Nothing can turn a good day into a bad one faster than a car accident. In the best case scenario, this means having to figure out how to make an insurance policy claim. In the worst case scenario, the driver, the passengers, and any other people in the other vehicle in the crash can be injured and even killed.
In fact, tens of thousands of people die every year in the United States due to accidents that often could have been prevented or minimized through better driving on the parts of both or either driver involved. Study after study has indicated that the overwhelming majority of collisions in motor vehicles are preventable.
As a result, in order to reduce one’s chances of becoming involved in a deadly or merely inconvenient collision, it is worth learning some tactics of defensive and advanced driving. This is precisely what one learns in an advanced driving course. This article will explain why every driver can benefit from taking part in an advanced driving course, regardless of his or her current levels of skill behind the wheel.
Attitude
Perhaps the first area where most drivers will see benefits from completing an advanced driving course is that of a changed attitude. Driving is similar to other areas of life in that keeping calm, cool, and collected can yield significant benefits. When one is stressed, one doesn’t drive nearly as well as one would without stress.
Similarly, wild emotional states such as anger and anxiety wreak havoc on one’s mental organization, focus, and concentration, which makes it dramatically harder to figure out which potential threats may be occurring or about to occur while one is on the road.
Good ways of reducing stress and changing one’s attitude when traveling include allowing more than enough time for travel, planning trips and routes ahead of time, and remaining flexible enough to change schedules as needed to avoid heavy traffic or obstacles. Relaxation techniques such as meditation and mindfulness can often be practiced before or even while driving in order to make sure one has the proper state of mind for driving safely.
Anticipation
Anticipation is the second crucial element taught in many advanced and defensive driving courses. Anticipation means being able to predict and respond to the actions of other drivers on the road. Drivers who can anticipate what other drivers are likely to do have an advantage over drivers who can’t.
Drivers who anticipate are drivers who can make proactive choices to reduce their risks of becoming involved in collisions. Drivers who can’t anticipate, on the other hand, can only react, which is not nearly as effective at high speeds or in sudden situations, as people are naturally limited by their reaction times.
When one is driving, whether on a busy highway or on a deserted street, if one is fully dependent on the actions of other drivers, one is not really in control. While it is always important to stay considerate of other drivers, the most important thing to do as a driver is to keep one’s self and one’s passengers as safe as possible.
If any assumptions are made about other drivers, it should be the worst. Think of the worst case scenarios while driving and start making plans to avoid them. Don’t focus on every potential threat; just focus on the most likely ones in any given situation.