Defensive Driver Goals
- Identify driving hazards & understand defensive driving techniques.
- Use defensive driving techniques to prevent accidents and injuries on the road.
- Learn to make choices that empower you to maintain control over your driving behavior, independent of others’ influence.
- Focus on driving strategies that can prevent accidents and save lives.
How Can I Be a More Defensive Driver?
- Recognize the risky attitudes and behaviors that contribute to road-related problems.
- Learn strategies to prevent an accident.
- Know what it means to be a defensive driver.
- Identify whether a collision was preventable.
- Understand the DDC Collision Prevention Formula and the three basic steps in collision avoidance: recognize the hazard, understand the defense, and act in time.
- Know how to consistently recognize driving hazards.
Driving Hazards
1. Distracted driving
2. Fatigue
3. Aggressive driving
4. Failure to keep vehicles in good operating condition
5. Driving under the influence
Dangerous Conditions
1. Bad Weather
2. Difficult road conditions
3. Poor light or glare
4. Heavy traffic
5. Road work Accidents
What you need to know!
AVOID COLLISIONS
Prevent accidents, head-on collisions, hit-from-behinds, rear-ending the car in front, & sideswipe collisions. Recognize the hazard by scanning the road ahead; scanning one block ahead in urban areas; and scanning to the next curve, hill, or overpass in rural areas or on expressways.
Nobody technically has the “right-of-way”
Always perform a thorough scan before proceeding from an intersection, particularly if you’re the first person at a stop sign or red light. Be attentive to other drivers’ intentions and practice delayed acceleration when necessary. It’s important not to let external pressures, such as horn-blowing, gestures, or aggressive driving behaviors, influence you into making hasty or unsafe decisions.
Seatbelts save lives
Wearing your seatbelt prevents you from colliding with the steering wheel, dashboard, or windshield in the event of a crash. It keeps you securely inside the vehicle, safeguarding your internal organs and increasing the likelihood of remaining conscious. Additionally, it helps keep you behind the wheel if you need to swerve or brake suddenly, and it prevents others in the car from becoming dangerous projectiles.
Safe Driver Awareness
Keep your eyes moving – continually scan your surroundings. Check all mirrors. Watch the taillights in front of you. Keep an eye out for bikes, pedestrians, parking lot entrances/exits, overhead wires, delivery vans, and dumpsters
Your Body Condition
Increase your healthy living by enhancing your dietary habits, improving sleep quality, effectively managing stress, integrating exercise into your daily routine, and prioritizing your overall well-being. By adopting these practices, you can retire in good health and emerge victorious in the “Game of Life.”
Backing Up
Avoid backing up whenever possible. Get out and look before backing up. Be sure to look high and low. Lower the window, turn off the radio and your phone. Look for overhead obstructions. Go slow and stop if in doubt.
Alcohol & Drug Impairment
Alcohol and drug impairment follow a progressive decline in mental and physical abilities:
- Judgment: The first mental ability affected, leading to impaired decision-making.
- Concentration: The second mental ability deteriorates, resulting in difficulty shifting attention between tasks.
- Comprehension: The third mental ability lost, causing confusion or aggression and hindering understanding of current activities.
- Coordination: The initial physical ability is affected, resulting in diminished motor skills. Vision and Hearing Acuity: Subsequent decline in sight and cognitive hearing, leading to limited or absent perception.
- Consciousness: The culmination of mental and physical impairment, indicating a potentially life-threatening situation.
