Roadwise States Louisiana Driving lessons Defensive driving & SIPDE Louisiana driving lesson · Space, Speed & Stopping
Defensive driving & SIPDE A 3-minute lesson from the Louisiana course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Read time 3 minutes
Course unit Space, Speed & Stopping
Checkpoint questions 4
Source pages 59, 60 Defensive driving means anticipating hazards instead of just reacting to them. Know your own limits and your vehicle's, take responsibility for your actions, and keep an eye on 'the other guy.' The SIPDE process gives you a routine for doing it.
What shapes a driver's attitude: Demographics: age, sex, employment, education, where you live Personality: tolerance, aggressiveness, risk taking, peer pressure Development: physical, emotional, social, behavioral Environment: community, entertainment, parents, peers, partner Driving environment: daylight or dark, weather, road, vehicle, passengers Driving ability: knowledge, skill, experience Handbook p. 59 ↗ National Safety Council guidelines: Secure every passenger, including children and pets, before starting the engine Lock all doors Driving too fast or too slow both increase the chance of a collision Plan to drink? Designate a sober driver; alcohol is a factor in almost half of fatal crashes Avoid an impaired driver by turning right at the nearest corner or exiting at the nearest exit If an oncoming car crosses into your lane, pull over, sound the horn and flash your lights Report suspicious or reckless drivers to police immediately Don't contest the right-of-way or race another car during a merge Handbook p. 59 ↗ Signs a driver may be impaired: Straddling the center line Weaving Making wide turns Stopping abruptly Responding slowly to traffic signals Handbook p. 59 ↗ Four traits of a defensive driver: Alertness: well rested and never impaired Anticipation: keeps a safe following distance and expects problems Judgment: obeys limits, slows in bad weather, never tries to beat lights or trains Skill: aware of others' blind spots, scans ahead, avoids distraction Handbook p. 60 ↗ Know the rule
Defensive driving also saves fuel, lowers insurance premiums and lengthens the life of your vehicle.
Handbook p. 60 ↗ Put it into practice
The car ahead is weaving and stopping abruptly for no reason. The driver may be impaired. Drop back, turn right at the next corner (or take the next exit) to get away, and report the driver to police.
A useful reminder SIPDE = Search, Identify, Predict, Decide, Execute.
Check your understanding Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
In the SIPDE defensive driving process, what does the 'P' stand for? Prepare Position Proceed Predict Answer: Predict
SIPDE stands for Sweep/Search/Scan, Identify, Predict, Decide and Execute.
Handbook p. 60 ↗ An oncoming car is drifting across the center line into your lane. What does the handbook advise? Speed up to get past before it reaches you Stop in your lane and wait for it to correct Pull toward the roadside, honk, and flash your lights Swerve into the oncoming lane to go around it Answer: Pull toward the roadside, honk, and flash your lights
The National Safety Council guideline is to pull over to the roadside, sound the horn and flash your lights.
Handbook p. 59 ↗ The car ahead of you is weaving and responding slowly to signals. How can you best avoid this possibly impaired driver? Flash your high beams at the driver Turn right at the nearest corner or exit Pass it quickly on the left Follow closely so you can read its plate Answer: Turn right at the nearest corner or exit
The handbook advises avoiding an impaired driver by turning right at the nearest corner or exiting at the nearest exit.
Handbook p. 59 ↗ According to the handbook, driving too slowly can increase the likelihood of a collision, just as driving too fast can. True False Answer: True
The National Safety Council guidelines note that driving too fast or too slow can increase the likelihood of collisions.
Handbook p. 59 ↗ Previous lesson Steering methods & cornering Next lesson Scanning and your visual lead More in Space, Speed & Stopping About the source Roadwise’s Louisiana course uses the driver handbook edition supplied with this study pack. This lesson cites source pages 59, 60. The linked PDF is a third-party mirror of the handbook, rather than a government-hosted page.
Open the handbook source PDF · View the source edition
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