If your career depends upon your ability to operate a motor vehicle, semi-truck, delivery truck, or other type of vehicle, you need to make sure you always remember to drive defensively. You might consider yourself a very safe driver while on the job and have a perfect driving record with your employer. However, once you clock out for the day, you toss out your safe driving habits and revert into offensive driving patterns. This is where you speed, make improper lane changes, and follow other bad habits that can increase your chances of getting tickets and being involved in accidents.

For example, you had a long and tiring day at work, and got stuck in traffic for several hours. Once you finally get back to work from your deliveries, you just want to go home. So, you hop into your car and take off, with your only thought one of sitting down on your couch, putting your feet up, and relaxing. On your way home, you get stopped for speeding and are issued a ticket. Now this could potentially affect your job. You know you will have to report it to your employer, as it may also affect the insurance coverage they carry on you.

One thing to do to possibly get the ticket dismissed is to check into a defensive driving course. When you appear for your ticket, the court might be willing to dismiss the ticket as long as you complete this type of class. Defensive driving is learning how to lower the chances of accidents and collisions, and to teach you how to anticipate different driving conditions and adjust accordingly. It goes above and beyond what you are normally taught in driver’s education courses, or by reading a book from the Department of Motor Vehicles.

For instance, one thing you are taught in a defensive driving course is what is a safe following distance from the vehicle in front of you on the road. You may have heard of this before, as it is sometimes called the three-second rule. This rule is where you use different identifying objects on the road and count off in seconds based on the location of the vehicle in front of you. Developing this skill is just one safe driving technique you learn when taking this type of driving course.