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Quite a few years ago, as I was taking a drive on the freeway at a safe but swift clip, I noticed the vehicle two cars ahead of me swerve quickly to the right. Shortly thereafter, the driver in the car directly in front of me proceeded to do the same. As you can imagine, I swerved right a few seconds later. The culprit: a mattress in the fast lane of the I-10 freeway; Los Angeles, CA. Happily, I was able to make a quick maneuver safely to the right without incident. Had I been the defensive driver I am today, I would have reduced speed and made the lane change when I noticed what seemed like erratic behavior on the part of the driver in first car, two lengths ahead.
Hometravelagency.com defines defensive driving as, “the act or practice of operating an automobile in such a way as to minimize accidents, especially by looking out for and avoiding others who are driving badly.” However, the point of defensive driving is to anticipate potentially dangerous conditions and steer clear of them. This type of driving can protect not only the driver but quite possibly everyone on the road around him or her.
Unfortunately, there are too many motorists who have not learned and mastered the skill of defensive driving. According to the National Safety Council, car accidents are the leading cause of death for people between the ages 2-39 and 50-72. With more and more cars on the road, many with new drivers behind the wheel, the need for defensive driving training is even greater.
Perhaps you too are in need of a defensive driving course, where do you start? I have listed a few suggestions to help with the ‘weeding and seeding’ process of finding the course that’s right for you.
A good place to start is with the National Safety Council (NSC). The NSC is a nonprofit established in 1913 for the sole purpose of educating people about safety and health issues in an effort to prevent as many accidents and injuries as possible. The NSC has partnered with various government entities and other nonprofit organizations to provide the best safety training courses available. Companies and individuals can sign up for defensive driving courses by state. You can find them online at: http://www.nsc.org/Pages/Home.aspx or call 800-621-7615.
Another good source for finding defensive driver instruction is the Unofficial DMV Guide. This is a privately owned company geared toward simplifying all things DMV related, for anyone in need of services. The Unofficial DMV Guide provides license and registration information, driving schools, traffic schools, by state; as well as insurance information, information on how to get driving records, practice tests, etc. The site is comprehensive and user friendly: http://www.dmv.org/.
The AARP is another reputable organization that offers defensive driving course information. These courses are open to anyone interested irrespective of age. Training courses can be taken online or in a classroom setting and membership is not required. For more information visit the AARP website at: http://www.aarp.org/families/driver_safety/ or call, 888-489-8631.
This is just a small sampling of the vast amount of defensive driving course information that is available. But I hope this helps in your search for a reputable defensive driver training program.
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