Drive Safely With These Defensive Driving Tips

Posted February 14, 2013

Being an alert, attentive driver is a great place to start when it comes to avoiding accidents, but driving defensively is the key to staying safe on the road. We’ve compiled a few defensive driving tips to help you avoid accidents and have a more pleasant driving experience.

Mirrors and Seat – Having a 360 degree view around your car is the first step to defensive driving. Adjusting your mirrors and seat are things we’re taught to do from the get-go, but its importance should still be stressed. Take a few seconds before you drive to make sure your mirrors and seat are comfortable, as adjusting them on the road is distracting and can lead to an accident.

Keep Your Hands on the Wheel – You might be good at driving with one hand on the wheel while the other holds coffee or your cell phone. However, this habit doesn’t allow you to stay focused on the road. Keeping your hands on the 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock positions ensures you’re ready and prepared for unexpected disturbances and hazards.

Adapt to Conditions – Is it raining? Snowing? Sleeting? Are you on a dirt road or in the middle of construction? Your tires could be dealing with these conditions at any given moment. This makes your ability to adapt to the weather and roads essential.

The “What If” Game – Understand the defensive approach. Always be looking for potential hazards and play the “what if” game. What if the driver ahead of you suddenly slams on his/her brakes? What if someone runs a red light at the next intersection? What if…? Think about what could happen and how to handle the situation.

Preventive Maintenance – Proper vehicle maintenance plays a large role in collision avoidance too. Everything from brakes to clean windows all help keep you as safe as you can be. As an auto repair shop in Aurora, we hope you’ll stop by or call us at (303) 344–4670 so our ASE-Certified technicians can help you prepare for anything on the road.

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Categories: Auto Repair Aurora, Auto Safety, Car Repair Shop Aurora, Preventative Maintenance, Steering