The premise behind driving defensively is that you drive like everyone else on the road is driving drunk. Maybe your dad taught you how to drive stick out in the Texan countryside, but now you’re in Dallas and soon discover that everyone else drives like a hooligan.
Or maybe you’re already a conservative driver, using your grandma’s automatic to do grocery shopping. In which case, you still might well be looking for an insurance discount or a way to squash the points on your driver’s record if you get a traffic ticket. These are just some of the bonuses of taking a defensive driving course.
What Exactly is a Defensive Driving Course?
A defensive driving course is about so much more than just the basic systems and procedures of driving. A defensive driving course teaches you things above and beyond your level of expertise and awareness on the road. Officially speaking, Safe Practices for Motor Vehicle Operations, defines defensive driving skills as, “driving to save lives, time, and money, in spite of the conditions around you and the actions of others.”
Many US states – including those in Texas – are wise to the idea that it makes good business sense from a societal safety point of view to incentivize people to take a defensive driving course. This is where insurance reduction (in some states, you can get a reduction of up to 10% on your premiums for up to 5 years) and ticket dismissal comes into play.
What Do You Learn in a Defensive Driving Course?
Some of the fundamental principles taught when taking a defensive driving course may seem like common sense. But it’s easy to slip into bad habits when you know how to drive – and that’s where the beauty of a defensive driving course comes into play.
These key principles involve learning how to control your speed, remaining alert and free from distraction, and learning to look ahead and be ready for something unexpected to happen at any moment.
You are also taught how to watch and respect other drivers on the road. This includes not expecting them to drive how you do or respond in an accident the same way that you would. Keeping an eye out for pedestrians in traffic is also another key feature when it comes to practicing a general awareness of what is going on in the road and around you.
Do you know how to adjust your speed before going into a bend? So that you don’t at the last minute apply your brakes in the middle of the bend? Do you know how to maintain a safe following distance? Have you considered how to safely adjust for poor Texas weather or bad road conditions before setting off on a journey? These are all things that are taught in a defensive driving course – things that may seem like second nature to you as a good driver, but things that can ultimately save lives.
It Could Save Your Life (and Other’s Lives Too)
Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol remains one of America’s biggest killers. Nearly 40% of all car crashes in America are alcohol-related. The consequences of being found guilty of driving over the limit are massive. Learn what your state’s blood-alcohol limit is, as well as how your judgment is impaired while driving under the influence when you take a defensive driving course.
Adopting a positive attitude is also crucial when it comes to learning how to drive defensively on the road. Manage any stress or tiredness that you may be feeling by checking in with yourself before you start driving. Don’t be that driver who gets involved in an incident of road rage.
Ensuring that you have the correct safety equipment when you drive is also covered in a comprehensive defensive driving course. If you’re a mother with a small child, have you got your car seat in the right position? Do your airbags work, and is your safety belt securely fastened? Nearly half of all motor vehicle deaths could have been avoided if the victim wore their safety belt properly.
Accidents do happen though. Learn about how forces of impact can be avoided in the second collision. For example, a passenger colliding with a windscreen after a car has crashed into something else first. In a defensive driving course, you’ll also learn how to avoid environmental hazards that are likely to cause such a crash in the first place.
Take Our Defensive Driving Course Today
Comedy Defensive Driving takes the serious business of learning how to drive as if everyone else on the road is drunk and adds a dash of much-needed humor to the 100% online course. Taught by professional comedians, Comedy Defensive Driving will have you laughing while you learn.
It’s safe to say that we think that taking a defensive driving course in Texas ( and every state for that matter) is always the best option. Having taught over 3 million students so far, we are confident that this is the best way to get the message across of learning how to drive defensively. So while the dangers of driving on our roads in America can sometimes be no joke, learning about it needn’t be.
To find out more, visit our website or call 972-573-2700 today.