When you boil it down, the only REAL defensive driving technique to master is attitude. If you are an experienced driver, you should be pretty familiar with the road rules and know how to drive defensively. To you, driving is such a normal part of life that you don’t consciously think to yourself “driving is very dangerous, I must be careful”.

Of all the defensive driving tips and techniques to embrace, reminding yourself occasionally about the dangers of driving is one of the most important.

If you drive, there is no doubt that you will be involved in traffic conflicts. Whilst you may be unable to totally control them, what you CAN control is how you react to them. The key attribute which makes the difference to remaining safe in today’s chaotic traffic environment, is keeping a detached, calm and positive attitude. “Easier said than done” I hear you say!

Tip! Avoid potential road rage incidents by learning defensive driving lane change techniques and correct signaling.

However, adopting this “chill-out” type of attitude when driving is something you can learn to do, and it’s not really that hard. Many drivers would agree that most of their tickets or traffic mishaps have occurred when they were upset or angry. It is easy for your judgment to desert you when your emotions are running high, and you fail to notice otherwise apparent dangers. In the event that you are driving while emotionally upset, it is always wise to pull over, take a big breath, calm down and relax, before something dangerous happens.It goes without saying that everyone makes mistakes, and at any given moment, lots of drivers are making mistakes. And that is what they are – just mistakes. They are not intentionally nasty maneuvers. Have you ever made a driving error and immediately felt bad for inconveniencing the other driver?

When other drivers make a mistake, the best defensive driving technique is to be calm, patient, and let it slide. Mark it down as an unintentional human error in the same way we hope the other driver would do for us.

Driving conflicts and accidents have been with us since automobiles were invented in the late 1800’s. Old photos exist which show accidents occurring when there were still only a handful of vehicles on the road amongst all the horses and carriages. The fact of the matter is, if you drive, you will be involved in driving and traffic mishaps.

When you get behind the wheel, start thinking thoughts which can help keep your attitude calm and positive:

  • It doesn’t matter
  • It was just a mistake, the same as I could make
  • One mistake is not life and death
  • I choose not to let this worry me
  • Everyone is human

Many collisions occur when a driver is angry, stressed or distracted. When other drivers make mistakes, or are intentionally rude or aggressive, there is nothing to be gained by letting it affect your own attitude or behavior. Twenty minutes down the track, you won’t even remember the incident. Since all drivers are human, we can’t be perfect all the time. Allowing an error from another driver to be the reason you lose control and have an accident is just plain dumb!

Of all the defensive driving tips and techniques, keeping your attitude calm, rational and objective is one of the most important. It is also one which can be practiced and learned at any stage of your driving career. If you want to stay safe on the roads, get practicing your attitude now and chill out!