Understanding Defensive Driving


Woman driving car

Let’s face it, driving is one of the most important skills you’ll ever learn. Driving brings independence, exploration, and efficiency into your life. However, it can be difficult to enjoy the luxuries of driving if you don’t understand defensive driving. Simply understanding the rules of the road and basic traffic laws aren’t enough. To be a safe and secure driver, it’s important to take a External link opens in new tab or windowdefensive driving course in Witchita, KA.


Defensive driving courses can give you all of the tools you need to approach driving from an entirely different perspective. If you or your teen is ready to get behind the wheel, there’s no better way to prepare than to take a certified defensive driving course. To help you better understand what defensive driving is, here are a few techniques that are taught in these courses.


Create Safe Habits

One of the most important things you can learn as a defensive driver is how to utilize every safety feature in a car. Of course, the first thing that comes to mind is the seat belt. Defensive driving courses will consistently push new drivers into the habit of fastening their safety belt the second they get into a vehicle.

In addition, they’ll learn proper placement of headrests, side mirrors, rearview mirror, and other safety features on a car. Many new drivers are unaware of how to deal with blind spots, so learning how to utilize your mirrors is at the forefront of safety tips. Forming safe habits will guarantee that the driver is prepared to operate the vehicle before you even leave the driveway.


Assessing Human Error

A big portion of defensive driving is learning about the psychology of human error. Too many accidents happen every day because drivers are distracted, in a rush, angry, or don’t fully understand the traffic laws. Student drivers will learn tips on how to detect a driver who may be distracted in order to avoid them on the road.


Toy cars and notebook with traffic pattern Elements of a Car Crash

In order to avoid a car crash, it’s important to understand the physics of how a crash takes place. The speed of the car, space between cars, and the time it takes for a vehicle to come to a complete stop will all be discussed. Dissecting a car crash can help student drivers grasp how it happens and how they can prevent it.  They’ll also learn how to deal with the aftermath of a crash. For example, how to responsibly deal with an emergency situation and safely move vehicles to the shoulder of a highway.


Crash Prevention

In a defensive driving course, there are dozens of techniques that go into crash prevention. It’s much more thorough than simply telling a driver to “pay close attention.” They’ll learn how to properly scan a highway for obstacles. They’ll understand how to assess the cars in front and behind them and learn reaction distance. They’ll gain tips on how to evaluate weather conditions.


Of course, these are just a handful of techniques that they’ll learn in a defensive driving course. If you're interested in registering yourself or your teen driver for a defensive driving course, contact the experts over at Legacy Driving School. They can help you become a safe and happy motorist. Give them a call today!