Why Drive Defensively?
Stay Safe
Defensive driving will deliver better safety outcomes by having both the RIGHT skills and RIGHT attitude while driving. It is not just about being the right number of car lengths behind another vehicle. The online defensive driving courses we offer will also cover this important topic.

Road Tolerance
Having a defensive driving attitude impacts the risk tolerance for all drivers. The personal factors, stress, and actions of other drivers all play a role in our driving attitude. Having the right attitude teaches drivers to better understand and self-manage stressors and distractions to maintain a clear and objective decision-making capability while driving. A good driving attitude will also help avoid impulsive “unsafe” driving maneuvers.

Qualify and get the Best Vehicle Insurance Rate
In Canada, vehicle insurance is required to operate a vehicle. If a driver has a bad driving record due to many traffic violations and/or accidents, the driver may not be able to get vehicle insurance. This will also make it more difficult to be hired as a professional driver!!! Practicing defensive driving will help avoid being in this bad situation, will lower vehicle operating costs, and most importantly enable the driver to legally operate their vehicle.

Reduce Vehicle/Driver Operating Expenses
Defensive driving can help reduce vehicle operating costs. In the long run, having defensive driving habits help reduce vehicle maintenance and repairs. Having a good driving record/history will lower insurance rates for the business and driver, avoid vehicles accidents, reduce associated costs, and avoid potential lawsuits.

Reduced Vehicle Repairs
Not only does defensive driving make you safer on the road, but it is also better for your vehicle’s maintenance. Being an aggressive driver usually means spending more time slamming brakes wearing down brake pads and tires more quickly. When driving aggressively (i.e. hard acceleration), this will also impact gas mileage. Being a defensive driver will also mean fewer problems and disruptions with the use of your vehicle.

We offer a number of defensive driving courses based on proven principles including the Thinking Driver and the SAFER Defensive Driving Program. The awarding winning comprehensive Thinking Driver Program (see below) combines driver skills with attitudes.

SAFER Defensive Driving System

SAFER defensive driving training is also an excellent program for all types of drivers, but has a special focus on company drivers. SAFER stands for Space, Attitude, Foresight, Eyesight and Responsibility. This online course is a condensed (4 hour) version of our full Defensive Driving Program and contains all the course information from that course. It is an excellent course for those wanting a quality defensive driving course online. Want to learn more about the SAFER Defensive Driving Program?

Thinking Driver Course Information

This online Defensive Driving Fundamentals and Attitudes course is the most comprehensive course offering that provides your family or employees, with the best and most current training for defensive driving techniques and, more importantly, driving attitudes.  This defensive driving safety course is suitable for all drivers, especially those who want to improve their driving skills.  The course delivers essential foundational principles useful for “new” or young drivers. This course will not disappoint you!

This defensive driving program online combines all course content from our Defensive Driving Attitudes course and Defensive Driving Fundamentals course in a bundled program at a reduced cost. This is the most cost-effective solution to provide you, your family and your employees with the most current and essential driving education.

This defensive driving  safety course was developed by internationally recognized road safety, driver psychology and training expert, Thinking Driver Founder, Spencer McDonald. This course was developed in consultation with law enforcement, occupational health and safety professionals, eLearning experts and world-class driver trainers. Make this course your first choice for a defensive driving program! Your drivers will be better prepared to prevent dangers and accidents on the road and will lead to a 90% reduction in at-fault accidents according to Thinking Driver. This course is suitable for all drivers, including “new” and young drivers, to help them reinforce “proper” driver skills and develop an exemplary driver attitude!!!

*Source: Technical Safety BC (90% reduction in at-fault accidents between 2011 and 2015 using Thinking Driver training courses

Updated Content and Engaging

This defensive driving safety course is media-rich and was completely updated in 2020. It will engage learners using very interactive on-screen activities including quizzes, click to discover facts, video, audio commentary and much more. Course content has also been updated to include Avoiding Distracted Driving, Impaired Driving including Cannabis, Driver Fatigue, and updated videos. The course is intuitive and easy to use for all learner types. Interesting, fun, and informative, feedback provided by students who completed this course has been very positive.

Driving Attitudes

Driving attitude directly impacts the risk tolerance for both professional and non-professional drivers. Personal factors, stress, other issues, and the actions of other drivers all play a role in our attitude. The defensive driving training module teaches drivers to better understand and self-manage stressors and distractions such to maintain an objective and clear decision-making capability while driving.  A good driving attitude will help to avoid impulsive, disrespectful, and “road rage” type behaviors which increase driving risk, attract complaints, or cause accidents. Having the best driving attributes will dramatically reduce the probability of having an incident or accident. This is especially true when drivers reduce their speed, observe highway rules and laws, and demonstrate road courtesy with other road users.

When drivers understand their own psychology and “hot buttons”, they learn how to self-manage their emotions and they are able to reduce their risk tolerance even in very stressful road situations or when provoked by other drivers.

Driver Fundamentals

This online defensive course is unlike any other defensive driving course online! This course introduces Thinking Driver’s proprietary 5 Fundamentals of Defensive Driving: 1) Think and Look Ahead, 2) Anticipate Hazards, 3) Keep Your Options Open, 4) Manage the Risk, and 5) Control with Finesse

This course was developed by the internationally recognized, award-winning Thinking Driver defensive driving program. The Thinking Driver defensive driving concepts are fine-tuned to a clear and focused driver safety system by Thinking Driver founder, Spencer McDonald.  These 5 fundamentals form the skill set required to drive incident-free for a lifetime. Using this program has resulted in up to 90% reductions in incident rates*

Volume pricing is available.

Modules Cover

Module 1: Driving Attitudes Module

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

Module 2: Five Fundamentals of Defensive Driving

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

Course Standards

Duration Time: Approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes

Passing Grade: Testing is conducted throughout the course designed to reinforce the information presented in this online course. Students are provided three attempts to complete the course to achieve a passing grade of 80% or greater.

Certificate: Upon successful completion of the competency assessment, a certificate of completion will be available for download and printing. You can access your certificate through your online account.

What Will I Learn?

  • Recognize situations & actions of other drivers and develop tolerance towards other drivers
  • What drivers can do to reduce/manage stress and their reaction to it
  • How to use simple and effective anger management tools while driving
  • Understanding and resolving aggressive driving behaviors
  • Resolving bad situations in a positive way
  • How to maintain superior vision and observation
  • How to recognize the hazards in the environment and understand how to mitigate risk
  • Managing space around the vehicle
  • How best to manage risks both in and outside the vehicle
  • Developing superior vehicle control

This Course is For

All professional and non-professional road users:

  • Employees who drive either a company vehicle or their own vehicle on the job where safe driving is essential for the occupation.
  • All road users that are looking to reinforce their skills with essential foundational driving skills
  • “New” or young drivers who require proven foundational driving skills, attitudes and habits for a lifetime of safe driving.

System Requirements

This online defensive driving course is universally compatible on computers and mobile devices. The course is created using standards that will allow the online course to play on most internet capable devices with standard web browsing capabilities including smartphone and tablets.

View Other Defensive Driving Courses   

$124.95

BUY NOW    COMPLETE COURSE DIRECTORY

Includes

  • Approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes on-demand (self-paced) course
  • Access on computer and mobile device
  • Digital Certificate of Completion

Group Training

Are you looking to purchase courses in bulk?  We also provide you a Group Account to manage courses with bulk purchases.  Contact Us for details.

Environmental, Health and Safety Software (EHS)

Our EHS software is designed to help companies with the administration, auditing, tracking, delivery and reporting of their EHS programs. We truly designed our system to easily be customized to meet your unique needs, easy to implement, and cost effective.

LEARN MORE    CONTACT US   

Customer Reviews

My name is janeka walsh and I wanted to say Ms viola is the besttt instructor ever !! Nice sweet and patient teacher ! I’m going to miss her
Tiffany Smith
Tiffany Smith
I recently attended a CPR training session led by an exceptional trainer PRAKASH. Whose ability to convey complex concepts with clarity and enthusiasm made the class both informative and enjoyable. His dynamic teaching style, coupled with real-life examples and hands-on approach, ensured that everyone was engaged and eager to learn. I highly recommend Prakash to anyone in search of CPR training.
MADIHA MONA
MADIHA MONA
It was a wonderful experience and the instructor was excellent in helping students understand the concepts
Viola
Viola
Girish Vaidhya
Girish Vaidhya
Tony Santos
Tony Santos
Najma Kazmi
Najma Kazmi
Mirnalinidevy Kumaravel
Mirnalinidevy Kumaravel
Instructor is excellent and course is very interesting 👍
Nirmalani Rasiah
Nirmalani Rasiah
brs F
brs F
This was a great first-aid class. I had instructor Patrick and he made class fun, interactive and informal at the same time. I recommend this course as I had a great time learning.
Parul 'v'
Parul 'v'
patrick was a W instructor!
Metokok plop
Metokok plop
It’s been an awesome training course delivered by Karen! The class was interactive and fun while she also shares some her amazing experiences. Thnx SOS and Karen!
Henry Limanto
Henry Limanto
Karen was a great trainer and kept the class fun
Keegan Brown
Keegan Brown
I had finished my training with Prakash.He is very knowledgeable person.He has cleared all my concepts about CPR and first aid.He is a great instructor.He really has done an amazing job in teaching this 2 day first aid and CPR course .Thanks.
Jaspreet Kaur
Jaspreet Kaur
Prakash is a great instructor! Knowledgable, passionate, engaging, and he made the class fun. He also discussed a lot of different scenarios that were challenging and made me think, and that caused me to really dig into what I learned online to provide the best answer. His teaching reminded me what the priority/most important thing in each scenario was, and that you have to assess each situation with careful consideration. Thank you, Prakash! I feel confident that I'll be able to help someone in any situation, minor or emergency. 😊
Melissa Gunther
Melissa Gunther
This is the First Aid course to be on board with.Ally led today’s instruction! What an amazing instructor who uses her teaching to cater to various learning styles and effectively gets the training done. So appreciative. Very grateful. Thank you!
Primrose Lewis
Primrose Lewis
Melissa
Melissa
Ms Ally, our instructor is so helpful, she lets us participate in the activity, she makes us feel relaxed, can be easily understood and can be easily approached. The place is clean and in order!! Thank you SOS!
Cristina Montefalcon
Cristina Montefalcon
Navreet was amazing! She explained everything in good detail and made the first Aid and CPR training a breeze!
Logic Is a Race
Logic Is a Race
Ally was awesome!!!
alex ibazeta
alex ibazeta
My two instructors today at 10 Kingsbridge Garden Circle reawaken the extreme importance of not just getting certified as a Firstaider but ensuring we left more confident and knowledgeable to help as needed. #nolongerabystander
GABRIELLE SAMUEL
GABRIELLE SAMUEL
This was an amazing course with some excellent teachers. Both Ally and Lydia were so incredibly patient and caring and incredible at giving well thought out answers. Long day but it was so nice to have such nice people teaching you. The test at the end was short but intensive aswell. So pay attention!
Anne marie P
Anne marie P
It was great…Thanks Mr Dennis 🤗
ODUNAYO ADESEWA
ODUNAYO ADESEWA
Great session with Dennis
Sonia A
Sonia A
Training with Daniel was very interactive and fun. I learnt alot.
Kristina Smith
Kristina Smith
Karen Guevarra
Karen Guevarra
Melvyn was awesome!!! Very entertaining, very informative, and had the ability to keep it all very simple to remember.
Adam Ahmed
Adam Ahmed
Maysaa Mueen
Maysaa Mueen
Mario is an excellent instructor.
Veronica Inaibagha
Veronica Inaibagha
I am happy being lucky to have this course with a great instructor Patty Turnbull. She is very knowledgeable and efficient, her accent is very clear , she is talented to educate in a way to keep us attentive without feeling board although it is a long day. Thank you Patty. Thank you SOS
Louris Girgues
Louris Girgues
Patty was a great instructor, very easy to follow and just as easy to talk to about any questions to clarify.
Avocado Ception
Avocado Ception
Benson Amihere
Benson Amihere
Prakash was our trainer who made this training fun and dispensed a lot of information with examples. Prakash converted complex information into easy digestible information without overwhelming us. There was not a single dull moment in the entire training and Prakash covered every aspect of first-aid/CPR in timely manner. He's passionate, well organized, very engaging and humorous. Thank you, Prakash.
Kulwant Singh
Kulwant Singh
Peggy was excellent.
Tristan Wiggins
Tristan Wiggins
Training is good and more hands on with real life examples.
Viralkumar Rathod
Viralkumar Rathod
Peggy was an excellent instructor for the First Aid and CPR training. Her knowledge and teaching style made the course informative and engaging.
Zee Shan
Zee Shan
I completed my BLS and standard first aid training with Julie, and it was an amazing experience. Julie's professionalism, knowledge, and helpfulness created a safe and enjoyable learning environment. Her contagious laughter made the entire experience even more enjoyable. It was a pleasure having her as my instructor.
Soleil Smith
Soleil Smith
Patty Turnbull was a wonderful teacher and took time to help us, and go through the material thank you Patty!
Omar Khan
Omar Khan
Patty was amazing
David Kerrigan
David Kerrigan
Prachir Pasricha
Prachir Pasricha
Sakshi
Sakshi
Had a wonderful great session on First aid with Patty Turnbull. The class was very insightful and blended with great sense of humour to keep the audience active and attentive. Absolutely loved the experience.
Surya Ram
Surya Ram
Patty was very funny and the information provided was clear. She demonstrated every method and gave us tips on how to improve.
Charlin Osei
Charlin Osei
Patty Turnbull did a fantastic job with the course. Thank you
Jesse Dwyer
Jesse Dwyer
Has a great training session. Our instructor Patty was great at explaining the material, what to look out for and how best to help the person. She equipped us well in providing CPR and using AED.Thank you for a great session!!
Smit Chotai
Smit Chotai
Great experience. Instructor Mario Sacco was interactive and made it an enjoyable experience.
Amr Abdalla
Amr Abdalla
Sukhdeep Kaur
Sukhdeep Kaur
Excellent experience. Instructor Mario is funny and very good Instructor.
Asima Sultana
Asima Sultana
Easy to understand and great humour. Will be back in 2 years!
Mayou Stoddart
Mayou Stoddart
Such a sweet man, funny guy.
Dania
Dania
Prabh Gill
Prabh Gill
I am very happy to be here and study with Mario. He is very nice person and he helped us mask fit very seriously and he was very dedicated. I learned a lot of knowledge about mask knowledge and skills. Thanks Mario, thanks the Red Cross.
Enqi Huang
Enqi Huang
Kamani Sirisena
Kamani Sirisena
Session was delivered professionally.
M Y
M Y
Thank you Prakash for an awesome class. I didnt think I wouldnt learn so much more from the class today, my class was able to get lots of misconceptions clarified. You challenged us with critical scenarios and made us think. From my past experience , I think first aid class would be boring but for the first time at the SOS first aid centre, I’m very happy with the instructor. Highly recommend!
Natalie Le
Natalie Le
I just wanted to say thank you very much to Patty for being a great and wonderful instructor. For making us understand the material thoroughly and clearly. And most of all for being patient with us. If I need to do another course that they offer, I would definitely do it here and highly recommend it for everyone. Thanks again Patty and SOS First Aid and Safety Training
Jake Ilyas Qureshi
Jake Ilyas Qureshi
Patty was great! Very informative and patient
Faisa S
Faisa S
i did bls and first aid training here with patty. she was such a good teacher/instructor. she was very helpful, funny, and engaging she gives a lot of stories which help us remember important details. it was a really fun and informative class. i wish the best for mrs patty!!!
tierra cab
tierra cab
khadija gaouzi
khadija gaouzi
Patty was great!
Leanne
Leanne
Solomon Cusi
Solomon Cusi
I had patty for my instructor and she was so good!! She explained everything in a clear and concise manner. It was overall a fun two days in class with her!!😄
Shakali Martin
Shakali Martin
I am really impressed by the teaching method of Mr. Prakash nagar.
Himanshu
Himanshu
It was an amazing experience! Prakash Nagar is having great knowledge with First Aid & CPR. He clarified clearly when to administer CPR, AED which was a bit confusing for me when I did the reading online.
Dharmesh Patel
Dharmesh Patel
Vineeta Lekhram
Vineeta Lekhram
Thao Nguyen
Thao Nguyen
Every aspect was taken and explains properly
Olga Ezcurra
Olga Ezcurra
The instructors were very nice and informative. They gave great feedback throughout the whole process
Naomi McDonald
Naomi McDonald
Instruction was clear and the instructor ensured that all questions and concerns were addressed appropriately. Highly recommend!
Jacob Waddell (jcwaddell)
Jacob Waddell (jcwaddell)
It was good and entertaining as well.☺️
Nisha 120991
Nisha 120991
Patty is an amazing instructor. She explain all the materials in a very effective manner. I liked her teaching skills.
Raman Kamboj
Raman Kamboj
Patty is a very nice woman and her as an instructor is fantastic! Was such a nice experience.Thanks 😊
Sadaf Raza
Sadaf Raza
Seriously...Patty is such a gem of a woman and her as an instructor is fantastic! Was such a lovely experience! Hopefully I get her for my RE-certification again next time!
Raven Feldman
Raven Feldman
Great instruction and easily accessible location with ample parking.
Sasha M
Sasha M
Katey Hamilton
Katey Hamilton
Catherine G. Dela Cruz
Catherine G. Dela Cruz
Had a great class with Dr. Prakash. He is super knowledgable! I will recert with SOS next year.
Beonca Luk
Beonca Luk
Patty is an amazing instructor. I had a fun & educational experience.
h w
h w
Fantastic lecturer and is very precise about the whole training.
Ray Arnold
Ray Arnold
Patty is an amazing instructor. She explains all the materials thoroughly.
Keerthana Neethirasa
Keerthana Neethirasa
Patty is one of the best instructors I've had, she's super nice and fun and always ensuring everybody is on track and performing well. She made the class fun and go by quick
dema alnakeeb
dema alnakeeb
Ranya Salih
Ranya Salih
It was a great experience
Jemimah Robin
Jemimah Robin
Mario was awesome! Detailed, quick, and friendly instructor.
Julian Salvador
Julian Salvador
Mario is Very knowledgeable!Highly recommend!
Nida Javaid
Nida Javaid
Mario was a pleasant teacher that was patient and humorous.
A_Stumble
A_Stumble
Mario was very knowledgeable, humorous and efficient with the process. Highly recommend him for anyone!
S T
S T
Miranda Ko
Miranda Ko
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
Ashley Amaral
Ashley Amaral
Very great teaching by Ally
Omobolanle Adebayo-Oyeyipo
Omobolanle Adebayo-Oyeyipo
Amazing instructor, made the day seamless and interesting with great examples and information. Thank you Ally Sommer
Suzie Catarino
Suzie Catarino
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.
segun joseph
segun joseph
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.
James Proulx
James Proulx
i didn’t know that peeing on a jellyfish sting was actually the right thing to do
Niall Harris
Niall Harris
Absolutely loved both instructorsDr.Prakash and Patty Turnbull.Both instructors showed their passion and dedication through their lectures and teaching. Everyone participated and had fun while learning. I would recommend them both.
Tisha s
Tisha s
The Instructors were very thorough with the course. Really learned a lot.
Ehsan Ahmad
Ehsan Ahmad
Vanessa Tran
Vanessa Tran
Very good information and very helpful
david luu
david luu
Patty was engaging, good at explaining things and open to feedback
amber elley
amber elley
Patty was a great instructor. Pace of the course and hands on instruction were very good.
Jim Koitsopoulos
Jim Koitsopoulos

Become a Red Cross Instructor

We are a Red Cross Instructor Development Center offering instructor training in Hamilton, Halton and Peel.

Register Today