Tips On Defensive Driving: Protecting And Respecting The Rules Of The Road By David Faulkner At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

It is far too common a sight on the modern highway to see drivers whose focus is on their cell phone conversations, or on their driving companion, or on drinking their coffee or soda as they gulp down breakfast or dinner. Multitasking has become as prevalent on the highways as it is in the office, with the disastrous result of unnecessary accidents involving other people who paid the price for a distracted driver’s limited attention span.

If you frequently find yourself driving along surrounded by cars controlled by multitasking drivers, you will benefit from some tips on defensive driving. A defensive driver is the diametric opposite of the multitasker, and puts his or her full concentration on the tasks of maneuvering a car while closely observing what the surrounding drivers are doing and what the road conditions are.

Familiarizing yourself with tips on defensive drivers will let you improve your driving schools and the safety of your passengers, as well as that of the occupants of other vehicles.

Alertness Is The Key

The basic tip on defensive driving is to remain constantly alert and observant of what is happening on the road ahead of you and in the vehicles surrounding you, so that you can recognize a potential problem while there is still time for you to implement a defensive driving strategy to avoid it. There is no room in a defensive driving strategy for cell phones, breakfast, the hairbrush, or a change of clothes. Your entire focus should be on assessing what is happening around you so that nothing takes you by surprise.

Other of the most important tips on defensive driving are, of course, to fasten your seatbelt before you turn on your engine, and to maintain a correct driving posture. Slouching behind the wheel, studies have shown, can make you drowsy and diminish your ability to focus.

Lose the Aggressive Behaviors

You should change lanes as seldom as possible, and always use your directional signals far enough in advance of switching lanes that the drivers behind you can anticipate your switch. And the final, but by no means least important, of the tips on defensive driving is to stay calm and avoid aggression. The purpose of defensive driving is to avoid of hazardous situations on the road, not to engage in the aggressive driving which so often the cause of those situations.

The defensive driver is keenly aware that being able to drive is a privilege, not a right, and that the road belongs equally to all the drivers and passengers who use it. Aggression and inattentions have no place on the road, where so many people are simply trying to arrive safely at the places where they are needed.

Knowing when and where to do defensive driving is crucial if you want to use your defensive driving skills to avoid accidents or the kinds of situations which can easily lead to accidents. You put good money and a lot of time and effort into your defensive driving course, and knowing where to use your defensive driving skills will pay you back in no time!

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