1998 Chevrolet Prizm Owner's Manual - Page 154

Defensive driving really means "be ready for anything," On city streets, rural roads or freeways, it means "always expect the unexpected." Assume that pedestriansor other drivers are goingto be careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what they might do. Be ready for their mistakes. Rear-end collisions are about the most preventable of accidents. Yet they are common. Allow enough following distance. It's the best defensive driving maneuver, in both city and ruraldriving. You never know when the vehicle in front of you is going to brake or turn suddenly. Defensive driving requires that a driver concentrate on the driving task. Anything that distracts from the driving task -- such as concentrating on a cellular telephone call, reading, or reaching for something on the floor -- makes proper defensive driving more difficult and can even cause a collision, with resulting injury. Ask a passenger to help do things like this, or pull off the road ina safe place to do them yourself. These simple defensive driving techniques could save your life. Defensive Driving The best advice anyone can give about driving is: Drive defensively. Please start with a very important safety device in your Chevrolet: Buckle up. (See "Safety Belts" in the Index.) 4-2