of patches the floor under the vehicle;
■ Disc and inserts expenses: check with professional authorized;
■ Wear plies: check with qualified professional. When you cross local or soaked with puddles of
water, using a vehicle with brakes canvas, the loss may occur
efficiency of the system for momentary brake. Noting the traffic conditions in place, slow down
and step on the pedal brake a few times to return to normal.

In vehicles equipped with ABS (central electron receiving signals from the wheels, which
manages the pressure in the cylinder and the brake command, avoiding the Wheel lock) check in
the panel, the light indicative of problems in operation.
When driving, avoid using both breaks abruptly, as unnecessary, because it wears out
prematurely the components of the brake system. Just drive carefully, observing the signs, laws
and traffic conditions.

How to avoid physical burnout related to how to sit and drive

The correct position to avoid wear and physical address helps to avoid danger.

Follow the guidelines:

■ Drive with your arms and legs slightly bent, avoiding tensions;
■ Adjust your body in the seat and also the seat, the closest to an angle of 90 degrees;
■ Adjust the back of the head according to the occupants heights of the vehicle, preferably at the
level the of eyes;
■ Hold the steering wheel with both hands and the hands in the clock position of 9 hours and 15
minutes. So you will see better the panel, access the vehicle commands, and vehicles with "air
bag", you don't harm its functioning;
■ Try to keep heels supported on the floor of the vehicle and avoid supporting the feet in the
pedals when not using them;
■ Use shoes that are well fixed to your feet, so you can trigger pedals quickly and safely;
■ Put the safety belt of way that it fits firmly to your body. The belt must pass through the lower
region of the abdomen and the belt cross pass on the chest and
not on the neck;
■ Be in a position to see and allows the information panel and always check the operation
systems such as, for example, temperature of the engine.