Drive to survive – defensive driving 101
Given the real risk on our roads that you’ll encounter a reckless driver, avoiding an accident is about much more than sticking to speed limits and traffic rules. You need to drive defensively.
‘Defensive driving is a responsible way of thinking and reacting on the road,’ says Basil Mann, owner of driver-training company Shayela Approved.
It means keeping your guard up, watching for mistakes other drivers might make and being prepared to deal with sudden dangers. Salve’ Jacobs, coordinator at Toyota Advanced Driving, describes it as a driving technique that’s proactive rather than reactive.
Defence Force
Defensive driving replaces poor habits that are likely to lead to collisions with good habits that prevent accidents. What distinguishes defensive drivers is their ability to maintain concentration and to anticipate, assess and respond properly to potential hazards.
Driving defensively means thinking ahead. Although you can’t know what other drivers are about to do, you can try to anticipate their next move. Staying alert to all that is happening on the road is vital if you’re to be able to react quickly and well to anything unexpected.
Defensive driving techniques are simple and logical but many people ignore them, to their detriment. For example, a basic defensive driving rule is to put enough distance between you and the car in front to avoid rear-ending it. You should allow a two-second gap between you in town, a three-second gap when on the highway, and a gap of four seconds or more in bad weather.
Another good habit is to stay in your lane. Frequent lane changing increases the risk of accidents and slows traffic flow. It seldom gets you to your destination significantly sooner, and you’ll arrive more stressed than you would have had you driven more sensibly.
Defence Budget
Defensive driving can also save you money. By driving defensively you can use between l5% and 30% less fuel, and also save on wear-and-tear items such as brake packs.
Getting defensive driving training could also save you on insurance costs. ‘We believe that it’s high time we encourage road users to invest in their survival,’ says Mann.
Defence Mechanisms
AA Driver Training offers the AA Anti-Collision Course, a defensive driving course that equips you to avoid collisions and dangerous situations. The course consists of a theory seminar, a practical 45-minute training session and a 45-minute defensive driving test a few weeks later.
Alternatively, Audi, BMW, Volkswagen and Mercedes all offer defensive driving courses.
This article originally appeared in COSMPOLITAN, April 2009. Course information has been updated.