What is defensive driving?

You may have seen advertisements for defensive driving courses or read recommendations that everyone should drive defensively. Yet, you may have little idea what it means.

Defensive driving is about lessening the chance you have a crash. It is something you can start practicing right now. While a course can certainly help, many of the techniques are straightforward. Here are some examples:

Learn your vehicle’s blind spots

Getting surprised by another road user who appears to pop out from nowhere can be scary. If you don’t know someone is there, you are more likely to crash into them. All four-wheeled vehicles have blind spots caused by the pillars around the window and the hood among other things. Learning which areas of the road you cannot see allows you to take precautions.

Don’t go too fast

You should drive within the speed limit and at an appropriate speed for the conditions. Remember, going slightly slower gives you more time to notice problems ahead and react to them. The faster you travel, the less chance you have of avoiding a hazard.

Don’t assume others have seen you

People often miss seeing things that are obvious to others. This can apply to a driver who you assume must be able to see you pulling out of your driveway, a pedestrian who you assume must have seen you approaching or a truck driver who you assume must have seen you indicating.

People often miss things because they are distracted or not expecting to see them, and crashes can result from this. If you assume someone might not have seen you instead of assuming they have, you can have an avoidance plan ready in your head in case they proceed as if you were not there.

Driving defensively can reduce the risk of a crash but they can still happen. If they do, learning about your legal options may be necessary.