Notify police if a motorist is driving suspiciously. Defensive driving is a way of operating your vehicle to avoid accidents due to the actions of others. You may have heard mention of defensive driving, but do you really know what it means. Identify a gap in traffic and merge with the traffic flow. There are six major causes of car collisions and accidents. Download the aviva drive app to put your ontheroad skills to the test. Once on the freeway, adjust your speed to keep a cushion of space around your car. National safety council defensive driving course 1 800 6217619.
People will speed, drive on red, and not let you merge from time to time. If planning to drink, designate a driver who will not drink. Defensive driving strategies by ted ingalls ask the group who is responsible for driving safely. Read about the principles and benefits of defensive driving. Your guide to traffic safetyisnt like most safety brochures. In the mean time, here are some defensive driving basics. Do not merge early defensive driving driving driving tips minnesota mndot nervous adult behind the wheel training safe driving tips zipper merge. Defensive driving also utilises key skills to increase fuel economy, vehicle wear and time. Defensive driving encourages drivers to expect the unexpected and take precautions to prevent accidents before they happen. Defensive driving is safe driving, which helps decrease the chance of you being in accident.
Safe driving for work drivers handbook health and safety authority. Tips for safe driving national highway traffic safety. These types of drivers need to become defensive drivers. First, identify a gap between cars on the freeway where you can merge. Anything significantly higher or lower and youll become a hazard to everyone around you. Do not assume another driver is going to move out of the way or allow you to merge. Mastering the merge posted on january 3, 2011 by defensive driving team in defensive driving online. Defensive drivinghighway traffic be aware of your surroundings. Defensive driving tips ensure that all passengers have seatbelts secure before starting engine. Driving on city streets requires a drivers undivided attention and complete concentration. The level of defensive driving varies considerably and can be selftaught to advance ones own basic driving abilities or can be taken in the form of a professional driving course conducted by trained professionals. Good judgment and timing are needed to merge smoothly with fastmoving. Driver should require all occupants to wear seat belts as they were designed for use in your personal or leased vehicle. No driver manual can completely teach you how to op erate a vehicle or be a.
New hampshire driver license, but it will highlight safe driving tips and techniques that can help. Safety authority as a tool for working drivers to help them understand. To avoid and accident or causing a traffic jam, its best to go with the flow of traffic which should be right around the speed limit. Check your vehicle manual to make sure that the load, including the. Stay alert and keep eyes moving so that you can keep track of. For this reason, motorists should drive defensively and take precautions when passing vehicles to prevent merging collisions. Honking the horn, yelling, or making rude gestures b. If you are interested in learning more about defensive driving, classes are available locally, through a dvd set, or online. It focuses on critical driver safety issues and the methods taken to control hazards that are the cause of most accidents. Staying safe when riding is top of the priority list for any biker, and riding defensively is one of the best ways to prevent accidents.
Keep an eye on pedestrians, bicyclists, and pets along the road. Many defensive driving classes are available online and in your area. It is up to us to drive safely and to look out for others. The great american roadtrip forum 70 rules of defensive driving. Freeway ramps are a place for cars to enter and exit safely. Defensive driving is driving to prevent crashes in spite of the incorrect actions of others or adverse driving conditions, such as weather, traffic, lighting, vehicle or road condition, or a drivers physical or mental state. Aaa safe driving for mature operators program call your local aaa club to find a class near you. Studies have shown a gradual decrease of traffic fatalities over the years. These defensive driving skills can help you avoid the dangers caused by. This can make a great gift for a young family member, or you can use it as a preventive exercise for yourself. Illinois a quick guide to safe driving illinois secretary of state. Driving too fast or too slow increases the likelihood of collisions. These are our favorite tips to enjoy your commute and stop. Defensive driving techniques and safety tips defensive driving techniques.
Leaving at least two car lengths between your car and the car in front of you c. Its designed to help you get where youre going without a traffic ticket and all in one piece. Use these defensive driving tips on a daily basis to form habits. Write the groups ideas on the flip chart or whiteboard. These 5 defensive driving tips are essential to becoming a safe driver. Ask the group to identify the major causes of vehicle incidents. Although the driving process consists of the driver, vehicle and environment, the primary causal factor in most vehicle collisions is the driver. Once they become second nature, youll be a safer driver. The keys to defensive driving for teens nemours kidshealth. When you are on a highway and there is a lane closure up ahead, it is best to use all lanes until you reach the closure. Road hazards, weather conditions, speed, and distractions all make driving a risky business. Youve probably heard these tips before, but having a refresher during the nationally ranked most dangerous days on the road can only help. Its a quick source of info on important traffic safety topics.
Above all else, make sure youre covered with an affordable car insurance policy. Awareness and proactiveness are key to defensive driving. Defensive driving top 10 tips defensive driving is defined as driving to save lives, time and money in spite of the conditions around you and the actions of other. According to the aaa foundation for traffic safety, aggressive and dangerous driving accounts for 56 percent of fatal car crashes. Defensive driving is one of the most important things you can do to prevent injury on the job. Adopting defensive driving techniques can keep you and others safe on the road. Years back, a timid friend of mine went for her first driving lesson. Staying alert for others to make mistakes is an essential defensive driving trick. It only takes a split second of carelessness or one distracted moment, and a child can be killed or injured for life. Defensive driving theories dealing with aggressive drivers backing the vehicle highway driving city driving rural driving emergency situations vehicle accidents.
But is multitasking, skipping a step or taking your eyes off the road worth risking a life. Think of it as a cliffs notes guide to traffic safety. Defensive driving techniques, road courtesy and safety defensive driving is often defined as preventing crashes before they occur, it is the demonstration of an attitude, awareness and driving skills such as. Be safe out there with these 5 triedandtrue defensive driving tips. To avoid accidents, a defensive driver should always pay attention to the actions of the other drivers. Aug 06, 2019 also, respect other drivers when they signal and allow them to turn, change lanes, and merge safely. Do not merge early defensive driving driving driving tips minnesota mndot nervous adult. Avoiding aggressive and inattentive driving tendencies yourself will put you in a stronger position to deal with other peoples bad driving. Defensive drivers anticipate other drivers mistakes, maintain a safe speed and distance from other vehicles, and stay alert. Change lanes or adjust your speed to allow others to enter the highway safely. By most estimates, over twentytwo million are injured. Top 20 defensive driving tips to keep you safe trusted choice.
Not to mention how driving defensively can help you save money. Also, respect other drivers when they signal and allow them to turn, change lanes, and merge safely. Mar 12, 2018 people will speed, drive on red, and not let you merge from time to time. Practice defensive driving top 10 safe driving tips. While every situation is different and will require its own specific course of action, there are 5 very basic defensive driving. The high speeds of controlledaccess highways and the density of traffic on them require a special set of driving strategies. Defensive driving incorporates the other tips shown here, such as maintaining a safe distance and not speeding, but remaining calm in the face of frustrating traffic issues is another major part of the concept.
Here are our top 7 defensive riding tips, designed to help you minimise your risk of vehicle accidents and stay safe when riding on britains busy roads. Then, continue increasing your speed until you reach the gap you selected. Unlike many of us, who had been practicing with our parents, she had never actually driven a car before. Stay focused and avoid distractions, such as eating, drinking, talking to passengers, reading, grooming, reaching for items, or using electronic devices. Check your mirrors frequently and scan conditions 20 to 30 seconds ahead of you. Read these 5 ways you could become a defensive driver, and help keep the road a safer place. Help decrease traffic jams by using the zipper merge. Truck driving continues to be one of the most dangerous occupations, along with fishing, forestry, and flying planes.
Stay alert and keep eyes moving so that you can keep track of what is happening at all times. Check instruments and gauges of the vehicle before leaving. Recognizing potentially dangerous situations well in advance can. Top tips for creating a defensive driving state of mind sometimes it can feel like other drivers arent paying attention, or they are being just plain reckless on the road.
And cdl drivers or drivers towing a trailer, remember the extra weight makes it harder to stop. Defensive driving techniques to protect yourself on the road. Defensive driving is defined as driving to save lives, time, and money, in spite of the conditions around you and the actions of others. Defensive driving top 10 tips defensive driving is defined as driving to safe lives, time and money in spite of the conditions around you and the actions of other. Adjust your speed to match the flow of traffic before entering the roadway. Tips and techniques driving is an individual responsibility to obey the rules of the road, drive defensively and be courteous to all drivers. Driver incompetence a great number of drivers lack the proper. Jan 29, 2016 defensive driving is safe driving, which helps decrease the chance of you being in accident. Defensive driving take 5 for safety texas department of. Unless you have a green leftturn arrow, it may be safer and less nervewracking to go further up the road and make three right turns, so youre ultimately turning right into where you want to go, rather than having to judge the speed of oncoming traffic and find the safe gap for a lefthand turn, says bill van tassel, aaa manager of driver.
Its designed to help you get where youre going without a traffic ticket and. Yield also means to stop if you cannot merge safely into the. A defensive driver takes every reasonable precaution to prevent traffic collisions. Driving etiquette rules for the road readers digest. Stay safe on your motorbike our top 7 defensive riding tips. Defensive driving simply means to drive without having a preventable accident. Learning defensive driving techniques can also help you make better. Following these defensive driving tips can help reduce your risk behind the wheel.
It can be a jungle out there on the road and timecrunched drivers often produce a hectic environment full of. Read these and other driver safety tips from aarps driver resource center. The following is a list of the most important defensive driving techniques you will learn. If you accelerate quickly to a proper merge speed, you can safely enter the flow of traffic. Stay alert, leave enough space between your vehicle and others, and adjust appropriately to any dangerous situations. Unfortunately, traffic accidents are still one of the leading causes of death in north america.
Defensive driving techniques is an intermediate online safety course that offers extended driving training. Adjust your speed to merge safely and legally into the traffic in. Accept small delays, such as staying in line behind a slower car instead of abruptly changing lanes. Driving should be taken seriously in recent years, traffic fatalities have accounted for. Share this page on twitter share this page on facebook share this page on linkedin.
You may not be able to control the actions of others but by sharpening ones skills. To help keep you and your passengers safe, here are ten defensive driving tips that go above and beyond. A defensive driver takes every reasonable precaution to. Defensive driving commercial motor vehicle drivers. Heavy traffic, narrow, streets, and obstructed views are just some of the challenges the driver of a commercial motor vehicle faces when driving in the city. Since the greatest chance of a collision is in front of you, establish and maintain a safe following.