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Whitby Free Press, Wednosday. Septembor 22, 1993, Page 17 DRI VINGp; SAFELYs.'- with RANDY' RANDV McLEAN US A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER WHO SPECIALIZES IN TRAFFIC SAFETY. W. McLean has reviewed thousands of individuai motor vehicle accident reports and his close working relationships wilh police aencies, governnenls, safely assedations, industry and the public, have gven hm a hrue overview of tralfic safey issues, problemns and solutions in Canada. Sign, sign, everywhere a sign Our highwaye and roada are eovered with traffic signe, signais and maikings. There are speed limite signa, directional signe, turn signa, stop signe, parking signa, flaehing red light.s, flaahing yellow lights, solid and broken yellow limes, solid and broken white lines, crosswalke, painted medians, etc., etc., etc. Notwithstanding the efforts of traffic ongineers, the truth je that when driving in familiar territezy, which is most of the turne, we use instinct more than signe. Each ign, signal and marking ie helpful te define the use of the road and assign legal right-of-way. However, in terme of preventing accidenta, the most importent signa are net those erected by traffic engineers, but the signe and signais motoriste give to each other. Net juet the obvious signais (right turn, left turn, brako) but the dozens, if net hundreda, of more subtie waye we give advanoe warnings te ether drivers. In the saine way great quarterbacka are able te 'road the defenaive' in a football game, and great defensive players are able te, 'read the quarterback,' the ability te ' read the road' and anticipato what anether driver je about te do, ie ossential te groat (safe) driving. A family friend in deecribing a nearly tragfic incident ehe recently witnessed while driving on a rural highway reminded me of a particular type of accident that doesn't happon ail that efton, b ut je se easily avoided it ehouldn't happen at ail. It was a bright, sunny afternoen. Vehicie A wae travelling at the seed limnit on a lonely ceunty, net a car in sight ahead. Vohicle B was bohind Vehicle A, at a safe following distance, and aise travelling at the speod limit. Vehicle A slowed down for ne apparent reason. This waa the first signal te be cautieus. Whenever somnething happons for ne apparent reasen, a warning message should appear in yeur mimd tclling you 'Thore must ho a reason ho or she did that. Den't de anything silly until you've figured eut what it is." The driver of Vehicle B reeponded by moving te the left acroes the centerline and accelerating to pase Vehicle A. The basic ingredionte fer a collision are new obvieus, Vehicle A is in front and slewing dewn, Vehicle B ie behind and accelerating. Vehicle B had te steer wide left, since Vehicle A was driving very close te, the oentreline. This was tho second signal te ho cautieus. Most motoriste like te drive in the middle of a traffic lano and are uncoinfortable driving tee close te either saie. Juet as Vehicle B was about to pase, Vehicle A turmed left inte a driveway. Could Drive B anticipated Driver A's action? Easily. To cerrectly anticipate another driver's next action, you muet do two thinge. 1. Pay attention. 2. Accept that everythimg happons for a reason. It may net always ho a good reason, but there je always a roason, ne matter how dumb yeu may think the other driver ie. If you understand the reasen for one action, yeu usually have a very goed chance at anticipating what will happon next. Ail the necessary warmng signe were evident. Vehicle A slowing down, movimg édoser te the centerline, umdoubtedly giancing repeated te the left hofore turming. (lte very difficuit te, turn left while iooking straight ahead.) Who was at fault? It doesn't really matter. Either driver could have prevented the accident. Driver A should haev used hie turm signai but Drive B should have noticed ail the other warning signale. The first rule of defensive driving is te anticipate the hazard. Think and drive safely. Speak up about complai"nts Do manufacturers want te hear complainte from consumera about their producta? Yee, according to market researchers at Gemeral Motors. Without complainte, the manufacturer has ne basis te irnprove on cuatemer relations, product deficiencies or help resolve probleme with deaierships. Accordimg te GM's rosearchers, ef ail the custemers who are dieeatisfied with a particular product, only 40 per cent take the timo te complain. Tho other 60 per cent romain sulent. This "sulent majority" can make it teugh on manufacturers looking te preserve and build a custemer base. Based on past marketing research, it's generally accepted that while eatisfied cuatemers tell eight te 10 people of a "od exporience, diseatisfled cuatemers tell 16 te 20 others. And one quarter of those diesatisfied may tell as many as 40. 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