Defensive driving refers to careful driving. A defensive driver aims at maneuvering a vehicle to save lives, time, and money. It relates to driving conscientiously, irrespective of the conditions that surround you or the actions and reactions of others ‘on the road’.
Defensive driving is taught by professionals at various registered driving schools. The National Safety Council’s Defensive Driving Course is perfect for this. It gives you the right exposure to the rules and attitude that apply to defensive driving. While maneuvering the vehicle, one should realize that it is his or her prime responsibility to honor every pedestrian’s right of way and maintain traffic rules.
The course is designed to impart knowledge that better equips you to be as roadworthy as the vehicle itself. There is no scope for drunk driving or any kind of rash driving. The courses provided train the owners and drivers of autos or motor vehicles to understand, honor, and implement mastery of road rules. They address the need for application of the basic mechanics of motor vehicle driving.
Purpose of this Course
There are driving courses that aim at particular aspects of human engineered road-worthiness. The primary aim though of all, is to reduce the risk factor and minimize the losses to human life and property. They enable the candidates to identify dangerous situations and avert the same despite adverse conditions. Most motor vehicle drivers readily pass the buck on to the ‘mistake of the other’ in car crashes. But, when found guilty, the penalty is killing in terms of time, energy, and money. The courses empower the candidates to achieve mastery by adhering to general rules applicable on the road and the practice of certain tried and tested driving techniques.
The Course Components
There are several government agencies and private organizations that offer such specialty courses to improve driving skills. The basic course components include:
- Reconfirmation of road basics for driving safety
- Attitude dynamics on the road
- Professional heavy and light motor vehicle driving
- Driving basics and advanced instructions for the DDC instructors
- Application of safety equipment
- Techniques for high visibility enforcement
- Development of skills to avoid collisions and the hazards of cell phones and driving
- Development of eye scanning, hazard identification, and risk management on the road
The course is designed and conducted by professionals. It culminates with the issue of a full driving license.
The Course Segments
The courses are designed to comprise separate training sessions. Each of the segments are theory-based as well as practical-based. In the latter, the instructor enables audio-visual learning via interactive practice. The final segment of the course is application-based. The course can be completed within ten hours or can last through two whole days. The aim is to ensure that every candidate has learned about the factors leading to road casualties and ways and means to avoid the same.
The various segments or sessions of the stipulated courses deal individually with the importance of proper focus and attention while driving, the art of curbing or suppressing emotions while driving, and identifying different driving conditions. There are interspersed segments that address the effect of drug addiction and alcohol addiction on road-worthiness and that of peer pressure, too.
The defensive driving course is designed to enable potential drivers to learn skills that make a difference to life. The Traffic School guidelines are implemented according to the ruling by statewide courts. The course works towards achieving enhanced highway safety and impartial enforcement of motor vehicle laws. The instructors of the driving schools are dedicated to churning out better-informed and more knowledgeable drivers for safer roads. The resultant mastery of road rules and the application of the basic mechanics of good driving helps prevent road rage. The approved courses positively execute all state requirements.