Defensive Driving: Why You Should Take A Safety-Oriented Driving Approach?

commercial truck driver

Are you a Thinking Driver or a SAFER driver?

When someone begins the process to start driving a vehicle, they must usually complete a series of classes that go over driving practices, rules, and theories. Out of all the information that they are given, the most prominent section tends to be the one on defensive driving. I remember that defensive driving was explained to me as an excellent means to protect oneself from potential harm while on the road. By positioning yourself in such a way that you allow yourself time to react in almost any circumstance, you effectively minimize the risk that you may end up in a car accident. Even if you were to end up in an accident, you also give yourself time to make the damage as minimal as possible. Defensive driving ultimately relies on acting upon the supposition that you are the one person who cares the most about your own safety, and that it is not right to assume that others will drive in a safe and orderly manner. Something that may have not been in the spotlight when first learning about defensive driving, is how important having the correct attitude when driving can be. By adopting an attitude that is calm, collected and that does not give into stressors, then a driver can refrain from performing reckless and unsafe driving in reaction to what they experience on the road.

 

How should I learn about defensive driving attitudes and techniques?

defensive driving attitudes and techniques

For many people, the techniques that enable the use of defensive driving may be a distant memory. Others may simply want some additional tricks to add to their repertoire or a means to learn about defensive driving attitudes. In any case, a way to access defensive driving training would be handy. To do this, a defensive driving safety course might be the way to go. Taking such a defensive course would allow someone to acquire the information that they are looking for in a structured and timely manner. Taking a course in person might be difficult for some, so there are ways to do a defensive driving course online as well. The modules can be easily accessed on a computer or on a mobile device, so completing a defensive driving program online is usually not an issue. Upon completion, courses will provide a certificate of completion that you can keep for your records.

 

What program should I use?

There are a couple noteworthy breakdowns of defensive driving techniques available online. Chief amongst these are the SAFER Defensive Driving Program and the Thinking Driver.

SAFER Defensive Driving Program

Developed by Dr. Randy Flemmer, this program offers a delve into defensive driving practices that it great for just about anyone, but finely crafted for company drivers.

SAFER stand for:

Space

Attitude

Foresight

Eyesight

Responsibility

This acronym quickly provides the 5 important items to always be thinking about while driving. Having adequate space is important while driving, as it gives you more time to react. As a rule, a safe following distance is usually about 2-3 seconds. It is important to remember that it is more difficult to react to situations happening on the road while travelling at faster speeds. Furthermore, you should always be aware of what cars are doing in the lanes beside yours. Having proper spacing in this sense can remove your vehicle from blind spots and allow you to react to lane changes.

As mentioned earlier, driving attitudes can directly impact the way that you respond to what you encounter on the road, meaning that adopting the appropriate attitude is very important. Foresight can reduce risk to a great degree, so try to use this whenever possible. Think about what others might do, what you can do now and how you can react later. Knowing the roads can help a lot with this factor. Seeing the road is extremely important, as it allows you to react as quickly as possible. Always practice proper visual sweeps, such as glancing over your shoulder during lane changes, regularly checking your rearview mirror and looking where you want to go. You must wear glasses or contacts if you need them and attempt to maintain good peripheral vision.

Finally, responsibility while driving is essential. While you are behind the wheel, you are responsible for the actions and decisions that you make. Enact the safe and correct driving procedures and be content in knowing that you have done your best.

Robert has been driving flatbed trucks for his job the last 5 years. Today he is running behind schedule and has a lot of things on his mind. He has been following a white SUV for the last 5 minutes, but he has only been keeping a following distance of 1 second. Suddenly, the SUV brakes and Robert does not have enough space to slow down. His truck smashes into the back of the SUV.

What Robert could have done differently: Keep a safe following distance of 3 seconds, especially given the size of his vehicle. This would give him more space to react in time.

Thinking Driver

This program, developed by Spencer McDonald, provides information that is relevant to a large demographic. Being educated in proper driving attitudes can be useful to any driver. It has especially been tailored to be of use to new and young drivers who are interested in developing foundational driving principles. Its two courses are offered as a package or separately.

Defensive Driving Fundamentals 2020

This course will go over the Five Fundamentals of Defensive Driving:

  • Think and Look Ahead
  • Anticipate Hazards
  • Keep your Options Open
  • Manage the Risk
  • Control with Finesse

Sarah only started driving by herself 2 months ago. Her parents had been driving with her up until she passed her latest test. She is currently covered by their insurance. As she is driving, she notices that she is about to miss the exit she planned on taking. She makes a lane change to the right, only looking in her sideview mirror. As she makes the lane change, she hits a vehicle. Due to this accident, her parents’ insurance premium will take a hit.

What Sarah could have done differently: Make a safe lane change using her eyesight, by looking over her shoulder and into her blind spot.

Defensive Driving Attitudes 2020

This course will cover how the Five Fundamentals of Defensive Driving contribute to risk reduction and incident prevention, by tackling the following topics:

  • Understanding Triggers
  • Managing Driving Stress
  • Anger
  • Aggressive Driving
  • Emotional IQ

David comes home to his family from his office job every night, 5 days a week. Today his boss has been especially demanding and David is not in a good mood. He has been driving more aggressively than he normally would, and there is a large amount of traffic. As he makes a left-hand turn, he attempts to overtake the car ahead of him by going into the right-hand lane. The car does not notice him and makes a lane change, hitting his car.

What David could have done differently: Employ a calm and collected attitude, thereby reducing aggression, and driving predictably. Do not attempt to overtake a vehicle by making a lane change during a turn.

 

Why all the fuss about defensive driving?

young commercial driver

With odds like 77% of people getting into some type of accident in their lifetime, it is important to take whatever steps you can to protect yourself and those that travel with you. By using defensive driving practices, you decrease the odds that you will end up in an accident or dangerous crash. Other than the reasons regarding safety, avoiding accidents by using defensive driving also brings with it a suite of benefits.You will:

  • Qualify for better insurance rates
  • Not have to deal with lawsuits
  • Reduce repair costs
  • Have better gas mileage

While safety reasons should be the primary motivating factor towards adopting defensive driving, these other reasons could also make it worth your while. Better insurance rates can be a big deal for anyone, but especially professional drivers, as having a bad rate can make it very difficult to be hired. Aggressive driving is just riskier, not to mention it wears down brakes and consumes more gas. Aggressive drivers spend more time braking and accelerating hard, leading to more expenses overall. Use defensive driving so that you can be proud that you are doing your part towards preventing automobile accidents.

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Contact

SOS First Aid and Safety Training services the following Southern Ontario communities: Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington, Milton, Guelph, Vaughan, Woodbridge, Maple, Richmond Hill, Brampton, Acton, Georgetown, Hamilton, Ancaster, Brantford, Stoney Creek, St. Catherines, and Welland.

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Patty is an amazing instructor. She explain all the materials in a very effective manner. I liked her teaching skills.
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Mario was awesome! Detailed, quick, and friendly instructor.
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Instructor Ally, was absolutely phenomenal. The classroom environment was excellent, and Ally made sure everyone understood what was being taught. Thank you for your teachings
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Very nice and interacting session with Prakash, I really dont know about Israel been the only country using the Red Crystal symbol, but today I know.
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I was really pleased with learning about the the priority in the impalement and CPR. It was something I didn’t know before and I feel that’s extremely important. Also the instructor was fantastic.
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i didn’t know that peeing on a jellyfish sting was actually the right thing to do
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Really fun and I learned a lot. It was very interactive.Something I would have preferred, as we are learning the ABC’s is give us time to make sure we are doing it properly before asking us to do it quickly. I felt a lot of pressure trying to do it quickly that I was missing proper steps.
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I have been using SOS First aid and Safety Training for my first aid qualifications. This year, I renewed my BLS. Patty and the team have been professional and knowledgeable, with an emphasis on practical application. I refer all coworkers to SOS and would recommend anyone looking for first aid to come here.
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Things I learned that I didn't know before- You can get anaphylaxis from a bee sting.- How to apply slings (because previously I got certification during covid there was social distancing, and we only watched on a video).- A lot of things that you see on television may be false or misconceptions. For example, amputated limbs do not go inside ice but it has to be wrapped up in a gauze. It is labeled and then put inside an ice bag.
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Jagjit Sandhu
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Mia :D
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Kaitlin Delos Reyes
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Matt A
They are sò helpful and impactful. I enjoyed every bit of the class.
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Olubunmi Onimole
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Melissa B
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Tracey Sookdeo
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Cletus Okpala
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Sarah Da Silva
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Lyric Sovl
Viola is a great first aid instructor. I’ve taken this course 3 times and this was the best! Very engaging class!
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Brenda Nkonge
Ally was a personable and engaging instructor so she made this course very educational and enjoyable. Also it’s really easy to book courses with SOS and I’ve done so twice now, they also have several locations to choose from.
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Cathy Nassralla
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Sandra Al-Raias
Went to SOS to renew my BLS certification, I really enjoyed the instructor Viola. She made the class very engaging.
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Kyshona E
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Sarah Calder
Sarah Calder
Viola is, by far, the best BLS instructor! Her class is very hands-on, and her personality really helped me retain the course information.
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Jaime Liddy
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Omar Assem
I’ve been doing my BLS recert with SOS for 3 years. This year my BLS recert was with Viola and I had a great experience. She was very informative and thorough with her teaching. At the end of the session I felt very prepared.
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Arianne Chavez
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Abiesha Ruban
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Diya Bharucha
Diya Bharucha
chloe bond
chloe bond
Viola was a great instructor and was very interactive and has a great sense of humour
Tho-Alficar Al-Awosi
Tho-Alficar Al-Awosi
Very great session with Prakash. Very knowledgeable and good tips to learn as a nursing student. I was always confused about when to call 911 but he gave a really good strategy. asking 3 questions, do you know the background, is the action normal with this background and will it improve. Really great strategy and can easily be implemented
Morayo Oladele
Morayo Oladele
Prakash went through everything thoroughly and swiftly
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Hanifah Ramadhan-Doka
Medina Doka
Medina Doka
Great instructor who kept it interesting. He was patient and very informative. Thank you
Robinetta Siracusa
Robinetta Siracusa
Always amazing!
Ella Chan
Ella Chan
Kirandeep Hundal
Kirandeep Hundal
I had the absolute pleasure of attending Melvin and Ally’s class. The two of them were truly amazing and made my experience enjoyable. I would definitely go back to SOS Mississauga location again. Thank you both for the wonderful experience.
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Alfa Bougouneau
One of the best instructor! The instructor is very knowledgeable and kept all the students engaged all the time. Very participatory session! Loved it!
Jaffer Shaikh
Jaffer Shaikh
Viola was an amazing instructor
Lorheen Angel
Lorheen Angel
Jeamy Mendoza
Jeamy Mendoza
Viola is amazing !
Manuella Ibrahim
Manuella Ibrahim
viola as instructor = 10/10
Eunice Kwon
Eunice Kwon
Haani Siddiqui
Haani Siddiqui
Really good experience. Had BLS course with Viola she’s sooo nice and i recommend her for your certification.
Lara Chehade
Lara Chehade
Really good intstructor, very lively and engaging class!
Ellise Gabrielle Flor
Ellise Gabrielle Flor
Had a great experience! Viola was an amazing instructor. She made the learning process really informative and enjoyable!
Manreet Kaler
Manreet Kaler
Viola is fun and amazing!! Learned in a very fun way!
Jed Mesina
Jed Mesina
Very fun class! Easy to follow with lots of repeat practice to ensure that we all knew what we were doing! Instructor also acted out scenes pretty accurately so it felt more realistic in the moment. ‘‘Twas very fun!
Aleksthetenth -
Aleksthetenth -
Viola was a great teacher! Had an amazing and fun experience with BLS training :)
Jenna K
Jenna K
Viola was an amazing instructor! Very informative and so welcoming. I enjoyed taking this course with her and learned a lot.
Natalie Tegart
Natalie Tegart
Viola was great, very interactive experience and hands on. Thank you!
Jenna Briones
Jenna Briones
Very informative session and Viola was very fun and helpful!
Samantha Horvat
Samantha Horvat

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