Most people believe they are, for the most part, good drivers…But all of us make mistakes. Defensive driving techniques help you protect yourself from other drivers. It’s involves anticipating dangerous situations; and being constantly on guard.

When you employ defensive driving techniques you increase your ability to anticipate potential hazards and gives you a strategy for dealing with them.  Here are some good defensive driving tips:

Know your blind spots

This all depends on your car and your position in it. Most cars typically have blind areas on either side near the rear of the vehicle. Some vehicles may have blind spots directly behind them. Besides knowing your own blind spots, try to think about where the blind spots may be of the vehicles directly around you and try not to loiter in them.

Adapt to changing road conditions

This morning there were over 200 accidents in the twin cities, mostly due to black ice. That doesn’t even count the number of cars that ended up in the ditches. The driver in front of me came upon another accident too fast and fishtailed into the ditch. This is mostly due to driving faster than conditions warrant. We all need to decide if it’s worth it to get to our destinations a few minutes sooner and risk a tow or worse.

Maintain your vehicle

However good you drive, your not completely safe unless your vehicle is properly maintained. If not, your car could fail at a critical moment and you could be involved in a serious accident. Be sure to read your vehicle’s owner’s manual. and become familiar with your car’s maintenance schedule and requirements.

Always scan the road ahead

Remember, traveling at 65 MPH, your vehicle can travel the length of a football field before completely stopping.  Look far ahead, not just to the car in front of you, but FAR ahead so that you can prepare for any changes to the road ahead  well in advance.

Maintain presence

Maintaining presence of mind will help you to respond to any situations that may suddenly occur while driving. Stay focused on driving and watching the environment around you.

Avoid Distractions

A distraction is any activity that diverts your attention  from the task of driving, such as eating, talking on the phone. Driving deserves your full attention

Maintain an escape route

Check your mirrors every few seconds to see what’s beside and behind you, deciding where you could maneuver safely to avoid an accident. If you find yourself in a situation where there is no clear escape route, slow down and increase your following distance.

Drive Predictably

Be aware of the other drivers around you. Try to avoid actions that would surprise your fellow motorists. Although, the may be good drivers, all of us need all the help out there we can get.

Pay Attention

Concentrate on driving. Be attentive to your own actions, the actions of others and the road ahead.

Having driven over 175 thousand miles in the last 8 or so years, I’ve noticed some patterns regarding the type of people on the highways. It seems to me that a lot of my commutes are made up of people that can be grouped into some loose set of characteristics. Here’s a list of some of those groups and their associated traits:

Indecisives – A type of driver that’s not really sure which lane they want to be in or how fast they want to drive. If you keep a steady pace, you’ll see these drivers time and again as they pass you, then slow and get passed by you. I can’t decide if these drivers go through their life like this or they’re just like this when they drive.

Blinders On – The reasons can be many, GPS Naviagtion, Phone Calls, Apathy, Blackberries, deep thoughts, whatever the case, these drivers aren’t REALLY driving. Sure, they’re sitting behind the wheel, but mentally, they are somewhere else.

Panicker – If anything appears ahead that may might affect traffic, these people will switch lanes, hammer their brakes, even accelerate if it means getting in their perceived optimum position.

The AFK (Away From Keyboard) guy – Yeah, I know this is a computer term, but it describes a group of drivers quite well. You can tell a AFKer is out there when you see someone drifting or slowing for no apparent reason. This sometimes can be related to drowsiness. Whatever the reason, they’re AFK.

Tailgaters  – I get the feeling these drivers see themselves as some type of victim in life…As if everyone else on the road is somehow holding them back, intentionally.  Many times these people are so close, you can’t even see their headlights. Following too closely is a factor in about 40% of all collisions. Remember the two-second plus rule to keep a good distance.

Erratic – For overall effect on traffic flow, these drivers are the worst. It’s my belief that a car with fluctuating speeds can cause waves of congestion that appear to have no clear cause. Traffic congestion caused by this type of behavior has no place in the commuting world.

Multitasker – This is the “I’m just too busy to ONLY be driving” They feel their car is the perfect spot to catch up on makeup, shaving, eating a steak, reading, or all of the above. They may be somewhat of an Erratic (see above) driver, but only because they, for the last 3 minutes have only kept the road in their peripheral.

Supportive – I think possibly this is the type of driver we should strive to be. This driver is helpful, friendly, gives others the benefit of the doubt. They take driving seriously and realize that anger is something we choose.