what is defensive drivers course

Full Answer

What's covered in a defensive driving course?

What is Covered in a Defensive Driving Course?

• Basic traffic laws
• Tips to recognize potential dangers
• Statistics about distracted driving and driving while intoxicated
• Instruction on how to control your vehicle in inclement weather and road conditions
• Railroad crossings
• Basic vehicle maintenance
• Attitude and awareness. ...

What are the rules of defensive driving?

• Scanning the roadway and adapting to surroundings
• Employing the two-second rule for following distances
• Knowing your vehicle's stopping distance
• Being aware of reaction distance
• Environment hazards
• Vehicle emergencies
• Sharing the road
• Passing and necessary clear distance
• Right of way
• Speed adjustments and railroad crossings

What is the best defensive driving course in Texas?

iDriveSafely is one of the best online defensive driving courses you can sign up for in Texas and it’s the most widely used course as well. If you’d rather take a text-based defensive driving course, this will be a better option.

What are some tips for defensive driving?

Top 10 Defensive Driving Tips

1. Stay Focused & Alert. The first defensive driving tip seems obvious, yet many drivers don’t follow it. ...
2. Assume Other Drivers Are Bad Drivers. This rule is reinforced repeatedly in driving school. ...
3. Follow 3 or 4 Seconds Behind. ...
4. Reduce Speed (Within Reason) This tip is obvious. ...
5. Avoid Other Drivers’ Blind Spots. ...
6. Know How to Escape. ...
7. Invest in Maintenance. ...

More items...

Is defensive driving course good?

The short answer is yes, defensive driving courses are worth the money. Defensive driving courses give drivers a new perspective on viewing the road. They help drivers identify dangerous situations before they unfold. Defensive drivers can determine and mitigate risky behavior from other drivers.

What is the meaning of defensive driving?

Defensive driving describes the practice of drivers who consciously reduce the dangers associated with driving. Defensive driving techniques reduce the likelihood of a collision or incident and can even save costs related to vehicle maintenance and fuel consumption, by driving smoothly and steadily.

What is an example of a defensive driver?

Pay Attention To Your Surroundings – Check your mirrors, keep your eyes moving constantly, be aware of slowing cars or brake lights ahead, avoid road hazards, and pay attention to weather-related conditions which could impend safe driving.

What is defensive driving and why is it important?

Defensive driving is all about avoiding unexpected dangers on the road. From bad weather to distracted drivers, there are all sorts of dangers that can lead to a crash. As a defensive driver, you can defend yourself against these threats by being cognizant of the road and knowing how to act quickly to avoid a crash.

What are the 5 rules of defensive driving?

Top 5 Rules Of Defensive DrivingLook up ahead. It sounds obvious to make sure you're looking ahead rather than what's directly in front of you. ... Be aware of blind spots. ... Slow down at all intersections. ... Maintain a safe following distance. ... Minimize all distractions.

What are the 3 basic principles of defensive driving?

Pass to stay alive. Speed up to get around the other vehicle. Get back into the right lane as quickly as possible. Do not pass unless you can see far enough ahead.

What makes a good defensive driver?

Defensive driving means getting in the habit of taking a quick peek down intersecting streets as you approach them so you can avoid being T-boned by a careless driver not paying attention to their red light. The ultimate goal is to always anticipate where vehicles will be a few seconds later so you can respond quickly.

What's the second rule in driving?

Question: What is the two-second rule? Answer: The two-second rule is the rule most states have adopted to keep a safe following distance between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead. It's the most simple way to know if you're following another vehicle too closely or not.

What is the most important part of defensive driving?

The most important aspect of driving defensively, is the practice of safe road habits. You won't grasp this concept until you obey the rules of the road, and minimize the risks you take. It starts here. Fortunately, safe driving is one of the easiest ways to improve your defensive driving skills.

What should I be checking on my car?

SHORT TERM CHECK-UPSOIL AND COOLANT LEVELS. ... AIR FILTER. ... TIRE PRESSURE AND TREAD DEPTH. ... HEADLIGHTS, TURN SIGNALS, BRAKE, AND PARKING LIGHTS. ... OIL & FILTER. ... ROTATE TIRES. ... WAX VEHICLE. ... TRANSMISSION FLUID.More items...•

Why does a good defensive driver allow for the mistakes of others?

Defensive driving helps you lower the amount of errors you make, as well as mitigate the risks of errors that drivers around you. For example, giving yourself a “space cushion” on all sides of your vehicle allows you to quickly move over to avoid a crash.

What is the average drivers reaction time?

A professional driver who is physically fit and trained in high-speed driving might have a reaction time of 0.2 seconds for a given situation, while the average motorist may have a slower reaction time of 0.5 seconds, 0.8 seconds or even 1 second.

What Is Defensive Driving?

Do you remember the last accident or near accident you experienced while driving? If you avoided the accident, do you remember how you avoided it?

Is Defensive Driving School the Same as Drivers Education?

Defensive driving and driver’s education are not the same. Drivers education may include defensive driving skills but its focus is on teaching an individual how to drive, read traffic signs, and be aware of driving laws.

Benefits of a Defensive Driving Course

The main benefit of a defensive driving course is you become a better and safer driver. Other benefits include a reduction of points on your driver’s license after a ticket or accident. Some car insurance companies will reduce your insurance rates by as much as 10% after you take a defensive driving course.

Improve Your Skills With Defensive Driving

Learning and following defensive driving skills is the best way you can avoid accidents and stay safe on the roadway. Not only will defensive driving benefit you but it will keep others on the road safe, too!

Traffic Crashes

Losses from traffic crashes have both social and personal impacts. Approximately 41,000 die annually as a result of traffic collisions, with an additional 3,236,000 injuries. About 38% of all fatal car crashes are alcohol related with another 30% attributed to speeding.

Psychological Factors

On the roadways, drivers have to deal with several factors that can affect their driving. Though some of them are beyond the control of the driver, psychological factors can be controlled by the driver if he knows what to look for and how to handle it.

The Dynamics of a Crash

Vehicle crashes are almost always a preventable result of a series of events. The combination of speed, place of impact and size of object being impacted can determine the severity of the crash. In every accident, however, the act of one vehicle hitting another vehicle or other object is not the only collision that can occur.

Safety Equipment

Approximately half of all deaths that are result of an automobile crash could have been avoided if the victim were wearing a safety belt properly. Of course safety belts are only the most commonly thought of vehicle safety equipment.

Crash Prevention Techniques

The key to any good defensive driving strategy is knowing how to avoid traffic crashes and recognize potential hazards before it's too late. That's why defensive driving courses tend to present a lot of information on crash prevention techniques.

State Traffic Laws

The final portion of many state defensive driving curriculum requirements is state-specific traffic laws. While for many students this portion serves as a mere refresher course, state traffic laws are not always known by all students.

Defensive Driving Courses

SafeMotorist.com Driving Safety Articles: This article was written by SafeMotorist.com defensive driving staff writers and reviewed for accuracy by defensive driving instructors. All articles are based on current traffic laws and defensive driving practices.

What is defensive driving?

What is a defensive driving course? A defensive driving course helps drivers become more aware of how to reduce risks while driving. A typical defensive driving course consists of several classroom sessions followed by a practical session in a car with an instructor which must be completed within 60 days of finishing the theory part of the course.

What are the topics covered in the course of driving?

The types of topics covered include: Understanding human factors in driving. Perceiving hazards before they become a problem. Defensive driving techniques and how to apply them. Managing fatigue and distractions. Understanding braking distances and cornering forces. Understanding vehicle performance and overtaking.

How old do you have to be to take a driving test?

The minimum age is 17 years 6 months to take the full licence test. Drivers 25 and over: 3 months (usually 6 months). Drivers on a full licence may be required to do a defensive driving course by their employer. Drivers who are disqualified from driving may be required by the court to do a defensive driving course.

Can you learn off road driving?

You won’t learn off-road driving, pursuit techniques or techniques for chauffeurs. All the things you learn will be useful if you take it to the next level in one of these disciplines, though. By Darren Cottingham. Darren is a member of the Institute of Advanced Motorists and the NZ Motoring Writers' Guild.

What is defensive driving?

It is also a safe driving technique that all drivers should use. Driving defensively includes: Looking ahead and expecting the unexpected. Controlling your speed.

How to take defensive driving classes?

Defensive driving courses can typically be taken either online or in a classroom. The acceptable format (s) varies by state. You can find defensive driving courses in two ways: Do an online search for approved courses in your state. Call your traffic court or driver licensing agency for requirements and approved courses.

Can you start and stop a course?

You can usually start and stop the course at your leisure. You can typically pace the course to match your learning style. You can replay a section if you don't understand what was covered. You can adjust visual and audio settings to your needs.

What does a good defensive driver do?

All drivers can be unpredictable on the road, so by attending a defensive driving course and being a good defensive driver you will reduce the chance of other peoples’ mistakes affecting you and your vehicle.

Why is defensive driving important?

In 2019, there were 1,752 people killed on the roads in Britain and 25,945 people seriously injured. Within the same year there was a total of 153,158 casualties of all severities in road traffic crashes.

When should I do a defensive driving course?

You can do a defensive driving course at any time. It’s vital that your organisation keeps employees safe and does everything possible to ensure this, therefore it’s best practice to establish a proactive approach to safety.

How to I become a defensive driver?

Here at RoSPA, we provide drivers with a qualification in defensive driving. To find out more about this course, please see below:

What is a behavioral driven course?

Behavioral-driven course designed to change drivers' attitudes associated with distracted driving and using a cell phone and other electronic devices while driving. A self-assessment evaluates participants driving habits and defines content specific to their risk level.

What is the most important job for a driver?

The most important job of any driver is safety. The National Safety Council, together with SafetyServe, offers the nation's most respected and highly rated online defensive driving course.

What is defensive driving?

Defensive driving courses teach safe driving techniques for car accident prevention. Essentially, you will learn how to drive respectfully in relation to other motorists.

How to contact Geico about defensive driving?

Other Defensive Driver courses may qualify; if you have questions about a course being eligible, contact an agent at (800) 861-8380.

Does Massachusetts offer defensive driver discount?

Massachusetts does not offer the Defensive Driver discount at this time; however, you may be eligible for other car insurance discounts. Michigan Discounts. Michigan does not offer the Defensive Driver discount at this time; however, you may be eligible for other car insurance discounts.