Reasons Why You Should Always Drive Defensively

Driving defensively is a basic skill that is taught in many drivers education classes.

16:47 26 February 2020

This doesn’t mean that you are still up to date on your skills if you took your driver education classes a long time ago. In this article you will find justification for and effective strategies to implement defensive driving into your own habits when behind the wheel. Use these tips to ensure that you and everyone around you is a little safer when on the roads.

Use the Four Rules of Defensive Driving

The five rules of defensive driving is something that is often taught to beginners in drivers education classes. They serve to keep the driver focused, engaged, and conscious of their surroundings when on the road and behind the wheel. The five rules of defensive driving are:

• Be Aware of Blind Spots.

Knowing the vehicle you are driving and where the blidnspots are located will help make you more spatially aware when behind the wheel of that vehicle. This will help you to make better decisions when changing lanes to make sure it is safe to do so.

• Slow Down at All Intersections

This is a good practice to adopt because it allows you more time to react to any adverse situation which you might encounter on the road. You never know when someone will be speeding through a light that has recently changed, or straight up running a red light. Make sure to reduce your speed to reduce your chance of getting in an accident. 

• Maintain a Safe Following Distance

Some people think that driving close to the person in front of them will magically make the person drive faster. This is not only false, but can pose a threat for both cars involved. The car following has no chance to react to what the car in front does, so even the slightest need to break quickly could result in catastrophic accidents. 

• Minimize All Distractions.

This means not using your cell phone, keeping your eyes on the road, and not eating or drinking (non-alcoholic) beverages to the point where it distracts you. 

Safety is Everyone’s Responsibility

The most important thing is to observe your own negative habits behind the wheel in order to make sure that all your driving experiences are safe. This means never driving when under the influence of alcohol or drugs, when excessively tired, or on prescription medication that indicates driving is not appropriate when using it. 

Look Out For Hazards

Learning to spot and avoid hazards is one of the main parts of defensive driving. Spotting and avoiding hazards effectively requires you to be paying attention to the road and driving at all times. You never know when a car ahead will slam on their breaks, swerve, or some debris will blow into the road. If you have your eyes on the road at all times you will decrease your chance of getting in an accident significantly. 

Keep Yourself Safe

The absolute worst case scenario when driving is getting into an accident which causes you personal injury. Since cars are so large, heavy, and fast it is very easy for accidents to go bad when they do occur. Sometimes car accidents are just that, ‘accidents’. Other times the other driver is obviously at fault, and they may be liable to pay for any medical or other costs associated with the accident. If this situation sounds like something you have been through, the experts at https://seerden-law.com/car-accident-lawyer/ has resources to assist you in getting the compensation you deserve. Personal injuries can take a serious mental, physical, and economic toll on your well-being and should be taken very seriously. Make sure you act immediately after receiving an injury, and get an assessment from a doctor to have a paper trail of your physical traumas. 

 

Insurance

One great reason to drive defensively is to help keep your insurance costs as low as possible. If you get in an accident that isn’t your fault, it can sometimes result in an increase in your insurance premiums if you have to file a substantial claim following an accident. Because of this it is smart to drive defensively not only for your personal safety, but for your personal financial well being as well. 

 

Driving can be an incredibly enjoyable experience, and should be for everyone. This means that everyone on the road needs to drive defensively and be considerate of one another. Hopefully this article has convinced you to drive defensively and given you some insight into how to accomplish that.