Stephanie McIntosh Music

DefensiveDriving in a Distracted WorldThe road is a dangerous place today. Cars are designed to travel faster than ever, people are busier than they ever were, and on top of that the distractions that drivers experience today are more diverse and distracting than ever. Cell phones, mp3 players, navigation devices – all of these draw drivers’ eyes away from the road and put you more at risk for being hit by their wayward vehicles. This makes defensive road safety more important today than ever.

The Practice of Defensive Driving

There are many driving practices that can make driving safer. One of the most commonly ignored safe driving practices is placing your hands at the correct position on the steering wheel. Putting your hands at the ten o’clock and two o’clock positions is recognized as the safest hand placement. It allows you to react quickly, if necessary. Another safe driving practice is to remain alert. While other drivers are putting you at risk because of their frequent distractions, you can counteract this by remaining constantly vigilant. This allows you to see other drivers who might be swerving into your lane, drifting through a stop sign, or turning on red without looking. Of course, the first rule of  defensive road safety is an obvious one: always wear your seat belt. While wearing your seat belt doesn’t seem to fall under the guidelines of driving practices, it is this practice that may actually save your life in an accident.

Teaching defensive road safety

It seems easy enough to follow the practices outlined above, but another concern is trying to get the ones we love, adolescents in particular, to follow these rules. In fact, adolescents are the cause of many accidents, especially those that are attributable to distracted driving. Often it can be helpful to provide your teenager with incentives for going accident or moving violation free and enrol them in a defensive driving school or course. Also, ensuring that they have hands-free devices to use with their cell phones is critical. Provide praise when you see them doing right instead of only criticizing when they do something wrong.

Remaining Vigilant
Because the distractions that face today’s drivers are so numerous, it’s very important to continually remind yourself that staying aware is extremely important. Even those of us who place a premium on defensive driving can sometimes be lured by the ringing of a cell phone or the flashy display of an automated billboard. Remember that not only do you put yourself at risk, but also others on the road. Consequences of an accident include higher insurance premiums, potential injury to another driver, and of course injury to yourself.

Spread theWord
Many of us are so busy that we tend to forget about the importance of safety measures like defensive driving. Thus, you should make it your mission not only to practice safe driving, but to remind other people to do so as well. If you’re in the car with someone and they use their cell phone while driving, say to them that they’re putting themselves and you at an increased risk by doing so. While they may not appreciate the advice in the moment, they will thank you some day. And all the other drivers on the road will too!