Many people drive safely, but not everyone practices defensive driving. As defined by the American National Standard Safe Practices for Motor Vehicle Operation, safety driving is driving to save lives, time, and money, in spite of the conditions around you and the actions of others. It’s very important to understand that, no matter how impeccable your driving skills are, you can never predict the actions of other drivers around you. Car crashes claim a lot of lives every year. Governments, car manufacturers, and many other entities are continuously working on methods that can reduce the risks associated with driving. It’s the driver’s responsibility to look out for themselves and others, and hopefully, minimize the number and severity of accidents as much as possible. Here are a few reasons why defensive driving is so important.
Understanding Dynamics and Repercussions of Car Crashes
Cars are very heavy vehicles, weighing usually over a ton. Unfortunately, the components are quite heavy because of how powerful they are, so it’s not easy to reduce their weight. It’s not uncommon for people to get into car crashes without suffering from any physical damage. But the real problem is when cars crash at high speeds against heavy objects, other cars, or humans. This is where losses are not just financial, and the chances of fatal injuries are quite high. As the Sacramento car accident lawyers at https://www.injury-attorneys.com/car-accident-lawyers explain that dealing with severe injuries can be quite taxing financially, mentally, and physically. People usually need good, specialized attorneys to be able to obtain their full rights after suffering in a car accident. Defensive drivers know very well how serious a car crash can get, so they take as many precautions as possible.
Easier to Stay Safe
When you follow the common practices of defensive driving, it won’t be hard to stay safe from other drivers and hazards. For example, you’re more likely to come out safe when the car in front of you swerves or suddenly stops because you’ll be leaving enough distance between you and the other driver. While the basic traffic rules are quite important, it’s for the benefit of all drivers to practice defensive driving to minimize the risks of not being able to react quickly enough or losing attention on the road.
Fewer Tickets
Since you’re bound to be following the basic rules of traffic while defensively driving, you’ll rarely get ticketed by the traffic patrol. You’ll be more aware of your speed at all times if you’re used to the standard practices of defensive driving, as you’re usually taking care of more than just the base speed of the vehicle. You’ll also be less tempted to engage in reckless driving situations and other problems that can result in costly tickets.
Better Insurance Rates
Insurance companies take risk assessment very seriously when it comes to issuing insurance rates for their clients. People with a lot of accidents on their records will have to pay higher rates than those that practice defensive driving. The reason is that defensive drivers are less likely to get into auto accidents because of their inclination to err on the side of caution. It will also help those who are at risk of having their policy canceled due to multiple violations.
Fewer Maintenance Expenses
Driving recklessly can cost you a lot of expenses when you repair the damages that happened to your car, even if you don’t get into accidents. Pushing your car beyond its limits can take a serious toll on the life expectancy of many of its major components, leaving you with a big maintenance bill every once in a while. Driving defensively ensures that you get quite familiar with the limitations of your car, so you don’t end up pushing it beyond what’s recommended. When you practice defensive driving, you’ll learn a lot about your car and its mechanics, which will help you stay away from costly repairs.
Understand Psychological Factors
Since driving is an activity that requires a lot of attention to be conducted safely, psychological factors can sometimes overwhelm people, causing them to be prone to accidents and other problems. Defensive driving helps you understand how different psychological states can affect your driving and how to know whether you should avoid driving under certain psychological conditions. Expect instructions that can help you safely deal with stress, fatigue, distress, and anger while you’re driving.
There are a lot of risks associated with driving without taking the necessary precautionary measures. Defensive driving offers you an opportunity to control the majority of the elements that can affect your safety on the road. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, especially when the stakes are high. So be sure to practice the various techniques of defensive driving so that you can identify and avoid the dangers of the road.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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