Scanning

Defensive Driving is not just about watching what goes on up ahead. You, the responsible party in the vehicle, must be aware of everything happening inside and outside of the vehicle. That includes activity off to your sides and to your rear. Scanning helps you to accomplish this. It takes a bit of practice but, in time, will become part of your everyday driving habits.

Pay close attention as you read about proper scanning techniques. When your vehicle is moving, watch with your eyes and not your entire head. Keep your head in a neutral forward facing position. In the meantime,  move your eyes only from the road to the rear view mirror to the road. Look just long enough to make sure everything looks like it should. When your eyes hit the road, watch for a clear route with no obstructions. Monitor your instrument panel when you look at the dash board. Does everything look normal? Have any warning lights come on? Use your mirrors to check behind you and off to the sides. Is somebody tailgating you? Are emergency vehicles approaching from the rear?

Don’t forget to scan laterally. Often times, the source of danger comes from your sides in the form of a child or deer running into the street. Maybe someone pulls out of a side street without looking. Don’t turn your head to the sides but look ahead and to the sides. You can easily do this with “eyes only” movements. You will soon find that scanning is a very efficient way to watch the road.

Here is a way to prove that scanning with just your eyes is far more effective than turning your entire head. Try this sometime when you are not moving. With your head facing forward, note how quickly you can look to either side or from one side to the other using your eyes only. Now turn your head completely to the right and see just how long it takes to look completely to the left. Don’t get fooled by thinking it takes just a second or two longer to turn your entire head. When you are driving, especially at higher speeds, a lot can happen in a couple of seconds.