Defensive Driving

Defensive driving is more than just driving and staring passively through the windscreen at other vehicles and the road ahead. Actually, you have to scan the environmental conditions and the traffic in an active manner and you have to do this on a constant basis – you need to keep a focused vision in order to see everything that might affect your progress on the road. Keep your eyes moving in order not to narrow your sight and lose the ability to detect every movement to the sides. Prevent your eyes from remaining fixed on just one thing because this could diminish your peripheral vision. Your vision is the most useful tool you have when driving and you should use it in an effective way in order to avoid accidents. You need to use your vision in order to signal each of your moves on the road. The defensive driving lane switching techniques are based on this aspect because the driver will have to scan the road ahead and plan the switch well in advance.

Changing lanes incorrectly is one of the most common mistakes. But once you learn and develop the necessary defensive driving techniques for correctly changing the lanes, you will be able to stay accident-free and safe on the roads. Before changing lanes, you will have to scan the road ahead in order to check what the other drivers are doing. It is vitally important for you to watch out for other vehicles that are reducing their speed, for the pedestrians who plan to step on and for the drivers who are about to merge right across your lane. You will also have to pay attention to the brake lights of the other cars in front of you in order to use this as an indicator of trouble ahead. For instance, a vehicle that begins to slow down will hit its brakes giving the vital warning that will alert all the drivers behind. The rear vision mirror must be monitored as well because it can provide you with a wider view when compared to the one provided by your side mirrors. This mirror must be checked with quick glances – you will have to simultaneously keep your attention on the road in front of you in order to avoid hazards. The rear mirror should be used in order to watch out for the vehicles that come up faster than yours.

You will also have to keep a close eye on the cars that signal a lane change right behind you because these vehicles might increase their speed in order to pass your car. You must signal your intention too because communicating with the other drivers on the road plays an important part in the defensive driving techniques. By signaling your intention to the other drivers, you will provide them with the necessary chance to slow down their vehicles and allow you to change the lane in a safe way. Keep in mind that many drivers are likely to make unexpected moves. Therefore, you shouldn't take anything for granted – just get into the right habit of trying to anticipate the worst! The blind spot must be taken into account as well – turn your head in order to take quick glances over the shoulder. This way, you will make sure that there is no driver in the same lane beside you. But if you do notice a car there, you will have to stay in your lane until this car has gone past. Before turning the steering wheel in order to navigate the lane change, you must check everything once again in order to make sure that no driver slows down or strays right into your path. Next, you will have to move gradually into the lane change and you have to do this with just a slight adjustment of your steering wheel. And keep in mind not to change the lane at intersections – do this either after or before intersections.