Keep your eyes moving eye movement helps keep you from getting into a driving trance, the. Anticipation is an important component of your search pattern. Good defensive drivers will have knowledge of the traffic laws and the basics about. For this reason, we must learn to look at things selectively. Is it legal to grab the keys of car that was in hit and run and the driver is trying to runaway from the. The five keys of safe driving steering your health. The smith system of noaccident driving 1956 duration. The importance of the system is that it teaches safe driving methods to. Professional driver keith zecman recently shared his take on the smith systems five keys to safe driving. Aim high in steering means to look far down the road, not a few feet in front of your car. Smith system of defensive driving techniques brake and check your mirror but why you ask. Avoid collisions by seeing, evaluating, and acting upon all information available. Aim high in steering our eyes are designed to work for us at walking speeds.
It is a driving program developed by harold smith in 1952, to increase the safety of a companys commercial drivers and fleet. Stopped in traffic leave car length in front of vehicle, apply parking brake 2. Our eyes are meant to work for us at walking speed and not the. The driver should steer and focus their attention high, so as to view the road as whole and not just a few feet ahead. Aim high in steering repeated glances well ahead at the center of the intended path lane that you are traveling. Driver training the positive approach to protect yourself from the inconsistent and unsafe actions of other motorists. Depending on surroundings and circumstances, as a general rule, at 30 miles per hour, a driver can usually see at least a block and a half ahead of their vehicle. Aim high the first rule for this method is aim high in steering.
The important role driver mentors play at pam pam driving jobs. The smith system the name and principles of the smith system is ed by the smith system driver improvement institute, inc. Six conditions of driving new driver education video. Aim vision at least 12 15 seconds ahead of the vehicle. Over half of todays fortune 500 companies have used their advanced driving techniques to achieve superior safety records. When possible, double your eye lead time to 30 seconds, looking three blocks ahead on surface streets, and a half mile ahead on highways. Give it a shot and see if you are well prepared to tackle the oral exams. Staying alert of the dangers and traffic ahead not only avoids rearend collisions, but it also alerts other drivers behind your vehicle to slow down. The institute was the first professional driver training company. Sees moving and fixed objects at least a block away in city traffic and at least one half mile ahead on expressways or highways. Western canada safety leaders participate in smith system. The name and principles of the smith system is ed by the smith system driver improvement institute, inc.
Changing driving habits since 1952 smith system driver improvement institute, inc. The smith system is a system for driving to enable drivers to learn how to avoid collisions through mastering driver behavior and through intense handson training. The session was facilitated by smith system instructor. Aim high in steering, get the big picture, keep your eyes moving, leave yourself an out, make sure others can see you, space cushion driving this method is stressed throughout the entire class and during driving lessons. He advocates aim high in steeringa key component of the smith system for driving. Look ahead at least 15 seconds in traffic to see where youll be and anticipate what you might need to do to manage that situation. The average person has not adjusted visually or mentally to the higher speeds of motor vehicles. When possible, look ahead to where your vehicle will be 15 seconds or so into the future. We deliver behindthewheel instruction to more than 250,000 drivers annually and serve customers on every continent. We give fleet drivers of all types the knowledge and tools to make better decisions behind the wheel. That astute assessment of whats important is right in line with raymonds personality and demeanor. Aim high in steering imaginary target baseballdart board. Smith system five principles of safe driving platinum. The first rule for this method is aim high in steering.
Know the reasons why an oncoming driver might cross the centerline. Driver mentors also make sure new drivers understand that they represent a company and a profession. Aim high in steering this foundational element of the smith5keys is particularly important for bus and transit drivers. If the road is winding to the right, for example, look as far into the turn as possible. These five keys are the pillars of our driver safety training. The smith system, wellknown throughout the school transportation industry, comprises five key principles for space cushion driving and collision avoidance, including. The smith5keys are designed to provide drivers with the knowledge and. Chris pulliam is a regional manager and a certified instructor for smith system driver improvement. Use your peripheral visionstop the fixed habit stare 4. Aim high in steering the farther down the road you see. Quiz to test your knowledge of the 5 smith keys for.
Depending on surroundings and circumstances, as a general rule, at 30 miles per hour, a driver can usually see at least a block and a. This leads to a significant return on investment in terms of crash reduction, injury reduction, maintenance savings, fuel savings, higher employee satisfaction and, most importantly, saved lives. Space cushion driving the main concept of the smith system is space cushion driving. Other motorists, pedestrians, vehicle doors opening 3. The smith system teaches drivers to remember the following 5 keys. Aug 24, 2010 the smith system, wellknown throughout the school transportation industry, comprises five key principles for space cushion driving and collision avoidance, including.
The smith system of driving is about reducing collisions, preventing injuries and saving lives. The five rules of the smith system were designed to keep drivers safe on the road and reduce the amount of accidents. Look ahead to where you will be at least 15 seconds into your future. Check out his take below and share your own safe driving tips with us and fellow drivers on our facebook page. M ore than half of fortune 500 fleets use smith system for driver safety training. More than 30,000 fleet drivers receive behind the wheel instructions each year. Smith system five principles of safe driving platinum drivers inc. A visual lead time of 15 seconds at 30 mph is approximately 660 feet, and at 45 mph its roughly 990 feet get the big picture. Smith system, aim high in steering, get the big picture, keep your eyes moving, leave yourself an out, make sure they see you, are federally registered trademarks licensed exclusively to smith system driver improvement institute, inc. Aim high in steering the farther down the road you see while. What rules are applied to lane selection when driving in urban traffic. Founded in 1952, smith system is the nations first fleet driver safety training organization. Keep the eyes moving, this includes checking mirrors. The best way to anticipate others movements is to make eye contact with them.
Just like handling an incident, driving should follow a process that assesses your situation and generates action to mitigate hazards. A free powerpoint ppt presentation displayed as a flash slide show on id. Clients choose smith system because we teach drivers to drive differently. The smith system is recognized as the industry leader in professional cdl driver training and handson vehicle safety education programs.
Many times, youll hear this driving tip referred to as aiming high in steering. The system was developed in 1952 by harold smith when smith developed the smith system driver improvement institute. Ritter drivers share tips related to how they stay safe on the road. Nov 28, 2012 make the roads a safe place by employing the same methods we use with our drivers. When driving, look for things with crash potential. Although holiday traffic is well known for its bumpertobumper environment, taking the time to adjust your following distance and looking for the safest. Aim high in steering the farther down the road you see while driving and hes talking about seeing, not just looking, the less likely you are to have a wreck, he says, adding be aware of. Ppt smith system powerpoint presentation free to download. Driver mentors instruct new drivers in the five keys of the smith system for safe driving. Jul 31, 2019 following the 5 rules of the smith system can dramatically reduce the risk of major accidents on both highways and roads.
This is a quiz to test your knowledge of the 5 smith keys for defensive driving. There are five basic principles that a learner should be well informed on. That means looking farther ahead on the road, rather than just in front of your car, and it results in greater security and preparedness. The five rules of the smith system when driving are aim high, the big picture, keep your eyes moving, leave yourself an out and make sure they see you. Time to react to volatile and complex driving environments. Staying alert of the dangers and traffic ahead not only avoids rearend collisions, but it also. With their advanced viewing skills, smith system drivers see problems well ahead. List of five principles of defensive driving it still runs. Know the intervals for speed and gap distances for turning and crossing traffic. The smith system concentrates on driving with traffic and not against it. The smith5keys smith system driver improvement institute, inc. The first principle of the smith system is to aim high while steering. And its important to keep your eyes moving because if you dont you may get into a kinda zone where you stop paying attention to almost everything but what you are staring at.
Heres a few ways that these proven principles can apply to bus and transit drivers. Make sure they see you you will also learn from them the proper methods and techniques that will help you become a responsible, defensive, and. Smith motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of occupational fatalities in the united states and typically the 2nd leading cause of firefighter fatalities. Avoids swerving when passing other vehicles, turning or approaching parked. Jun 03, 2014 the smith system was developed in 1952 by harold smith to help drivers learn proper driving habits and prevent collisions. Aim high in steering the farther down the road you see while driving and hes talking about seeing, not just looking, the less likely you are to have a wreck, he says, adding be aware of whats going on around you. Defensive driving principles and how to teach them. The 5 keys to truck driving safety pam driving jobs. Unauthorized use or reproduction in any manner is strictly prohibited. Holiday driving dangers and safety tips smith system driver. Aim high in steering look 15 seconds into your future.
The smith system states that following these five rules can dramatically reduce the risk of major accidents on highways and roads. Following the 5 rules of the smith system can dramatically reduce the risk of major accidents on both highways and roads. What are the five rules of the smith system in driving. The smith system is the name given to a driving method that was developed by harold smith in 1948. Quiz to test your knowledge of the 5 smith keys for defensive.
Aim high in steering having your focus too close to the front of the vehicle will cause difficulty in keeping your car positioned in the lane. The smith system was developed by harold smith in 1952. Aim high in steering avoid collisions by seeing, evaluating and acting upon distant information. Smith system driver improvement institute incorporated arlington, texas, 760067441 usa 800. How many people must be in a car when driving a carpool lane. Also you need to look into your mirrors a lot to check for a potential danger. Oct 12, 2018 six conditions of driving new driver education video. Rules of driving based on the smith systemspec spec on the job. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. In the smith system, what are the five keys to safe driving. What they mean, is, dont make your steering adjustments based on what is directly in front of you.
Using the smith5keys is a good starting point for every bus driver who wants to stay safer on the roads. Make sure they see you you will also learn from them the proper methods and techniques that will help you become a responsible, defensive, and lowrisk driver. The smith system was developed in 1952 by harold smith to help drivers learn proper driving habits and prevent collisions. Aim high in steering keeps vehicle centered in the lane. Aim high in your steering to help stay in your lane. Depending on surroundings and circumstances, as a general rule, at 30 miles per hour, a driver can usually see at. Oct 08, 2015 it is a driving program developed by harold smith in 1952, to increase the safety of a companys commercial drivers and fleet. Smith system of defensive driving defensive driving characteristics.
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