The first component, the “5s,” refers to five “Seeing Habits” designed to program a driver’s peripheral awareness. These are not generic suggestions but specific, actionable commands: Aim High in Steering , Get the Big Picture , Keep Your Eyes Moving , Leave Yourself an Out , and Make Sure They See You . Each habit counteracts a specific cognitive weakness. For example, “Aim High in Steering” instructs drivers to look 8 to 10 seconds ahead rather than at the pavement directly in front of the truck, reducing micro-corrections and fatigue. “Leave Yourself an Out” ingrains a defensive mindset, requiring drivers to always position their vehicle so they have an escape route from sudden traffic changes. Collectively, the 5s transform driving from a reactive activity into a proactive scanning process, reducing the cognitive lag that causes most urban accidents.
The second component, the “10s,” refers to ten “Keys to Space Cushion Driving,” which translate the broad seeing habits into concrete maneuvers. These include principles like Count to Five (waiting a full five seconds at a stop sign or intersection before proceeding) and Use the 8-Second Rule (maintaining a following distance that accounts for the vehicle’s weight and stopping distance). While these rules may appear excessively rigid to an outsider—a UPS driver must, by doctrine, cover the brake at every intersection regardless of a green light—they serve a critical statistical purpose. According to internal UPS studies, the majority of avoidable collisions occur within the first four seconds of a stopped vehicle moving again or within the “blind” moments at intersections. The 10s eliminate subjective judgment, replacing it with a predictable, auditable routine. ups 5s and 10s
The Immutable Code: How UPS’s “5s and 10s” Drive Safety and Efficiency The first component, the “5s,” refers to five