Defensive Driving

Defensive driving describes the practice of drivers who consciously reduce the dangers associated with driving. Defensive driving techniques reduce the likelihood of a collision or incident and can even save costs related to vehicle maintenance and fuel consumption, by driving smoothly and steadily.

Awareness is key to defensive driving, ensuring you are aware of potential hazards and other road users’ actions around you, enabling you to take pro-active action to avoid an incident.

To enable you to anticipate hazards, look 15 seconds ahead, giving yourself time to react. Aim to always scan your mirrors and look beyond the vehicle in front as this will help you to be aware of possible hazards before it is too late.

There are various defensive driving courses available, however, for many drivers, the key habits of this driving style can be learnt just by acting more pro-actively and maintaining focus at all times, keeping yourself aware and able to pre-empt any hazards.