Defensive driving: What is it and how can it keep you safe

On Behalf of | Nov 8, 2018 | Motor Vehicle Accidents

Many people do not know what defensive driving is or how it can help you stay safe on the road and avoid an accident. This post aims to educate drivers about defensive driving and how to use the technique to help them stay safe when driving.

Driver error causes over 90 percent of crashes in the United States and defensive driving could save you from a bad accident.

What is defensive driving?

Defensive driving is a technique that many drivers do not use but has the ability to keep individuals out of deadly car crashes. Instead of being a reactive driver, using defensive driving techniques can make you a proactive driver.

Defensive driving techniques to use:

  • Stay alert and aware: The best way to stay defensive on the road is to make sure you are fully alert and aware of your surroundings. Many people get into car accidents due to fatigue or not paying attention to road signs or surrounding vehicles.
  • Don’t distract yourself: Texting or talking on the phone, reaching for something in the backseat and even changing the radio station are all ways that drivers can distract themselves when they are behind the wheel. You cannot be proactive when driving if you are preoccupied with something else.
  • Expect the unexpected: You are not in the mind of other drivers on the road, so you cannot assume that they are going to follow the rules of the road or stay out of your way. Expect the possibility of an accident and you may have a better time avoiding one.
  • Follow traffic rules: It may be hard to prevent an accident if you are not following proper driving rules. Stay far enough behind the car in front of you so if they slam on their brakes, you will not slam into them. Use your blinker when you merge to let other drivers know you are coming. Do not speed, as it is hard to evade a crash if you are going too fast to stop one.

Not all accidents are preventable, but many of them are. Taking steps to avoid an accident before it happens is key to staying safe on the road.

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