I like what you say here. The easiest way to deal with a survival situation is *not to be there* -- that is, to live with a thoughtful and non-paranoid eye to the real hazards you might face, and shape your behaviour so that you are less likely to be in the middle of it.

That isn't possible 100% of the time. (Even as I speak, the carpet glue is off-gassing in my sealed bunker! LOL ;-). But I wouldn't be surprised if half of the obvious and likely hazards can be avoided. (Talking on a cell phone while you drive, for example?)

For the same reasons, I respect any survival manual that dedicates the first third of the book to "keeping your precious hide out of survival situations."

For example: I do drive in blizzards, on occasion. But if it's slick and visibility bad, I avoid rush hour whenvever possible. I buy the best ice tires available for my DW and myself (so when the fancy 4x4 SUV ahead of me starts doing 360s at 70 MPH, I have the option to be somewhere else, quickly). And if one of us is caught in a whiteout, during the daily commute, it's standard practice to grab a hotel room if you need one (or pull over and camp out for a while -- full kit in trunk).

Anyway, that's a long-winded way to say that awareness and understanding are the foundation of staying alive and well. The hardware etc. comes second (though it's entirely addictive to guys like me).