Timothy Rudon asked:


Defensive driving teaches safe driving techniques to drivers. At defensive driving classes students learn to overcome mistakes in driving techniques, learn to improve their driving skills; learn to make informed decisions and to anticipate situations while driving.

Defensive driving classes have been set up in every state by the government and police departments to make the world a safer place to live in. The need for speed can kill, it is important to teach driver discipline and safety rules. Defensive driving aims to reduce the risk of driving. Drivers must instinctively anticipate dangerous situations and avoid risks while driving vehicles in normal as well as adverse conditions. Defensive driving courses cover aspects like: emergency care, principles of safety, control of fear and emotions, on the spot decision making, quick reactions, fear, and so on.

More than 50,000 people in the US loose their lives due to road accidents. Accidents can be prevented by following simple rules. There are websites online that teach the rules that can help save lives. See http://www.roadtripamerica.com/DefensiveDriving/Drive-Safe-With-Uncle-Bob.htm .

The benefits of defensive driving classes are many and vary with each state.

1. Most states offer as incentive a reduction of points on your driver’s license following a driving violation ticket and offer the additional incentive of not increasing insurance rates.

2. In some states a defensive driving course would get at least 10% reduction is insurance rates for a period of 3-5 years. This being a considerable saving.

3. A defensive driving course will teach safe and accident free driving techniques.

4. The course will teach protection techniques and how to handle road rage and speeding.

5. The defensive driving course will teach safe driving techniques in bad weather and adverse conditions. The course will hone skills in highway driving, night driving, and extreme weather driving.

6. The course will inculcate critical safety issues and teach emergency action too.

7. By taking a defensive driving course you will not have to appear in court.

8. The driving violation charges will be dismissed and a fine will not be assessed.

9. Defensive driving classes create responsible citizens which mean children and families will remain protected.

10. Most important the defensive driving classes will improve driving skills, reiterate driving laws and rules and make better drivers of people.

A defensive driving class can even be taken virtually. States have set up defensive driving classes both online and offline to create a safe environment for citizens. Defensive driving teaches people to be responsible drivers and take all necessary precautions when seated behind the wheel of a car. It protects not just the driver but pedestrians, animals, and fellow commuters. It makes the roads safer.

Defensive driving saves lives.



Wendy

Emmanuel Aubrey asked:


Why should you bother reading this article, well I know the topic isn’t fun in fact it makes me sleepy remembering my first driving class but there is some information here that could save your life and save you some money.

OK as you probably already figured the number one reason to be a defensive driver is because it increases you chance of living I don’t want to get into the number of traffic deaths because that stuff is just so sad but anyways when you learn to drive defensively you help yourself and others. Now of course you can’t control how other drive but you can control how you react and how fast you react. When you a defensive driver you should become free from road rage, which leads us to the next reason.

Reason number 2 to become a defensive driver is it should create one less maniac on the roads. If you practice defensive driving you will begin to see things about to happen before they do kind of like you will be come a clairvoyant of the road.

Since you will know how to react according with your practice it should cause you less frustration which should prevent road rage and we all know what happens with road rage and it’s not pretty.

As a side note if you think about it you are hurting your self in so many ways with road rage stress which leads to some many altercations, if you get in an “accident” out of rage it will drive you insurance rate up which will cause you to have less money which then will cause more stress can you see were I’m going, not to mention your rage could turn to instant death or debilitation,

Reason number three to practice defensive driving. At the end of that past paragraph insurance was mentioned well I let you think about this one, if you take your defensive driving certificate to you insurance agent what do you think is more likely to happen insurance rate go up or insurance rate go down.

OK did you figure it out great if not re-read that first part for eternity. Now that your insurance is down and you have less stress more money and a better chance of survival what else could there be.

So I bet you want to be a defensive driver now and help the road world be a better place well I’m happy for you just remember were you seat belt or else all these stuff is useless.

By the way there are many defensive driving courses on line some are boring but there is one that is made to be funny and interesting the courses range from 30-100 dollars. If you want to become a better driver, reduce points on your license or get a lower insurance rate I would recommend taking a defensive driving course.



Vera

Joshua Nestor asked:


Many American states primarily amongst them, Texas and Florida, have pushed the cultivation of defensive driving courses. Those states have put forward incentives for businesses to build these fee based education facilities by offering what amounts to ticket credits. In many areas, this means you can have that ticket wiped out in exchange for completing traffic school. Some of these organizations offer to let you learn on line instead of spending your precious hours sitting in a classroom.

Ticket proceeds are a chief moneymaker for many states. To give a portion of this up in return for education indicates the schools truly work well. There has been mounting pressure for more and better driver education for two major reasons. The mortality rate from automobile accidents has gotten out of hand particularly with drivers under 25. Such accidents as well as the accompanying collision costs, are putting a big dent in insurance companies profitability affecting their ability to offer affordable coverage.

Even if you have only had your driver’s license for a month, you already know what kind of foolishness often heeds warnings on the streets.

Lots of life’s blunders can be easily achieved when we learn to adopt a little healthy pride in ourselves with the objective at hand. You will undoubtedly notice that you drive safer and smoother if you are proud of your driving.

Driving a car is one of life’s less confined freedoms. You can drive almost anywhere. Freedom on the streets is exhilarating even when minding the speed limits. The rush of freedom’s emotion can inadvertently cause some people, more notably in less oriented drivers, to become disoriented in their environment. You should never neglect that there are so many other vehicles on the road with your own one.

Do you worry about staying unhurt and out of a wheelchair or living for that matter? Then recognize that a large portion of the drivers whom you share the roads with is ignorant. This awareness is the criteria for good defensive drivers.

For you to graduate from novice to elite easily and quickly, you simply need to appreciate that bad drivers, possibly including yourself, compounds a real risk to your body and mind. Not to be too dramatic; the representations are a fact and very much include the line between life and death.

Even in the best of worlds, hazards are a part of daily life. Whatever you want to call it – defensive driving, responsible driving, or safe driving – don’t wait for an Act of Congress. Make it a No. 1 priority. Make a decision to get serious about defensive driving today. Your life depends on it.

If you understand the concept, then you are well on your way to being a good driver. Watch everything and everyone around you, from the moment you turn the key to when you stop at the end of the road. Safe drivers achieve longer lives and spend less on auto insurance; two admirable goals to achieve wouldn’t you agree?



Juanita

Mike Pontic asked:


For quite some time, motorists from all over the world have been exposed to the concept of defensive driving. The practice is derived from a kind of training going beyond the usual rules imposed on the road for all motorists.

Actually, for some, defensive driving is more of practicing safety or paranoid measures when driving. Safety practices are implemented significantly. Thus, there is no denying the fact that indeed, defensive driving really helps drivers get on and survive the intricacies and complexities of driving in the modern turbulent highway.

Studies conducted not just in the United States but also in other developed countries where people practice defensive driving show that the driving practice significantly helps further implement safety on the road.

As you all know major roads and highways are usually busied by different types of drivers who have different personalities. Some are careful and responsible drivers while others are bad and are careless. When road accidents happen involving the latter kinds of drivers, even responsible and careful drivers themselves are often dragged into messy situations.

Through defensive driving careful and responsible drivers are made even more protected. If more and more drivers will just adopt the practice, for sure the volume of car accidents and road hazards would be significantly reduced. The roads and major highways would surely be safer and accident free. Moreover, the advantage of practicing defensive driving skills can be more appreciated with the following practical advantages.

? Safer and accident free driving procedures and techniques are instituted. Not only would the highways and roads be made a better place for driving and mobility. There would be less damages and less incidence of accidents and occurrences that often claim lives.

? Responsible actions and road reactions especially during times of emergency are implemented. Thus, further safety during abrupt situations is ensured and the road is made still functional and the traffic moving despite such situations.

? Protection techniques towards road rage and the practice of speed driving are instituted. In the end, less accidents on the road are observed.

? Possible court actions and legal impediments are prevented in the future. The driver will also get to avoid violations and related charges.

? Responsible and safe highway driving, extreme weather driving and night driving are observed. This means that the skills and safety measures practiced on the road are extended and widened further.

? Drivers take advantage of reduction in the drivers’ license points, increasing the possibility of better insurance coverage.

Overall, defensive driving simply is helping make better people out of drivers. By adopting and practicing the driving techniques, people are effectively transformed not just into safe drivers but also into more responsible citizens.

It should always be noted that the road is a public infrastructure. Every hour, there are hundreds or thousands of men, women and children in the busy highways. By helping make the roads safe and accident free, you would be helping save lives though helping prevent incidences that could possibly claim lives.

Defensive driving really helps. In fact, some governments are now proposing to implement proposed legislations that would pave the way for the institutionalism of those driving techniques. Know the basic rules of defensive driving now, or attend classes for you to learn them.



Roland

Jean Littman asked:


Defensive driving techniques are not restricted to technical driving skills and tactics. One of the simplest and most effective defensive driving techniques to protect yourself as a driver or a passenger is to ALWAYS wear a seat belt. It is well proven that seat belts save lives, and drivers should learn all they can about seat belt safety facts.

Research has shown that vehicle occupants have a 40 percent better chance of surviving a crash if they are wearing a seat belt (this statistic is dependent upon the severity of the crash – some crashes are so severe that survival is impossible). However, in many crashes seat belts play a major role in reducing injuries. Each year around 20 per cent of all road fatalities were people not wearing a restraint. Hundreds of other people are disabled for life in road accidents where they were not wearing a seat belt.

SEAT BELT SAFETY FACT #1

Seat belts protect drivers and passengers in a number of ways, such as:

1. Decreasing the time it takes an occupant to come to a stop upon impact

2. Minimizing a person’s contact with the interior of the vehicle

3. Spreading the force of the impact over a greater area of the body

4. Preventing ejection from the vehicle.

SEAT BELT SAFETY FACT #2

If you are the driver, before the car starts moving you need to make sure of the following:

1. Your own seat belt is properly fastened and adjusted to fit firmly

2. Your passengers’ seat belts are properly fastened and adjusted firmly

3. Children traveling in the car are properly restrained.

If you are a passenger, before the car starts moving make sure you have:

1. Properly fastened and adjusted your seat belt

2. Encourage the driver and other passengers to buckle up.

SEAT BELT SAFETY FACT #3

Being pregnant is no reason not to wear a seat belt. Wearing a seat belt means you are protecting both yourself and your unborn baby if you are involved in a crash. Here are a few tips for comfortably and correctly wearing a seat belt whilst pregnant:

1. Place the lap sash part of the belt under the baby bulge, as low as possible. The lap part of the seat belt should sit over the upper thighs, not across the bulge.

2. It is often possible to adjust the angle of the seat belt by using a seat belt locator.

3. Make sure the sash part of the belt is in between the *******.

SEAT BELT SAFETY FACT #4

Children must be restrained in a restraint suited to their size and weight. The restraint must be correctly and securely fitted to the car. In certain cars it is possible to fit an additional lap belt to accommodate a fourth small child in the back seat. Lap belts are not recommended on their own, but are safe if used in conjunction with a properly fitted child harness.

Before moving children from a booster seat into an adult seat belt, certain conditions should be met.

1. The adult seat belt fits correctly. The lap part is low over the pelvis (not the stomach) and the sash does not touch the child’s face or neck and all slack is removed.

2. Lap/sash seat belts offer much greater protection than lap belts. Where possible put your child in a seating position with a lap/sash belt.

3. Children riding in school buses must wear a seat belt if one is available. Only one seat belt per person must be used.

SEAT BELT SAFETY FACT #5

Seat belts must always be kept in good condition. Car owners should check the condition of seatbelts in their vehicle as a standard part of vehicle maintenance routine. The following things should be checked:

1. The seat belts themselves are not twisted, cut or frayed.

2. The buckles are in good working order, engaging and releasing properly.

3. The retractors work properly. The seat belt should pull out smoothly and be fully retracted when not in use.

In many countries, such as Australia, it is illegal not to wear a seat built. By law, every person travelling in a car must wear a seat belt if one is available. Tough penalties apply for those who break the law. More and more countries around the world are embracing this fact, and the message about the importance of “buckling-up” is being spread loud and clear.

Wearing seat belts is clearly one of the easiest defensive driving techniques a driver or passenger can employ, and learning all the seat belt safety facts is the best place to start.



Suzanne

Jon Caldwell asked:


The injury is painful at the least and even debilitating if extensive, whiplash is the result of sudden head movement when a car is hit from behind where the body moves forward and the places the neck under strain. Smaller compacts are designed to be safe mostly from frontal impacts leaving the rear vulnerable for drivers. airbags are standard on most vehicles but head restraints in the event of rear crashes say in a car crashing into a vehicle from behind is quite rare. Seats are to blame for the drive to get cheaper seats has reduced their protection properties. Better seat design and materials that absorb crash forces can be the key to safer cars as drivers go on their daily drives. It shows that as people want more compacts or smaller cars, they are also seeing rising injuries to the neck and upper back as a result to these accidents when a heavier vehicle is involved.

The move has started in the US and it is being implemented all across the world. The greener the car the less insurance you have to pay. In the US the initiative started to get more people to buy Green Cars or Hybrids but in the long run, greener cars will indeed save in costs due to less green house gasses. Greener cars have less polluting parts and are mostly recyclable making them cheaper to produce. The ability to recycle is greener and thus more environmentally friendly leaving less problems to deal with in terms of environmental impacts. Governments are beginning to do the same in the many countries of the world which are now feeling the crunch of rising gas prices. With Alaska starting to charge $4.00 per gallon, the supply problems are doing nothing but alleviating problems and prices would be sure to follow.

In the UK, young drivers who go get more lessons such as specialist training for bad weather driving, defensive driving and many more are entitled to get more discounts in their auto Insurance premiums according to lawmakers. New drivers are more often than not the majority of accident causing drivers due to utter inexperience at the skills and getting further training with the many driving schools allows them to learn more and thus drive safer that those who do not get additional lessons. With worsening weather and drivers, better skills are needed to negotiate the many congested streets of London and other major Cities. The more skilled a driver is, the better they cope with changing driving conditions thus the safer the roads.

Governor Sonny Perdue has singed a bill that would allow insurance carriers to establish rates without the consent of the State Insurance Commission which goes against current practice. The control that the state enforces on carriers is seen by many as a thorn in their sides for it disallows competition between companies who have to sell products within state determined rates. Giving the carrier the right to establish their rates allows the m to become more competitive towards other providers giving consumers more power in choosing the best ones for the best prices they see fit.

THIRD PARTY FIRE AND THEFT INSURANCE: This type of policy will pay for the damages caused by your car to other people’s property due to an accident. It also has limited cover for loss or damage to your car against theft or fire only.

However, most policies do not cover damages caused by mechanical, structural or electrical failure. Also damages by depreciation wear and tear and rust due to old age. Also, policies are meant to cover the repairs due to accidents, fire or theft and not to replace parts that have stopped working due to failure, old age, or some inherent fault.



Lester

Anthony Fontanelle asked:


In the past, the most rampant cause of traffic accidents is drunk driving but through years of awareness campaign, the number of drunk driving related accidents have gone down. Recently though, it seems that another serious threat to traffic safety is teen driving.

While there are responsible teen drivers, statistics shows that 14 percent of accidents resulting in death involved teenagers. In Chicago alone, more than ten teenagers have died this year as a result of traffic accidents. To address this threat, the auto industry and its players have been taking steps towards educating teens and parents alike on safe driving issues.

The Toyota Motor Corporation recently announced that they will be bringing their Toyota Driving Expectations program to the state of Illinois. The said program aims to educate teens and parents to help reduce the number of fatal accidents involving teens. The program will be held at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois from April 20 through 22.

The company known for their upward surge in the U.S. auto scene is using the Toyota Driving Expectations to teach teen drivers about defensive driving techniques. The program will be for free and interested participants would just need to register online by visiting the official website for this program which could be accessed through www.toyotadrivingexpectations.com.

Paul Holdridge, the Vice President and the General Manager of Toyota’s Chicago Region, have this to say about their program: “Toyota is committed to providing teens with the tools they need to be better prepared on the road and to become better drivers. Since its inception in 2004, more than 4,000 teens and parents have successfully completed the Toyota Driving Expectations program, which was developed after several pilots and valuable feedback from teens, parents and the National Safety Council.”

The program is a unique one since Toyota will be educating participants based on real-world situations. The program’s goal is for the teens and parents to understand the relationship between distraction and reaction in a real-world situation. Participants will be made to navigate a driving course while doing other things like drinking water or talking ion the phone. For teens, listening to loud music will be a part of the driving program.

These activities are seen as possible distractions to drivers which can seriously affect the driving response of a driver in cases of emergency. Activities such as those mentioned put the driver and the passengers at risk and even if a car is equipped with EBC brake rotors, it will be useless when the driver fails to react properly.

The Toyota Driving Expectations is also unique in the sense that teen participants need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian. The participants will then be split into the parent group and the teen group. While the teens take to the driving course, parents will be educated about vehicle safety technology, defensive driving, and what to expect from teen drivers. The program will be concluded via a safe driving contract that the parents and teens will hopefully fulfill.



Troy

Mervyn Rees asked:


(c) 2008 Mervyn Rees

Being involved in an accident is every motorist’s worst nightmare. Statistically speaking, the more you drive the more likely you are to have one. It doesn’t really take a rocket scientist to calculate that one out though, does it?

An accident can be anything from bending a bumper/fender to a serious collision causing injury, or worse. Simply because the statistics may predict it’ll happen to you sooner or later, that doesn’t surely mean it’s a foregone conclusion.

So as to help avoid these predictions, you do have to be proactive, and by taking some simple precautions, the risk can be reduced considerably.

The number one cause of all traffic accidents is speeding.

A motor vehicle travelling at high speed is an incredibly dangerous machine, which is precisely why speed limits are posted and enforced all over the world; and as much as we sometimes like to believe it, speed cops aren’t out there because they have nothing better to do. . .

They are protecting the public from themselves and the dangers of other reckless drivers.

By maintaining safe and controlled speeds, you can greatly minimize your risk of being involved in a serious car accident. . .

Apart from the fact that you may get to your destination a few minutes earlier, there are no good excuses for speeding, but there are many against.

It’s not just good driving practice to slow down, it will save ,money on fuel, the price of your insurance, or perhaps even worse, the loss of your precious Driving License; and if that’s not bad enough, it’s also better for the long-term maintenance of your vehicle as well as being better for the environment.

I’m not preaching, just laying out the facts, for there but for the grace of God go I!

Maintenance

Keeping your vehicle in good running order is another excellent means of reducing your risk of an accident. Every car’s maintenance manual includes the recommended time lapse between inspections. Regular maintenance and checkups will ensure your car is running at peak performance, and will certainly assist in the prevention of any general or specific breakdowns which could lead to a possible parts failure, which in turn may cause you to be involved in an accident.

Car safety is such an important aspect of driver awareness; it’s precisely why so many countries and insurance companies require new drivers to complete a safety course prior to authorising a license to operate a motor vehicle.

The more knowledge drivers have about the necessity for safe automobile practices; including the regular maintenance of the vehicle, the less likely they will be to allow their car to lapse into a poor state of service and repair, thus increasing the likelihood of either a breakdown or worse still, an accident.

By insisting on such knowledge being taught, as part of all new drivers’ driving tuition and experience, the better the chances that this vital information will stick throughout the whole span of the driver’s history.

Barring that, just stay the heck out of my way!

Defensive Driving

This essentially means staying highly aware of other drivers and vehicles in relation to your own, as well as diligently following the rules of the road and maintaining your own safe driving standards.

Often taught as part of a pre-licensed driving safety course, it is all designed to increase the ability of all drivers to be alert to possible driving hazards, such as road obstructions, bad driving habits of other motorists, and to maintain a regular routine of adherence to motor vehicle laws.

As I taught my own youngsters years ago, “Expect a lot of drivers to be idiots”; and they won’t let you down!

Thanks to the Internet, much of the information can now be gleaned online, thus offering more drivers than ever before a chance to familiarize themselves with these extremely important concepts.

Defensive driving is often taught through both in-class and on-road practice, with the idea being that the driver becomes more attuned to identifying potential driving problems, and so establishes safe driving habits.



Tim