Smyrna times., 1936-04-02
STATE SAFETY
COUNCIL NEWS
Skill In Analyzing Traffic Sit
uatiOns Ahead of Time
Is Very Important
THE RULES TO OBSERVE

ty Council one of the outstanding
skills of the good driver which he
acquires by practice and attention
to rules is the ability of driving
ahead" This consists of analyzing
traffic situations before he nears
them, and of visualizing scenes sew
eral hundred feet ahead as they
will be when he reaches them. This
is not guesswork. The good driv-
er merely figures out what other
drivers may do in order to decide
what he will do to avoid a critical
situation or an accident, regard
less of how the other driver acts.
For example, let us consider the
procedure of a good driver when he
sees an approaching car being
passed on a two-lane road. If most
cars on the road are moving at 30
miles an hour, and the overtaking
car starts to pass when only 800
feet away, he realizes that the
maneuver may not be completed
safely. The stage is set for a
head-on or a side-swiping collision.
Therefore, he Immediately slows
down. If he decides to make
drastic reduction in speed, or a
quick stop, he signals the car be-
hind him. Such quick and accur-
ate reasoning avoids a possible &C
cident.
A line of parked cars near
highway is full of potential haz-
ards. One of the cars may sudden
ly start out, or pedestrian may
emerge from behind two cars. An
ticipating trouble, the good driver
proceeds slowly and is constantly
on the alert. The good driver
realizes when he is passed that the
passing car may be forced to cut
in. Similarly, if a car directly
ahead of him passes one farther
front. he is conscious of the fact
that it may have to cut in, forcing
the passed car to stop suddenly. In
both cases he regulates his speed
accordingly.
Driving Ahead" prevented an
accident in the following situation:
Automobiles were crossing in a
steady stream over a bridge on a
Ifour-lane highway. A car was
stalled in the right lane at one side.
Good drivers quickly analyzed the
situation, and all of them moved
to the centermost lane. A new
driver, falling to realize the signifi-
canoe of the action, continued to
travel in the right lane. When he
reached the stalled automobile, he
discovered that it would be difficult
to return to the center line. In
stead of waiting, he cut out sharp
Ily into the moving line. A COLI
sion was prevented only by the
skill of the driver next in line who
saw the dilemma, and sensed the
probable actions of the learner
Except for the fact that his fam
lily, friends and aequaintances en-
joy riding with him, the good driv-
er is not likely to receive much at
tention from anyone, particularly
the motoring public One who use:
: the streets and highways so cor
rectly and unobstrusively is no
seeking the plaudits of the crowd
for the crowd is too busy trying t.
protect itself from the wild mis-
conduct, discourtesy and downright
incompetence of poor drivers
Those who really appreciate hin
are the people who ride with him
] A person who makes his passen
gers uncomfortable is not a goo
!. driver. The good drivers rewar'
comes from safe, pleasant ant
e economical motoring, and the salts
4 faction that any artist receive
from doing his Job well.