The term “Defensive Driver” has been used time and again by personnel interested in the reduction of vehicular accidents, both in at work and outside of work. However, what does this term “Defensive Driver” mean?
“Defensive Driver” is an old, but still good, term that is widely used — and misused. It is actually and simply a mixture of courtesy and plain old common sense. It does not connote a timid driver but, rather, a confident, accident-free driver. Every truly professional driver is a defensive driver, every instant of his/her driving day.
Let us examine and analyze “Who Is a Defensive Driver?”
There are a few excellent questions to help you assess the degree of “Defensiveness” that exists in your driving pattern.
Here are the questions. Answer them honestly and if the answer to any one is “YES”, you have something of value to learn from the PRO (professional driver).
- Do you often make fast stops? The defensive driver seldom, if ever, has to “hit the brakes”. He/she stays alert to the situation ahead and slows down in advance. Quick stops indicate a failure to foresee trouble in time to avoid a panic stop.
- Do you have close calls at intersections? The defensive driver doesn’t; he/she approaches each and every intersection prepared to deal with sudden and unexpected actions of other drivers. He/she is aware that the other persons may fail to yield the right-of-way.
- Do you have to brake when turning corners? The defensive driver doesn’t; he/she eases up on the gas pedal, brakes down and downshifts prior to reaching the corner. He/she then proceeds around the corner in the lower gear prepared to accelerate when traffic conditions permit.
- Do you have to “hit the brakes” when the driver ahead of you stops short? The defensive driver doesn’t; he/she always stays far enough behind so that he can slow down easily if the car ahead stops short.
- Do you glide past cars that are stopped, preparing to turn? The defensive driver doesn’t; he/she passes with caution, aware that the stopped car may change his/her mind or that there may be a pedestrian in front of the stopped car.
How to Drive Defensively
Steps
1. Stay focused, keeping your hands on the wheel. Defensive drivers concentrate on the road, keeping their hands at the 10 o’clock-2 o’clock position. They don’t do other tasks while driving, some of which are illegal. These include:
- Eating
- Applying makeup
- Holding a dog
- Tending to a child
- Operating a hand-held cell phone
- Texting
2. Keep your eyes moving. Continuously look in your mirrors and scan the road ahead, checking for hazards and slowing traffic so you can anticipate problems before they develop.
3. Stay alert. Don’t drive if you’re tired or upset.
4. Go with the flow. Most drivers know that speeding is a major cause of accidents, but driving too slow can be dangerous, too. Drive at speeds that most other vehicles are going.
5. Use the 2 second rule on heavily traveled roads to maintain adequate spacing with the car in front of you.
- Choose a fixed object on the road ahead of you.
- Count “1 independence, 2 independence” when the car in front of you goes by the object. If you pass the same object before you’re done counting, slow down a bit. The 2 second rule helps reduce the chance of a rear-end collision when cars in front make sudden stops.
6. Make yourself visible. Many accidents occur because drivers didn’t see the other car. There are a few simple ways to make your presence known, making the road safer for everyone. They include:
- Turn signals: Use your turn signals to let other drivers know where you’re going. By using your blinkers, other drivers will be able to anticipate your actions and slow down safely.
- Headlights: Turn on your headlights at dusk or anytime it is raining. This is more for other drivers to see you than for you to see the road. In some states it is illegal to drive without your headlights on while the windshield wipers are in operation.
- Brake lights: Operational brake lights are a safety must. They warn cars behind you that you’re slowing down, signaling them to reduce speed, too.
- Avoid blind spots: Don’t linger in areas where the driver in front of you can’t see you. Many people will only check their mirrors before making a lane change. If you’re lurking slightly behind and a lane away from another vehicle, assume that the driver of that car can’t see you. Either safely speed up or slow down to avoid this scenario, which often results in an accident. This is an important defensive-driving technique.
7. Resist road rage. Aggressive drivers may infuriate you, but retaliating with similar tactics is dangerous. Take a passive approach in dealing with road rage. Use these strategies in specific road-rage scenarios:
- Tailgaters: If the driver behind you is right on your bumper, tap the brakes a few times to let the driver know that he’s not maintaining a safe distance. If he stays on your tail, slow down gradually. Chances are the tailgater will eventually pass you.
- Speeders: If you see a car speeding or aggressively changing lanes behind you, stay in your lane while maintaining your speed.
8. Adapt to road conditions. Even light rain can produce dangerous conditions, particularly early in the season when the water picks up oil from the road surface, making it slippery. Tires lose their grip at higher speeds, so slowing down in inclement weather is a fundamental defensive-driving technique.
9. Familiarize yourself with traffic rules. Refresh your memory by browsing a Department of Motor Vehicles pamphlet detailing the rules of the road. It provides guidelines on rights of way, road signs, traffic law, and contains tips on safe driving.
10. Avoid Rear-Enders in Intersections: Move only when it is clear. Sometimes an intersection gets backed up with traffic.
- If you’re the first car to go at green, make sure traffic on the other side of the intersection that you are moving into has cleared before you decide to go. This can prevent you from getting in a situation where you might get
- T-boned if you get stuck or stalled in an intersection.
- Turning into an intersection: a lot of rear-end collisions happen when the driver behind you assumes you are going to complete the turn, even if traffic is backed up.
- Give yourself enough room: if you must stop in an intersection, slow down carefully and keep distance from any other cars that have yet to complete the intersection. If the person behind you ‘flip-flops’ and rear-ends your car, you’ll save yourself the trouble the car in front of you is not involved.