What You Need to Know About Defensive Driving

You are driving home one day and the road is covered in ice and snow. The visibility on the road is nearly zero due to foggy conditions, but everything seems fine as you cruise along the highway. Then out of nowhere, there is a truck stuck in the middle of the road! But because of your defensive driving skills, you react accordingly and avoid the potential accident. Defensive driving means you are driving in a manner to avoid something such an accident or a wreck. This technique is something that not too many people know, but it is extremely important to learn. The cars we are operating are thousands of pounds of steel traveling at a high rate of speed. They can cause a lot of damage, and people can get hurt or even killed in vehicular accidents. However, with defensive driving, these accidents can be avoided!

1. The Low Down on Defensive Driving

   There are many different techniques that are involved in defensive driving, but the most important and the easiest is to simply pay attention. Many of us are multitasking while driving. We are fiddling with the radio, talking on the phone, or even putting on makeup. This can be a fatal mistake because it only takes half a second to change your life forever! So, the most important thing you can do when you are behind the wheel of any vehicle is to pay attention to the road and the other drivers around you. Another aspect of defensive driving is being comfortable with your vehicle. You know its limits and you know how to handle it properly. This is important when you have to react quickly to avoid getting into a wreck! Another important part of defensive driving is staying calm, know your vehicle and what it can do, and do not panic. This can be easier said than done, but this is where online traffic schools in San Juan Capistrano, CA can come in and help you with this.

2. Advanced Defensive Driving Techniques

   These techniques will be based on the type of vehicle you have and what kind of safety features it is equipped with. However, if you are a new driver or a young driver, then you are probably driving around in an older vehicle. These kinds of vehicles may not come equipped with ABS or anti-lock braking system, which means when you slam on your brakes, the wheels will lock up and you will slide to a stop. This is not good in an emergency situation because you lose all control of your car. To maintain control of your vehicle and to avoid the potential accident, you will want to modulate your use of the accelerator and use the brakes lightly to slow down in a controlled manner. It can be easy to lose your cool and hit the brakes as hard as you can, but this can also cause you to slide right into an accident!

If you are interested in learning more about defensive driving, and how you can improve your own driving skills, or if you are interested in learning more about the services AODD’s Online Traffic School are offering, feel free to come and visit our website www.aoddca.com for more information today. Also, if you have any questions that you would like to ask us, please give us a call today at 949-240-0115.