Defensive driving

How you drive not only affects your driving safety, but the safety of everyone around you and that includes other drivers.  Aggressive driving results in many avoidable car accidents and speeding and traffic violation fines.  Speeding, following too closely, blocking would be passers, etc… are all examples of aggressive driving.  It’s not worth just to get home a little faster on a Friday or to weave in and out of traffic because you are bored or upset with your date or spouse.  It is better to practice defensive driving, which according to the National Institute for Highway Safety, is the safest way to drive.

What exactly is defensive driving?  Defensive driving is where you increase your following distance and leave room for error.  Defensive driving is being reactionary to your environment and allowing time for you to avoid most problems and situations that aggressive driving would not afford you to be able to.  

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Defensive driving is allowing at least 1 car length between your car and the one in front of yours for every 10 miles of speed.  So at 70 mph you should have at least 7 car lengths between your car and the one in front of yours.  This will allow you to brake if there is an accident, blowout, etc…  It is also a good idea to double these distances in bad or inclement weather.  Rain can make roads slick and can cause hydroplaning and loss of traction during hard braking.  Defensive driving will afford you the opportunity to come to a safe stop.

Defensive driving also involves checking your car’s essential safety items regularly like lighting, horn, brakes, etc…  It is better to pay a little in the shop or spend a few minutes making sure everything works than to find out when its too late.  If more people did this more accidents and tragic losses could be avoided.  Check your headlights, windshield wipers, turn signals, brake lights, etc… 

Defensive driving also involves staying ahead or abreast of safe driving education.  Due to the rapidly increasing technologies surrounding our cars and vehicles what was standard ten years ago is now incomplete.  Most state DMV’s offer safe driving and defensive driving classes and many are free or very low cost.  Some insurance companies and community colleges also offer these same classes.  It is a very good idea to take one and become aware of how to be the safest you can be while driving.  Besides, many of these classes will actually take points off your license and can result in a big auto insurance discount.