Defensive driving is a method that should be applied to ensure safety. There some basic defensive driving techniques that we should consider. Signaling is a good defensive habit that we should implement. In general, signaling should be used when our change of movement will affect the traffic around us. We may also use signaling to change lane to warn drivers behind us about our attention., Signaling should be made as a habit and we should do that even if it’s 4AM in a deserted freeway. From defensive driving point of view, by signaling on every occasion, we would be able to start a new habit that immediately kicks in on autopilot. This should allow us to be accident-free and safe. With proper signaling, we should be able to send clear information about our intention. It is also important to implement signaling at the right time. Signaling too late or too soon could cause confusion and people won’t be aware of our true intention. As an example, by signaling too soon, people won’t know whether we would turn at the next turn or we simply want to pull over.
We should know how to change lane properly and it could go a long way in ensuring that we remain accident-free and safe. We should plan in advance and scan the road ahead. It is vitally important to check what other drivers are doing. There are things that we should watch out, such as pedestrians that want to step on the road. Drivers may also want to merge across our lane or plan to reduce speed. We should keep an eye on the car in front of us, especially its brake lights. This is a good indication of what we will encounter, Cars that slow down could start to hit the brake and it’s an important warning for the drivers behind. We should instinctively hit the brake, regardless of whether the driver in front of us wants to slow down or stop the car completely. Defensive drivers should use rearview mirror more often than the side mirrors to get much wider views. When checking any mirror, we should use quick glances, while maintaining our focus on the road and other cars around us. Cars that we should pay attention to are those that come up faster than we are. Defensive drivers will slightly slow down their cars to allow faster cars to pass. Again, it’s important for defensive drivers to consider their blind spots. We should consistently take a quick glance over our shoulders to ensure there are cars beside us.