What Defensive Driving Is Really About
By DRIVE-SAFELY.NET
Learning defensive driving isn’t so much about improving your own driving skills, rather, it’s how to avoid other drivers. People do dumb things all the time on the roadways. And face it, you’ve done some pretty stupid things yourself. How do I know that? Because we’ve ALL done stupid things on the roads. Nobody is a “perfect” driver. That’s why it is important to always expect the unexpected and plan for anything that might happen. By following the defensive driving tips listed above, you have learned how to safely position your vehicle in nearly any condition to avoid almost any unexpected situation. Notice how I say “almost” and “nearly”. That’s because you can’t plan for everything. However, following the above tips will make you a much safer driver than most. What defensive driving is really about is predicting other peoples mistakes! Sure, you’re wrong about 99% of the time. But when that 1% happens, you’ll be glad you practice defensive driving techniques.
Tips for Good Measure
While the 5 tips that I’ve mentioned earlier I deem to be the most important, these two that I’m about to mention are also extremely essential if you plan on being a safe driver.
Practicing Proper Communication
Communication makes the world go round. Without it, the whole world would crash and burn. Pretty sure nobody wants that.
Bringing proper communication into defensive driving is important for drivers, especially those who are new to the road. After all, you’re not the only one using the roads, right?
One way you can practice good communication is through signaling. It’s important to let other drivers know if you plan to make a left or right turn to avoid unwanted crashes and accidents. This also gives them enough time to adjust and react to your movement, so neither one of you get into trouble.
How and where you position your vehicle on the road is another way you can communicate your movements with other drivers. For example, if you’re positioned in the left-hand turning lane of the road, then drivers cruising behind you will know that you could be making a left turn at the end of the roadway.
Never Drive When Impaired
Around 28 Americans die in traffic-related accidents caused by alcohol impairment every day. That’s around 10, 220 people every year.
Getting behind the wheel of a vehicle — regardless of it being a car, a motorcycle, or a truck — after consuming a great deal of alcohol puts not only your life at risk but as well as the lives of others. Never drive if you’re under the influence! Instead, book a cab or a Lyft if you need to get home. This way, you avoid putting yourself and other people in danger. Plus you don’t have to deal with the fees and fines you’ll get slapped in if you get a DUI.
Make Defensive Driving A Habit
Defensive driving can take some time to get used to. Breaking old habits can be hard. For instance, when I used to teach new truck drivers, it was very difficult for some of them to look really far down the road. In a truck that can take up to 3 football field lengths to stop, it is crucial for the safety of everyone that truck drivers look far down the road and predict emergency situations. It usually takes some reminding the first several days, but after a while, it becomes second nature. The same applies when driving any vehicle. For a while, you may have to remind your self to do certain things, but once it becomes second nature and you don’t even have to think about it, you’ve become a defensive driver!VIDEO: 15 Defensive Driving Tips That Could Save Your Life!