How to Be A Defensive Driver

The world needs more defensive drivers. These are the people who take nothing for granted on the road, who drive proactively, and help keep the highways safe. In this article, I will give you some tips on how to improve your driving habits, so you too can be a better defensive driver.

Defensive driving starts with one basic premise -- never take anything for granted. So what if you have the right of way. Do you think everybody always follows the laws? Hardly. Even when you have the right of way, you must stay focused to your surroundings, to make sure no other driver is going to pull out in front of you.

If the traffic light is red, some people are going to run it. If the blinker is indicating they're going to take a right, some people will take a left or go straight. Even if you're in front or to the side of somebody, that does not mean that they necessarily see you. They can be too busy doing other things like talking on the phone when they should be paying attention to the road.

A defensive driver knows all of these things are possible, and they prepare themselves for these situations. They do not go through the motions, but they are always focused on the others around them, they always assume that other drivers are going to make a mistake. With this mentality, you are always alert to changes when driving, therefore improving your chances of safety.

What are some other tips that you can use to improve your defensive driving skills?

1. Keep your wheel straight when waiting to turn into oncoming traffic. This way if you are hit from behind, your car will not be pushed into the opposite lane.

2. Stay farther away from larger vehicles and do not drive next to them any longer than you have to. Drivers in larger vehicles have a hard time seeing those around them and also they can block you in to an unfavorable situation.

3. In normal conditions, stay a least three seconds behind another vehicle. In worse conditions, stay five seconds behind. Remember that it takes people at least a half a second to react to a situation.

In conclusion, I have given you some simple guidelines that should improve your driving skills and make you a better defensive driver.