Being a defensive driver means driving to prevent accidents in spite of the actions of others or the presence of adverse driving conditions. In other words, defensive driving means that you are ready for any and all surprises on the road.
To avoid accidents by practicing defensive driving, follow a three-step process of seeing hazards, understanding potential defenses and acting in time.
- See the Hazard:
Think about what may happen as far ahead of you as possible, and never assume that hazards will resolve themselves before you reach them.
- Understand the Defence:
Review a potentially hazardous situation in your mind after you see it so that you can act quickly and in plenty of time. This will allow you to formulate a defence that will prevent an accident.
- Act in Time:
Once you see a hazard and decide upon a defence, you must act immediately. The sooner you act, the more time you will have to avoid a potentially dangerous situation.
Defensive driving requires the knowledge and strict observance of all traffic rules and regulations applicable to the area you are driving in.
It also means that you should be alert for illegal actions and driving errors made by others, and have a willingness to make timely adjustments to your own driving to avoid an accident.
Safety First
By keeping safe driving techniques in mind, you will learn how to modify and tailor your own driving behaviour to the unexpected actions of other drivers, pedestrians and animals on the road.
By doing so, you’ll be ready for unpredictable factors such as light, weather, road conditions, traffic patterns and mechanical troubles.