Driving is considered by many as an essential skill. Being able to commandeer your own set of wheels not only gives you a sense of freedom when it comes to traveling, but it also can come in handy in emergency situations. With that said, each driver has their own level of intelligence and attitude towards road and traffic rules. You can be the type who just casually drives around the building of your design and construction firm, easing your way to your parking while making sure you check all the signs you come across. But the thing is, even if you consider yourself a strict follower of rules, you cannot control the behavior of others. There will always be that one person who ruins it for everyone, and there could be no telling what the driver next to you will be doing next.
To combat your suspicions and uneasiness, you need to make yourself a defensive driver. It encourages safety, and it could very well save you and your family’s lives. You can start with these techniques.
Spatial Awareness
Driving relies a lot on how you can estimate the distance of your vehicle against everything else. You need to have a good sense of how close you are to the vehicles that surround you so you will know when to speed up, apply your brakes, or overtake the car in front of you. Your spatial awareness should be at a high level. You should also keep your eyes glued to where you are going, but you also need to know what is going on around your periphery. This ensures that should you find yourself in a compromising position on the road, you still have the room to make a proper maneuver.
Be a Cynic
When you interact with other people face to face, you must be your most cordial self. On the road, there is no telling what kind of driver you will encounter next. You have no way to gauge a person’s expression. The closest that you have to that will be their “body language” on the road. If you see the car in front of you swerving a lot, chances are you are dealing with an impatient person. Keep them at bay by letting them be at your front at all times. Driving alongside them could be dangerous, as they may suddenly swerve towards you.
Continue to be a behaved driver who respects the rules of the road. There is nothing wrong with assuming the worst about your fellow driver if that will keep you and your family away from disaster.
Let Them Pass
Some people are just so competitive in life that they bring the same attitude when they are behind the wheel. There are a lot of drivers on the road who seemingly are racing against each other to reach an imaginary finish line. They seem to take offense on others being faster than them that they take matters into their own hands by proving they can drive faster. You can stop enabling these speed freaks by letting them pass in front of you. It is the road equivalent of stroking the others’ ego and should be effective in putting a stop to their provocative behavior on the road.
Be Ready to Turn
There are bad days when you just find yourself at the mercy of an enraged driver. Some will go to great lengths and do something tense and scary, like follow you for a fair amount of time. This is done usually as an intimidation tactic. For as long as they have you on their sights, they will continue to hound and harass you. If you want to escape from the clutches of this type of driver, you better keep your eyes peeled for that next turn that will allow you to do that.
Defensive driving can help you overcome or avoid nasty drivers on the road. Practicing this takes a lot of patience, awareness, and skill. Do not hesitate to drive this way if it means that you can keep your family safe from harm.
