Car Safety: Defensive Driving

Let’s talk about the concept of defensive driving. When it comes to car safety, not only do you have to worry about your own actions, but also the actions of every other driver on the road. Many of them will be driving in an unsafe manner – speeding, cutting in and out of lanes, improperly passing, paying more attention to the radio than to the road, etc. Others will be driving cars and trucks that aren’t safe to be on the road at all. Some drivers will be inebriated. Even otherwise excellent drivers will have lapses, where they’re daydreaming, dealing with an upset child in the back seat, or worried about the big meeting at work they’re headed to. People get sick, have seizures, and have heart attacks while driving every day in this country. Others will be trying to drive while eating or talking on a cell phone. You have absolutely no control over the actions and habits of other drivers, and yet they can have a huge impact on your safety and even injure or kill you and your passengers. So when it comes to car safety, it’s imperative that you pay close attention to other drivers and be prepared for the worst. Some driving instructors joke that you should assume that every other driver is deaf, dumb, blind, and drunk. It’s not quite that bad, but it’s better to err on the side of caution. An increasingly prevalent problem in many areas of the country is people who are in the country illegally and so they don’t have a driver’s license or get their car inspected, yet they drive on the road. They’re not familiar with the American way of driving, or the interstate system, which is bad enough. To make things worse, they normally don’t speak or read English. Accidents involving uninsured, unlicensed illegal immigrants is a growing problem. This is not meant to sound judgmental about those who are coming here to seek a better way of life, but only to let you know that it’s a big safety concern while you’re driving. If you’re in an area that has seen an influx of immigrants, you should be even more careful.