Unit 5 - Manage crisis
You can reduce conflicts on the road but you cannot get rid of them. Most drivers at some time find themselves in trouble. Experienced drivers have yet another set of ways to do something about a crisis, or least make it not quite so bad.
To manage a crisis you do these things:
1. Avoid a crash that is about to happen.
2. Do the right things to keep control (or to get back control).
3. Take the correct action after a crash.
4. Take the correct action if your vehicle breaks down.
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5.1. Avoid a Crash That is About to Happen
Crashes don’t happen often, which is why they can catch you out. Even defensive drivers are surprised when other road users actually break the rules of the road. Because it’s hard to predict when crashes are going to happen, defensive drivers always keep enough space in reserve to avoid a crash in case one day someone makes a mistake — either themselves or someone else.
5.1.1. Let other road users know that a situation is dangerous.
You could sound the horn or flash your headlights.
5.1.2. Keep enough stopping space in front of you so that you can avoid crashing whenever other road users look like they will do the wrong thing.
If you are trying to avoid a crash, it is safer to try to stop than it is to swerve — as long as there is enough space to stop.
The table below shows how much space you need to stop (with reasonable brakes, tyres and driver, on a reasonable and flat road) at various speeds. To help with judging these ‘braking distances’ while you are driving, the time each one takes is also shown. Just as you can use a two-second gap to judge the right following distance, you can use these times to judge braking distance.
For example, at 60 km/h, if your foot is ready on the brake pedal and a car has pulled out one and a half seconds in front of you, you will be able to stop to avoid a collision. If your foot is not ready on the brake it will take you much further to stop. An extremely quick reaction on to the brake pedal will take about half a second. Studies have shown that when drivers aren’t expecting something it takes them about two and a half seconds to react. This is why you must always be ready to brake when a situation looks risky.
| Speed |
40 km/h |
60 km/h |
80 km/h |
100 km/h |
| Distance (Metres) |
10 |
22 |
38 |
60 |
| Travel Time (seconds) |
1 |
1.5 |
2 |
2.5 |
5.1.3. When you do not have enough stopping space to avoid the threat of a crash, choose the best escape route.
Caution, swerving is not reliable. Consider, is the road slippery? Is there anything else to hit? Swerving also takes just about as much space as stopping, and you need to think about what may happen if you swerve. You have choices about where to swerve to, and you will need to pick the best one:
- into the next lane
- onto the shoulder of the road
- off the road.
5.1.4. If you accidentally drive off the road on a straight, take the right action to get safely back on the road.
Do this:
- Stay at a steady speed and keep in a straight line parallel to the road.
- Find a smooth road edge to get back onto the road.
- Steer gently back to the road — no big swerve.
5.1.5. When you find yourself going into a curve too fast, take the right action to fix your mistake.
Do this:
- Brake firmly if the vehicle is still travelling straight, then ease off the brakes as you go into the turn.
- If you are already in the turn, ease off the accelerator and brake gently.
- Try to look towards the end of the curve, as this will help you know where to steer.
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5.2. Keep Control (or Get Back Control)
This element is all about avoiding skids and escaping from them. A skid means the vehicle has lost the grip of one or more tyres, so that you no longer have complete control over the vehicle.
If you watch the changes in your driving environment and do things in good time, you should never get into a skid. If a tyre does skid it means you have made a serious mistake. It’s a sign of bad driving.
However, mistakes do happen, and a good driver needs to know how to deal with them. Don’t think you need to be able to control skids to be a safe driver. These skills are only one tiny part of being fully competent. Some people get advanced training in skid control, but this can make them over-confident. If you want to do advanced driver training choose a course that teaches you about risks and how to avoid them.
5.2.1. Keep some extra tyre grip in reserve.
If something bad is about to happen, you will have to do something to avoid it. Often you will brake or swerve. When you do, the tyres should not skid.
You can keep some extra grip in reserve by driving smoothly. This diagram helps to explain the business of driving smoothly.
Let’s say that a tyre has ten units of available grip, and you keep four in reserve. That leaves six units to be shared out between acceleration and steering. As the vehicle leaves the turn, you will match the acceleration and steering so that the two combined never need more than six units. This is how you avoid skidding on corners.
5.2.2. Identify a front-wheel skid, and do whatever is necessary to get a reserve of grip back.
5.2.3. Identify a rear-wheel skid, and do whatever is necessary to get a reserve of grip back.
5.2.4. Identify a four-wheel skid, and do whatever is necessary to get a reserve of grip back.
5.2.5. Use the Anti-lock Braking System (if the vehicle has one) in ‘avoidance’ manoeuvres: where you have to brake, and where you have to brake and steer at the same time.
An anti-lock braking system senses when a wheel has reached locking point; it automatically releases brake pressure—no matter how hard the driver is pushing the brake pedal—and then reapplies the pressure as soon as the wheel starts to rotate again. The main use of ABS is to help the driver to keep control of the steering during ‘avoidance’ braking and steering.
5.2.6. Know when the vehicle is aquaplaning, and take the right action to get back a reserve of grip.
Aquaplaning happens on wet roads when the tyre’s tread can’t get rid of the water between the tyre and the road. This results in the front wheels skidding.
5.2.7. In bad conditions switch on Traction Control (if the vehicle has it).
Traction control senses when the driver has accelerated too hard for the conditions; it prevents too much wheel spin.
Normally where traction control is fitted it is armed automatically when the vehicle is started. What we are discussing here is a vehicle where it can be remotely armed.
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5.3. Take the Correct Action After a Crash
5.3.1. You take the correct action immediately to prevent any more injury or damage.
Do this:
- Stop and switch off the engine.
- Turn on your hazard warning lights.
- Protect the area [using warning devices like triangles].
- Care for the injured.
- Carry out the required procedures if you are carrying dangerous goods.
5.3.2. Carry out the requirements of the law and of the insurance regulations.
Do this:
- Notify police when: someone has been injured, or property damage is more than $1,000, or the owner or any property damaged is not present at the scene of the accident.
- Exchange names, addresses, registration numbers and insurance details as appropriate.
- Find witnesses.
- Note accident details as required for insurance report.
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5.4. Take the correct action if your vehicle breaks down
5.4.1. You notice that something is wrong with the vehicle, and stop it safely:
Things that might go wrong include:
- brakes failing;
- tyre(s) failing; and
- broken windscreen.
5.4.2. After a breakdown, act immediately to make sure that you are safe, and so are other road users.
Consider doing these:
- Move off the road if possible;
- Turn on your hazard warning lights;
- Place your warning signs legally;
- Let your employer and local authority know about the breakdown;
5.4.3. Carry out minor running repairs.
This may include changing a flat tyre or clearing a broken windscreen.
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