Defensive Driving: How to be the Safest Driver on the Road.

Every day, hundreds of people in the United States die from car-accident related injuries. Many people ignore this statistic, believing something as life changing as an accident could never possibly happen to them. I used to be one of those people, before I was involved in an accident. I was not the driver of the vehicle (I wasn’t even old enough to have a permit); rather, I was in the passenger seat when the car turned into oncoming traffic, with a speeding car striking the front passenger wheel/passenger door. Thanks to the efforts made by the NHTSA in improving the safety of newer vehicles in the event of a crash, both the driver and I walked away from the accident unscathed. The stress that the crash gave me did not deter me from driving, but rather made me prioritize defensive driving. With the proper driver education, we can make the United State’s road system much less fatal than it is now.

Almost every accident that occurs on the road is one that can be avoided with the proper safety precautions. This begins before the driver even starts the vehicle: every driver must inspect their vehicle to ensure that all of its systems function, including (but not limited to) the lights, the engine, the steering mechanism, and most importantly, the brakes. Of course, this is a rather large task: people may not have the time to inspect every aspect of their car, nor may they have the knowledge to recognize a problem. To mitigate this, it is important to service your vehicle regularly through a trust-worthy mechanic to ensure that the vehicle not only functions as intended, but also that its functions are consistent and predictable. After all, what good are brakes if they stop you in 100 feet 50 percent of the time, and 200 feet the other 50 percent? Having a functioning and predictable vehicle is imperative to being a safe defensive driver.

When driving, it is of the utmost importance that the driver is constantly scanning the road and the surrounding area for hazards. If a driver cannot identify a hazard, they will greatly increase their chances of having an accident. It is important to note that there is no such thing as a hazardless road; hazards exist all around us, whether that be from a irresponsible driver who is driving recklessly, a deer that has jumped out onto the road, a sudden downpour of rain or snow, or even vegetation that surrounds a road that can harbor many animals within it. It is important that a defensive driver is aware of every hazard present in their area at all times, and that they accommodate for such hazards appropriately, whether that be through a certain driving technique, adjusting their speed or lane position, or (most importantly) increasing their following distance from the car in front of them.

The following distance a driver has from the car in front of them is a kind of insurance. If enough distance is left between the car in front, the driver has plenty of time to assess what the car is doing, and to take the necessary actions to avoid a collision. It is best to leave 3 to 4 seconds of following distance to allow for evasive maneuvers in the event of a potential accident. This can be measured by taking a stationary object along the side of the road, like a tree, road sign, electrical pole, etc. and measuring the amount of time that passes between the car in front passing the object and your vehicle passing the object. It is also imperative that the driver looks beyond the vehicle directly in front of them, and observes the actions of other vehicles. This allows the driver to take in more information from his surroundings and to act accordingly. If a driver ensures that they are aware of the hazards that are present in their surroundings, as well as maintains the proper following distance, they will vastly improve their safety as a driver and help to prevent less deaths from occurring on our roadways

While I only covered the basics of defensive driving, the basics are still more than enough to help reduce the number of accidents and fatalities that result from automobile accidents, although I advocate for all drivers to take a proper defensive driving course; It is always better to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. If we work together, we can ensure the safety of our roadways and help prevent needless deaths.