People who drive for a living — limo drivers, bus drivers, taxi drivers — often undergo defensive driving as part of their professional development, but defensive driving doesn’t have to be limited to driving professionals. Everyone can benefit from learning how to drive defensively.
Driving defensively won’t assure that you are never on the receiving end of a fender bender, but it can help to decrease your chances of calling the police, a tow trunk, and your insurance agent. Watch IntersectionsIntersections are a prime place for accidents. From people trying to beat a yellow light to those who flat out run red lights, intersections are where danger often intersects with safety. Defensively speaking, accidents can’t always be avoided at intersections, but using caution when approaching may help to decrease the risk.
The best way to do this is to make sure those who have a red light are actually stopping. When your light turns green, instead of gunning it right away, take a few moments to glance from side to side, making sure the cars with a red light realize they have one.Be Careful in Bad WeatherDriving defensively in bad weather may take a back seat to driving offensively. After all, you might be busy simply making sure you don’t cause a wreck, but being aware of the cars around you can also help reduce the chances of a fender bender. In icy, snowy, or slushy weather, it’s best to assume cars will slide.
At intersections, stop signs, or parking lots, drivers may find themselves pressing on the brakes, only to realize they are not stopping. Always assume they aren’t going to stop. Before you proceed through an intersection or a stop sign, make sure another car isn’t going to slide right through it. Be Weary of Those Who SwerveWe all know not to drink and drive, but unfortunately, some people don’t heed this law. They get behind the wheel after three drinks or twenty and take to the roadways. Their logic, vision, and reaction time are all compromised, making them an ideal person to cause an accident. There is no real way for you, the defensive driver, to avoid them.
Article comments
1 - Methuselah
Good points.
Defensive driving means giving driving your full attention: no cellphones (pull over to talk). Think ahead: analyze everything you see and experience, let nothing escape scrutiny. Seeing black skid marks on the road ahead tells you something very useful: while modern cars with ABS do not spin, they always go crooked and leave the lane. This info is useful to you every day as you drive the freeway, it tells you that IF a slowdown ahead forces you to brake hard your car will probably screech slowly into the next lane, so always stagger your position and do not drive right next to another car.
2 - Nancy
Volunteering with a fire/rescue company is another good way to learn defensive driving, because you get to see the results of carelessness & stupidity firsthand - & it ain't pretty. Nothing is more sobering than having to cut someone out of a crumpled, overturned vehicle, or try to stabilize someone with burns over 90% of their body, because they weren't paying attention, or they tried to cut someone else off, or they were speeding, or drinking & driving. Even worse is having to rescue the innocent people who get injured because of these fools. In any event, volunteering under these circumstances certainly teaches one caution in ALL aspects of daily life!
3 - I DRIVE SAFELY
Very good article on Defensive driving, which is very important part of every driver across the world. In order to reduce the violations everyone has to learn the road safety laws, rules and regulations with respective to state.