Defensive Driving Tips and Techniques

Driver’s education is advantageous when looking to lower rates for car insurance. Today’s driver’s education is very different. Originally taught in schools in the 1950s- it was a result of the great highway building boom.

Originally driver’s education was just to teach kids how to pass a driver’s test, now there is a whole new generation of driver’s education classes that stress safety and real life practice. The old classes that consisted mostly of safety videos from the 1970s that put students to sleep combined with a few lectures on drinking and driving are gone. In some of those classes students only spent six hours behind the wheel.

However states are reconsidering the education of teenage drivers. Urged by an increasing partnership of public school instructors and safety groups, new forms of driver’s safety classes are coming into being. Some are experimenting with extended training. A pilot program combines initial driver’s ed courses, six months behind the wheel under certain licensing restrictions and a second round of driver training.

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If you ask many drivers what their pet hates are about other drivers, one common reply is “other drivers who neglect to signal lane changes and turns. Likewise, in many courses on defensive driving, lane change techniques are an important part of the curriculum.

If you regularly drive on our roads, how many times do you see drivers signal one way and turn the other? Or even worse, drivers who do not even signal at all. What about those trucks, motorbikes and cars whose signals do not self-cancel? You see them cruising along completely oblivious to the fact that their signals are still blinking despite their turn being made several miles earlier.

Tip! Defensive driving lane change techniques and correct signaling are essential to remaining safe on the road

Some drivers consider driving to be some kind of contest, and deliberately do not use turn signals. Their view is that by forecasting a lane change on the highway with a signal, other drivers will counter their move by closing the “gap” in the lane. Although this does happen, the majority of drivers will display courtesy and will not close your gap. And remember that courtesy is contagious too. Just as many drivers WILL make a space for you if they are aware you want to switch lanes.

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iDriveSafely’s innovative defensive driving programs are particularly suited to drivers with busy schedules. If you have no driving school in your area, they will suit you down to the ground. The courses are delivered online via the web. This means that all a driver needs to complete a defensive driving course is a driver’s licence and a PC with a basic web browser and internet connection. There is no software required, although some courses use the free Macromedia Flash plugin which can be installed during registration.

Taking a defensive driving course from iDriveSafely.com means no teachers, no classroom and no workbooks. The courses are all State approved, and are selected according to the particular state where a student resides. Some the available courses include:

1. Defensive Driving – Ticket Dismissal
2. Defensive Driving – Insurance Discount
3. Seatbelt Safety Course
4. Child Safety Course

Each defensive driving course has a combination of text, graphics, animations, and videos – all designed to prevent boredom during the learning experience. Instead of listening to a teacher deliver the course face-to-face, students have the ability to move through the course at their own pace. This allows the student to revisit those sections which need reinforcing, and skip through parts which may already be familiar.

Most of the courses are 6-8 hours long with the average cost between $30 and $40. Once a student finishes the course, the next step is to complete an examination. A typical final examination is 25 questions, but could be longer depending on the requirements of the relevant state or county. Individuals who complete a Traffic School course with iDriveSafely will receive an official Certificate of Completion. iDriveSafely offers free standard certificate delivery as well as multiple express delivery options.

Besides improving defensive driving skills, there are other benefits to taking one of iDriveSafely’s driving courses. In some states, driving record demerit points can be dismissed by successfully completing an approved driving safety course like this one, and some insurance companies also offer discounts.

Individuals who prefer to learn face-to-face might not like the way the courses are delivered via the web. Some people like to have the opportunity of asking questions and watching live demonstrations by real people. Those with no computer or internet experience might also consider the method of course delivery a little daunting.

You can visit the iDriveSafely website for more information about their innovative defensive driving programs.

How is this for an alarming statistic? In the United States 41,000 people die from motor vehicle accidents every year. Another two million sustain serious injuries. And that doesn’t include other countries around the world.

Imagine for a moment those teenagers you often see doing dangerous, senseless stunts on their bikes and skateboards. Guess what. Those teenagers grow up, become drivers and probably form part of the accident statistics already discussed.

If you arm yourself with some commonsense, defensive driving, statistics, and risk management, you can make sure you are not amongst the 41,000 or the two million.

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Confused about advanced driving? Are you wondering exactly what advanced driving instruction really is?

The normal person probably thinks they are a better than average driver, possessing intermediate to advanced driving skills. In reality, advanced driving refers to high-speed driving, similar to the type of driving that police, ambulance drivers or race car drivers do on a daily basis. This type of driving can be very dangerous in the hands of an untrained driver.

If you are interested in learning advanced driving skills, or becoming an advanced driving instructor yourself, you will need to understand at least a beginners guide to advanced driving instruction. It is one thing to learn skills yourself, but it is completely another to teach those skills to someone else. There are actually two skills involved here – one is the technical skill of advanced driving, and the other is the skill of patience and teaching to transfer that knowledge to another person.

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