Defensive driving

Defensive driving
The two-second rule tells a defensive driver the minimum distance to avoid collision in ideal driving conditions. The red car's driver picks a tree to judge a two-second safety buffer.

The standard Safe Practices for Motor Vehicle Operations, ANSI/ASSE Z15.1, defines defensive driving as "driving to save lives, time, and money, in spite of the conditions around you and the actions of others."[1] This definition is taken from the National Safety Council's Defensive Driving Course. It is a form of training for motor vehicle drivers that goes beyond mastery of the rules of the road and the basic mechanics of driving. Its aim is to reduce the risk of driving by anticipating dangerous situations, despite adverse conditions or the mistakes of others. This can be achieved through adherence to a variety of general rules, as well as the practice of specific driving techniques.

Contents

History

A driver safety program called the Driver Improvement Program was developed in 1964 by Chris Imhoff of the (US) National Safety Counsel. [2]. The program instituted a Defensive Driving Course (DDC). Defensive Driving Courses, along with Instructor Development Courses were offered beginning 1964 and 1965, typically through corporate sponsorships.

Training and Courses

Several government agencies, non profit organizations, and private schools have launched specialty courses that improve the public's driving skills. In the United States a few of the familiar courses in defensive driving include Alive at 25, DDC or Defensive Driving Course, Coaching the Mature Driver, Attitudinal Dynamics of Driving, Professional Truck Driving, and DDC for Instructors. In relation to this, the government has launched active Air Bag and seat Belt safety campaigns that encourage High Visibility Enforcement.

Courses can often be taken both online and in the classroom. There are advantages to each. When you take the course online, you can take it on your own time and in the comfort of your own home. Classroom courses help you take it all at one time and allow you to discuss and ask questions. Classroom courses last only 6 hours. While online courses also are supposed to take six hours, many times because of pages loading, it takes closer to eight hours to complete a course. With faster Internet connections, many online courses can be completed in fewer hours than a classroom course.

In addition to improving one's own driving skills, many U.S. states provide an incentive to complete an approved defensive driving course by offering mandated insurance discounts or a way to mask a traffic ticket from one's driving record. In some instances these courses are referred to as traffic school or a defensive driving school. States with the biggest incentives are Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, New Jersey, New York ... a number of private providers offer variety of courses. The method and style of the course carries.... from course to course.[citation needed]

See also

References

  1. ^ American National Standard Safe Practices for Motor Vehicle Operation, American Society of Safety Engineers, Des Plaines, IL, 2006
  2. ^ http://www.nsc.org/safety_road/Defensive%20Driving%20Information%20Highway/Defensive_Driving_Resources/Pages/DefensiveDrivingCoursesHistoryTimeline.aspx, National Safety Council Defensive Driving Courses History Timeline

External links