PAGE 6
OCTOBER, 1958
In This Picture—Do You See Yourself As A Road Hazard?
Most traffic accidents can be
prevented by the development
of five driving habits. So be
lieves Harold Smith, a profes
sional driving instructor who
has taught safe-driving habits to
more than 20,000 motorists. He
is the originator of the “Smith
System of No-Accident Driving”
and special advisor to Ford-USA
on safe driving.
Smith has found that about
three ill ten motorists seldom
make any of the five errors and
that they may go five to ten
years without a “near miss,”
with only a slight likelihood of
ever being involved in even a
minor accident.
Any driver can build the same
habits that protect accident-free
drivers, this authority believes.
Once the habits are formed, they
help you to drive correctly in
even the most unusual situation.
Aim High In Steering
1. Most drivers hug the left
edge of their lane because they
steer by watching low along the
left edge of the lane. This fear
of hazards on the right is the
reason for lane-straddling and
a chief cause of head-on colli
sions.
To steer safely in traffic, you
should ignore the fact that you
sit left of center in the car.
Simply look well ahead at the
center of your lane. Aim high,
keep your main attention well
ahead, and always steer for the
center of your intended driving
path.
Never move the wheels un
less your eyes are looking where
you want to go. This rule ap
plies to turning a corner.
Keep your main attention
well ahead along your turning
path. If visibility is poor and
you cannot look well ahead,
slow down.
Watch The Big Picture
2. Keep a general watch over
a wide, deep traffic scene rather
than on any one detail. View
the car ahead as only part of a
big picture.
You will see the wide, deep
scene, noting key parts of the
picture such as the car coming
in from the left, the flashing or
Do You . . .
1.
a driveway without checking oncoming
Back from
traffic?
2. Allow yourself to be distracted in heavy traffic?
3. Permit yourself to become angered and impatient?
4. 5 and 6. Make a left turn without using an imaginary
center point in the middle of the intersection on which
to guide a safe turn?
Make a right turn from a left lane in front of another
car?
Become annoyed by others in the car with you?
Practice “raceway” starts from a stop-light?
Drive with one hand on the steering wheel and the other
arm immobile?
11. Signal with your lights for a right turn and use an arm
signal indicating a left turn?
12. Cut in and out of heavy traffic?
13. Use the middle lane while not maintaining legal speed
limit?
Have straight-ahead vision instead of observing traffic
around you?
Drive your vehicle into a crowded intersection to make
matters worse?
Brake your car at the last moment at an intersection?
Park in prohibited areas and set-up an accident?
Follow vehicles too closely?
7.
9.
10.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
If You Do, You’re An Unsafe Driver!
brake lights on the car ahead,
or a parked car with a driver
at the wheel.
When you have the habit of
seeing the big picture, you can
speed up, slow down or change
lanes to keep from getting trap
ped.
Keep Eyes Moving
3. Build a habit of forcing
your eyes to move about once
every two seconds, and much
oftener when traffic xiiulliplies.
Even if there seems to be noth
ing important to watch at the
moment, keep scanning the
whole scene near and far ahead,
to the sides and through your
rear-view mirror.
Scanning the roadway con
tinuously gives you a wide
screen motion picture of the
scene ahead, plus a continuous
check on the constantly-chang
ing picture to the rear.
When you see a hazard, don’t
stare at it. Dispose of it by ad
justing speed, changing lanes,
signalling—or by practicing all
three of these measures if neces
sary.
Make Sure Others See You
4. To drive safely, you must
get the habit of making sure
the other person sees your car
and shows by his actions that
he intends to stay put. In case
of doubt at night, sound your
horn or flash your headlights.
Give your warning as early as
possible so you can stop if the
need arises.
Leave Yourself An Out
5. Get the habit of timing
your pace so you always have
an out if trouble should de
velop. Watch your stopping
margin, especially at night. And
try to avoid being “boxed in”
on both sides in traffic, thus
not being able to veer away
from sudden danger.
It is a good practice to leave
the space of one car ahead for
each ten miles of your speed, to
avoid the danger of “bumper
chasing” or “tail-gating.”
TO BUILD an accident-free
record on the road, practice your
driving around these six rules:
1—Check your car. Many ac
cidents could be avoided by
good car maintenance. Be sure
the lights, brakes, horn and
windshield wiper are working
weU. Service station mechanics
are glad to check these parts,
as well as tires, gasoline, oil and
water, and to make any needed
repairs or adjustments.
2—Check yourself. Always
stay in the right frame of mind
while driving. Don’t drive when
you’re over-tired or over-excit
ed. Let someone else drive if
you’re not sure you are capable.
3—Know driving conditions.
Keep aware of the hazards of
Girls Undefeated
In Softball Play
Firestone teen-agers came out
undefeated in the girls inter
industry softball league the past
summer. Members of the team
were;
Diane Smith, Ann Gaddis,
Teresa Teel, Barbara Kilpat
rick, Pat Crawley, Marion
Turner, Vickie Bolick, Brenda
Rawlins, Juanita Rawlins, Star-
lene Crawford, Shirley Costner,
Emily Edison, Carol Stines, and
Andrea Barnes.
Answers To Quiz
—On page 4
1. John Adams; 2. John Smith;
3. John the Baptist; 4. John
Philip Sousa; 5. John Alden; 6.
John C. Calhoun; 7. John Calvin;
8. John Wycliffe; 9. John J.
Pershing; 10. John Paul Jones.
ARRIVALS...
Cynthia Lucille arrived Sep
tember 4 in Sumter, S. C., the
daughter of Lt. and Mrs. Joseph
R. Stephenson. The mother is
the former Ruth Davis,
daughter of Grady Davis, Card
ing; and Mrs. Davis, Spooling.
wet, icy, or fogbound roads.
Exercise more care during the
rush hours, in the tricky light
around dawn and dusk, and on
week ends when traffic is
heaviest.
4—Watch road signs. Markers
are placed on highways to help
you. Make use of them. They’ll
warn you of approaching hills,
curves, crossroads and other
hazards.
5—Pay attertion. Don’t ever
forget that you are driving.
Someone else can point out the
interesting scenery along the
way, dial the radio, or adjust
the ventilation. Wait until
you’re stopped before you light
a cigarette or fix the make-up
on your face.
6—Obey the laws. Violate
them and your action may prove
fatal. Speed limits are safety
limits to help you get to your
destination unhurt. Never try to
beat a red light. Slow down for
an amber light—don’t try to
squeeze through. Always signal
for a turn.
☆ ☆ ☆
This article has been reprint
ed by permission of Ford
Graphic. Harold Smith, advisor
to The Ford Motor Company,
sets down what he considers the
basic elements of safe, accident-
free driving. Illustration cour
tesy of Firestone Canadian.
FIRESTONE TEXTILES
P. O. BOX 551
GASTONIA, N. C.
POSTAL MANUAL
SECTION 134.1
U. S. POSTAGE PAID
GASTONIA, N. C.
PERMIT NO. 29
tHE libhaey op me
CHAPBL HILL, H. C.
Form 3547 Requested