Defensive driving starts with you.
It can be a jungle out there on the road … and time-crunched drivers often produce a hectic environment full of aggressive maneuvers and little to no consideration for other vehicles. That’s when accidents happen, but you can be the one that makes all the difference.
Defensive driving involves much more than on-the-spot responses when you’re in traffic. Here are some things you can do to stay ahead of the curve:
1. Plan Ahead
Surprisingly, defensive driving starts before you even leave home. Get in the habit of checking weather conditions, and if you know it’s going to be a wet or icy commute, make sure you leave yourself enough time to make that trip carefully, instead of feeling rushed during your commute and driving faster than you should in bad conditions. Take extra precaution when it comes to making tight turns like when you merge on and off of highway ramps. You should be mentally ready to make those turns extra slow. If at all possible, stick to a lane with a shoulder next to it, so you have somewhere to move in an emergency.
2. Always Scan Your Surroundings
“That car came out of nowhere!” If you’ve ever heard someone talk about what happened during a motor vehicle accident, those words are uttered all too often. It’s impossible to see everything that’s around you all the time. That’s why it’s important to continuously check your mirrors and thoroughly scan intersections well before you pass through them. Defensive driving means getting in the habit of taking a quick peek down intersecting streets as you approach them so you can avoid being T-boned by a careless driver not paying attention to their red light. The ultimate goal is to always anticipate where vehicles will be a few seconds later so you can respond quickly.
3. Brake Early
Defensive driving means leaving a little more space between you and the cars in front you than you anticipate needing—and brake early. In fact, it’s always a good idea to slow down a little sooner, especially in slippery conditions. Expect that it will take two or three times as long to come to a complete stop after making the decision to apply the brakes. This gives you more room to stop if someone ahead of you brakes suddenly, and gives people behind you even more of a heads up that you are stopping when they see your brake lights.
4. Never Go On The Offensive
Defensive driving is actually the opposite of “road rage.” Don’t let other drivers’ aggressive tendencies rub off on you. Road rage often starts with one person’s hostility and causes a ripple effect on nearby drivers. You’ll be surprised at how often things can get heated on the road simply because someone gets cut off and then goes out of their way to “get back at” the other driver. But there are several ways to avoid road rage. Just play it safe—play it cool.
5. Don’t Get Distracted
Defensive driving isn’t only about being reactive. It’s also about being proactive. One of the best ways you can avoid a collision on the road is by paying full attention at all times. Don’t engage in activities that take your eyes and attention off the road. Using your smartphone is a big one, and this distraction goes well beyond just texting—music, social media, and surfing the web all take your attention away from the road. (Think you’re up to speed on everything there is to know about distracted driving? Take the Distracted Driving Quiz, see how well you score, and give us your thoughts.)
Defensive driving means protecting yourself from more than just other drivers. It’s about thinking ahead and anticipating hazards so you can avoid accidents before they happen.
It’s always good to assume that not everyone is paying attention or driving as carefully as you, but your preparation, perspective, and sense of accountability can make a huge impact on whether you arrive somewhere safely or put yourself at risk of an accident.
GEICO encourages everyone to drive defensively. Check out all the Safe Driving Resources available for teens and drivers of all ages. Then visit geico.com, get a quote, and see if you qualify for safe driver discounts. You might be surprised at how much you could save.
By Steven Scott
Read more: Defensive Driving Tips for Heavy Traffic
Yvette James says,
I took a moment to read. Thank you! Very helpful. Keep therm coming!
Paul Agatep says,
It’s very informative and very helpful. It does matter how careful you are but you will still get involved in an accident as long as there is a stupid driver on the road.
Jipinjini Anyuru says,
These are very good advice thanks I will definitely put these 5 points down to remind me.
Althea Lawrence says,
Thanks so much very informative for me, someone who never wanted to drive, and learned at the age of 59. I had no choice moved from NY, to Florida.
Star P says,
Thanks for the info but just to let you know I am a very cautious and defensive
driver and never ever ride on the rear ends of other cars that call for disaster
and when stopped I am always at least one and a half car lengths behind the car in the front
sure it makes others angry but I really do not care .
I do however encounter ALOT of other driver mostly younger people and some my age as well TEXTING and either holding up traffic or comes very close to causing accidents I see this and steer clear of them and of course blow my horn at them and sometimes I even take down their tag # and report them to the state patrol , there are way too many people that die because of these imbeciles retards everyone of them should get very hefty fines for TWD so yes I am a very DEFENCIVE DRIVER and wish more drivers were !!!!!!!
Hussam Elnory says,
If you didn’t follow that basics then you are a tweaker and meth addict and you hangout with hoes
macy wooden says,
safe driving is a must when you decide to get on the road or highway
Dan T says,
My employer requires that I follow Smiths Driving Techniques and attend yearly Smiths training. Also, my Employer installs Inthinc driving gps driving monitors on all vehicles. Through the years I follow the Smiths driving techniques while driving my personal vehicles. Geico’s Defensive Driving is in unison with the techniques I follow daily and they are spot on. If you consciously follow these techniques you have the opportunity to avoid traffic accidents and live stress free while driving. Lowering stress in my life has been the greatest benefit! Thank you Geico!
Bettie Gavins says,
Great information. I wish everyone driving could get this info. Thanks a million.
Nita Winborne says,
God Bless You,Excellent information which is so very true, please keep’ em coming. I’ll share it with my younger family members. Thanks
Jim Little says,
Useful tips!
S.J. Mohney says,
Good Info, we should get more of these……….Way to go GIECO
S.J. Mohney says,
As I Said, qwe need more of this type of Info…..Thanks, J.M.
Dave T. says,
Can anybody spell correctly or even knows for what GEICO, not gieco, really means in these replys? Sorry, just had to ask. DT
Dave T. says,
You see I even misspelled replies. dt
JB says,
Believe it or not, It stands for the Government Employees Insurance Company, but the government has nothing to do with it….The company was founded back in the 1920’s by a guy who used to work for USAA insurance which specialized in the military. ..He left USAA and opened Geico thinking that Government employees were a better risk than the general public. It was eventually bought by Warren Buffet ‘s Berkshire Hathaway and started selling insurance to the general public…
Max S. says,
GEICO stands for GREEN LIZZARD, doesnt it? Hahahaha! MS. ny
Judith gerritsen says,
Excellent info Gieco! Forwarded to my daughter cause I love her so much
Larry Deason says,
Thanks for the tips
Jorge A. Gutierrez says,
Excellent article. Very informative and truthful.
Joe S says,
Great info