Know Your Vehicle

Familiarity with your particular vehicle controls, normal operation, and handling characteristics, increases the likelyhood of proper handling in moments of duress = when your brain may need to work on auto-pilot. These moments are reduced proportionally for each of the other rules you follow. This rule means knowing your tires condition before you get caught in torrential thunderstorms in the hills of western Pennsylvania. At night. At 70 mph. Or knowing just how hard you can brake with that front tire. In the middle of a turn. Being very familiar with your particular vehicle is key to actually doing it properly.