Years ago, when riding on the Palisades Interstate Parkway in New York, I thought I saw an accident occurring about ten car lengths ahead. I could not describe what was actually happening up there because a few cars blocked my view. But, I could see auto rooftops suddenly moving erratically.

I anticipated that the drivers in front of me would soon react if an accident had occurred, so I quickly pulled to the side of the road to get away from them.

Moments later, drivers began to jam on their breaks and swerve left and right to avoid hitting each other as well as the two vehicles that had already collided. Luckily, I had separated myself from the action.

In that instance, my habit of systematically scanning the road far ahead as well as in close enabled me to anticipate and avoid a serious mishap.

Un-focus your eyes and take in the big picture

Recently I read how skilled hunters and trackers train themselves to expand their field of view and extend their point of focus to take in the widest possible swath of area in their path. They use their entire peripheral vision to spot even the tiniest motions.

When they do sense motion, they focus on it to identify the source.

My friend Jay, a motorcycle rider and former combat soldier, explained to me how he put this technique to work. “I learned it as a kid while hunting with my dad, but it really came in handy in Vietnam,” Jay says.

“Not only can you learn to spot movement, but you can train your eyes to recognize unnaturally appearing objects. In Vietnam, for instance, dried leaves or leaves facing the wrong way would alert me that someone might have arranged cut branches to hide something dangerous.

“When I’m riding my motorcycle and I see skid marks that disappear around a curve, it alerts me to a possible hazard ahead — perhaps an unusually tight bend in the road or a dangerous change in the road surface. Shadows in the road could indicate a pothole, a puddle, dead animal or some other obstruction in my lane.

“I know this ability to spot inconsistencies, anomalies and objects out of place kept me alive a couple of times in Vietnam, and I’m sure several more times on the road.”

Focus away from danger to avoid “target fixation.”

Surprisingly, however, if you do spot something dangerous in the road ahead, it is vital that you do not focus on it to the extent that a phenomenon called “target fixation” takes over your actions.

Concentrating hard on something in the road can cause you to drive toward it. This happens because our brains caution us to keep an eye on dangers ahead.

Such action was most necessary when we lived in caves and our lives depended upon avoiding four-legged predators and other threats. But, it is a terrible survival reaction when it can make you drive directly toward a car that suddenly invades your path.

To avoid fixating on a dangerous object, look instead where you want to go to avoid it. Do not look at the oncoming truck, tree, rock, pothole or edge of the road. Use target fixation to your advantage. Select a safe point, lock your eyes on it and drive toward it.

I have placed myself in a few precarious situations by going into turns too fast then drifting dangerously close the outside curb. But the instant I took my eyes off the edge of the road and focused hard on the white line down the middle, the motorcycle suddenly started moving toward a safer place.

Maintaining a protective cushion of space.

When I ride, in addition to systematically taking in the big picture out front, I concentrate on the traffic around me. I want to maintain a comfortable 360-degree cushion of space between me and the other vehicles.

I continually plan an escape route in case the driver in front suddenly hits the brakes.

Before changing lanes, I look in the rear view mirror then take a quick glance to check my blind spot. Cars drifting beside me that did not show up in either mirror have startled me when I turned my head and saw them. This precaution prevented me from pulling into their path.

I frequently check my rear view mirrors to see if someone is gaining fast or following too close. I usually drive at least as fast as the cars around me, and often a few miles per hour faster. So, if someone is gaining, they are moving at a pretty good clip. I do not hesitate to get out of a speeding driver’s way before they crowd me or they make a dangerous passing move.

When riding a motorcycle, it is important to remain constantly vigilant and on the lookout for potential danger. Look close and look far in front. Look left, right and back.

Your life depends upon it.