Final answer:
Defensive driving involves skills such as staying focused, observing traffic rules, keeping a safe distance, anticipating actions of other drivers, and ensuring visibility. These skills facilitate quick and appropriate reactions in emergency situations on the road. Personal safety measures also play a crucial role in pedestrian safety.
Step-by-step explanation:
Seven Skills Essential to Defensive Driving
Defensive driving is a critical skill set for ensuring safety on the road. The question inquires about filling in certain skills that form part of this expertise. Below are the seven essential skills, including the ones that need to be filled in:
- Get ready
- Stay focused
- Observe speed limits and traffic rules
- Yield to other drivers
- Back off - keep a safe distance between you and the vehicle in front
- Anticipate other drivers' actions
- Be noticed - ensure that other drivers can see your vehicle
Each skill is vital; for instance, backing off gives you space to react to sudden changes, and being noticed reduces the chances of collisions because other drivers are aware of your presence. Additionally, understanding how other drivers might behave or respond and anticipating potential road hazards is an essential part of defensive driving. These skills help to prepare a driver both mentally and physically, to respond adequately in the event of an emergency, much like the controls exerted by our nervous system in high-stress situations, such as avoiding a skateboarder at the last moment.
Regarding whether it's safe to cross a road with a car 28 meters away, this depends on a variety of factors including the speed of the car, visibility, the pedestrian's speed to cross, and traffic laws. Personal safety measures, like wearing appropriate reflective clothing or observing traffic signals, can greatly contribute to a pedestrian's safety in this scenario.