The Importance of Defensive Driving

The Importance of Defensive Driving
There are many reasons why Defensive Driving is important. Well all know driving is risky business. As a defensive driver, you can avoid crashes and lower the risk behind the wheel.
What is Defensive Driving? Defensive Driving is basically driving in a manner that uses safe driving strategies to enable motorists to address identifiable hazards in a predictable manner. These strategies can go well beyond instruction of basic traffic laws and procedures. Defensive Driving requires all drivers to think, look and act ahead.
Operating a motor vehicle is a serious matter and requires a lot of responsibility. According to statistics, over 40,000 people are killed each year due to automobile accidents that could have been prevented. By taking a defensive approach to driving, you could ultimately save someone else’s life or help prevent an accident.
Defensive driving skills can also help you avoid the dangers caused by other people's bad driving. Before you get behind the wheel, it is important to learn skills that will help you stay in control.
First of all, make sure your own vehicle is in good working condition. Your vehicle should be inspected by a licensed facility at least once a year. Always make sure that your headlights, brake lights, and signal lights are properly working and are clean and free of debris and residue. Also pay close attention to your brakes, tires, windows, steering, wiper blades and horn. These items should be checked regularly. It is important to have your automobile checked at least once a year by a certified professional. If any problems arise, make sure you deal with them as soon as possible because mechanical problems may result in breakdowns or traffic accidents.
It is very important to secure each passenger in the car before you even start up the engine. People do not realize that proper safety constraints are important even if traveling a short distance. Seat belts and car seats for children save thousands of lives each year. Seat belts do several things for you. They provide impact protection, they absorb crash forces, and they keep you from being thrown out of the vehicle. So before take off, make it a habit to check that everyone is properly secured.
Next, you must make sure you are not speeding. You must always follow the speed limit, they are put in place to protect you and others on the road. If an animal jumps out in front of you, and you are speeding, you may swerve and hit another vehicle causing a fatal crash. You may drive off of the road and damage your vehicle.
Not everyone drives well. Some speed aggressively. Some drift into the wrong lane because they simply aren't paying attention. These individuals are called Aggressive drivers. Aggressive drivers may follow too closely, make sudden turns without signaling, or weave in and out of traffic. Aggressive drivers are known road hazards, causing one third of all traffic crashes. Lately, inattentive driving has become more of a problem than in the past. People attempt to "multitask" by talking on the phone, texting, eating, or even watching TV as they drive. In order to avoid these road hazards, You need to become a Defensive Driver!
It is a good idea to take a Defensive Driving course. The benefits of taking a defensive driving class vary with each state, but often include a reduction of points on your driver’s license following a citation and the guarantee that insurance rates will not increase. In some states, taking a defensive driving course can cause a reduction of up to 10% in your insurance rates for a time of three to five years. On top of everything, you get the necessary knowledge to successfully drive defensively!
Defensive driving can help you protect your family! You can't control the actions of other drivers. But, by gaining defensive driving skills, you can avoid the dangers caused by other people's bad driving.