Defensive Driving

It’s so tempting to pick up our phones while sitting at red lights or even while driving, especially if we receive a notification. Take the temptation away by putting your phone on silent or do not disturb so you won’t be distracted by any incoming messages or calls. If you opt to leave your phone notification sounds on, avoid texting while driving or checking social media. Limit yourself to only taking important calls.

This defensive driving rule of thumb is easy to ignore but is so important to roadway safety. You never know when the person in front of you may slam on their brakes or realize they need to make a turn. Allowing enough space between yourself and the car in front of you gives you plenty of time to react should they make an unexpected move. The general rule is to leave two seconds worth of space between yourself and the car in front of you. Choose a stationary marker, like a light pole, and count the time between the car in front of it passing it and when you pass it. If it is less than two seconds, ease up on the gas until you reach the recommended two second spacing.

While driving, we often lower our gaze to the car or road directly in front of us. By keeping your eyes up, you get a bigger picture of your surroundings. You never know when something further up ahead will be what causes a potential accident for you. Keep your eyes up and looking ahead of you so you can anticipate any hazards that may get in your way.

Many accidents happen from behind or from the side. Using your mirrors will not only help you make safer moves on the road, it will also keep you aware of the movements of the cars around you. If you are braking or stopped but notice the car in your rearview mirror is not stopping fast enough, move into the lane next to you if it is safe to do so or pull into an emergency lane to give them extra space to stop. Use your mirrors to always find an escape route for any direction an accident may occur. Mirrors are a driver’s best way to get a full picture of what is happening on the road around them.

Right of Way is a key rule of the road that helps us avoid crashes in vulnerable areas, mainly intersections. Pedestrians always have the right of way. As a rule of thumb, the first car to pull up to a four-way stop has the right of way. From there, the person directly to their right obtains the right of way, and so on. If you have a yield sign, the main way traffic has the right of way. Cars already driving through a parking lot have the right of way over someone trying to pull out of a parking spot. If you want to turn left at a green light (when there is no left green arrow), wait for all opposite direction through traffic to pass before you attempt to turn. Following the rules of right of way will help you avoid many stressful interactions on the road. Check out dmv.org for a more in depth look at intersections and right of way.

The point of defensive driving is to help you avoid the potential mistakes of other drivers on the road. You may be a great driver, but there will always be other drivers on the road that are not driving according to roadway safety rules and standards. Staying alert at all times will help you avoid dangerous situations as you drive. Alertness and awareness is the number one rule of defensive driving because, as long as you are aware of what is going on around you, you have the chance to stop an accident from happening. If something may distract you while you’re driving, like the radio, turn it off. If you are especially tired or emotional, don’t get behind the wheel. Always make sure you put yourself in the optimal situation to be an alert and aware driver.