National Safety Council is the first national organization to lead the world in defensive driving training. Some private driving schools also offer defensive driving instructor training (IDC) in accordance with state standards. There are some driving schools which offer defensive driving instruction training free of cost.

DDC for professional truck drivers (DDC-PTD), DDC-4, DDC-6 state of New York, DDC-8 state of Virginia, DDC-8/6, DDC-attitudinal dynamics of driving, and DDC-Coaching the Mature Driver are some of the defensive driving instructor courses available.

Students who complete the DDC for professional truck drivers and DDC-6/8 instructor training course can work as provisional instructors. They are also eligible to receive insurance premium discount. The course length of DDC for professional truck drivers is six to eight hours. The course is best suited for safety managers, fleet managers, and driving school instructors.

Some of the common topics covered in the defensive driving instructor training module include adult learning needs, improving effective teaching skills and administrative responsibilities. Defensive driving techniques, backing and turns, following distance and passing, chemical abuse issues, road rage, head-on collisions, and accident preventability are some of the topics covered in the various defensive driving instructor training courses.

Some defensive driving instructor training courses are also available online. This facility allows the student to practice effective instructional technique in a convenient way.

Defensive Driving Statistics For Teens

It probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise that teens are involved in more accidents than adults. What may be surprising is that teenagers have a four time greater chance of being in an accident than an older, more experienced driver. Part of this is due to the lack of responsibility some teens take for their actions. Some of it is the lack of experience. Driver’s education teaches you to perform the basic skills necessary to drive a vehicle. Defensive driving courses pick up where this leaves off. Defensive driving statistics prove that taking a safety course will improve the driving techniques and skills of drivers in any age category.

Defensive Driving Statistics For Businesses

There are lots of companies, large and small, who have employees that drive commercial vehicles for their employment. Among those who require their employees to take a course in defensive driving, statistics show that there is a thirty percent reduction in accidents. This results in fewer lives lost, less time off for injury, and less cost to the company.

Since the annual cost of all auto accidents is $230.6 billion, it is easy to determine that this could be detrimental to a business. Footing the bill for all employees to take defensive driver training will protect both the company and the employee.

Defensive Driving Statistics For The Elderly

During a year that the elderly made up nine percent of the population, they also accounted for fourteen percent of all traffic fatalities. In addition, they accounted for seventeen percent of fatalities involving pedestrians. Considering that a large portion of the elderly no longer drives, that means an even greater number percentage wise of how many accidents the elderly were involved in. Most of these accidents happen in the daytime and involve another vehicle. Many times, an older driver will be struck when turning left. This indicates that proper signaling may not have been used.

Defensive driving statistics improve the incidence of accidents among the elderly. They learn the importance of using a seat belt, signaling before making a turn, and how to pay attention to other drivers. Although some older drivers may have health problems that should prevent them from driving, others just need to learn the safety techniques required to drive safely on roads that are much busier and more congested than in the past.

All safe driving lissons will include classes on how to anticipate trouble before it starts by observing traffic patterns, recognizing warning signs, and knowing the defensive driving techniques to employ to prevent accidents instead of having to react to them.

Pay Attention!

A lapse of attention is the single largest cause of accidents, and in particular those accidents which involve drivers not far form their own homes. Drivers who are traveling on familiar roads often relax their attention more than they should. defensive auto driving plans however, stress the importance of drivers maintaining complete focus on both their own driving and the surrounding traffic and potentially dangerous road conditions or hazards.

To simply understand and heed the rules of the road regarding right of way is often not adequate to prevent an accident from occurring. Safe Lessons for driving will always recommend that it is safer to yield the right of way in an uncertain situation than to issue a challenge.

You’re The Only Sane One Out There

You can never be certain about the driving abilities or mindset of any of the other drivers with whom you are sharing a roadway. Driving tips will include instructions on how to develop the philosophy that you are the only person driving that stretch of road who concentration encompasses not only your vehicle, but all the vehicles and potential road hazards around you.

Driving defensively means learning to read situations before they fully develop. Riding lawn mowers are often ridden by homeowners who assume the responsibility for the grass growing right down to the edge of the road, and they may come right out into the road to get it. Learning to drive defensively will have you one lane over before the lawn mower even gets to the side of the road.

Driving courses will usually include advice on how to stop tailgaters. Most drivers think that by pumping their brakes, they will signal the tailgating vehicle that it is too close, but what they are often doing is simply adding to the other driver’s frustrations. Even worse, they can actually end up being hit from behind.

The defensive driving lesson plan will instead suggest that you simply slow down to a speed just below that of the other traffic, without hitting the brakes. The tailgating vehicle can then drive around your car safely, even though its driver may shoot you an aggressive look or hand gesture in passing!

However in practice it involves much more than that. The first part relates to your ability as a driver. It involves training to improve your skills of vehicle control, observation, anticipation, temperament etc. This is the easy part as you have complete control over your side of the deal.

The second part recognises that although you may be able to control your actions at all times, there’s virtually nothing you can do to control the actions of other drivers. So a wide range of defensive techniques have been developed to enable you to cope with anything that may happen. These skills involve being alert and ready to react to the hazards that other road user create. The ultimate aim is to become proactive so that you can avoid getting into dangerous situations, instead of just reacting to dangers once they develop.

Here are the basics of defensive driving.

1) Be Prepared

This is one of the most important skills of defensive driving. If you’re constantly prepared for every situation that may develop while on the road, your chances of returning home safely will be much greater.

So before you begin any journey, make sure that your vehicle is properly prepared. Check the tyre pressure and the water, oil and gas levels. Make sure that all the lights and mirrors are working properly. And finally, don’t leave home without carrying a medical kit, basic tools such as a jack, spare bulbs and all the relevant documentation.

2) Be Seen

One of the best ways to improve your safety on the road is to make sure that other motorists see your car. If they’re aware of your vehicle and the space it occupies on the road, they’re less likely to collide with you.

This might sound rather obvious, but take a look at this amazing statistic – Most motorists only see 10% of cars that are on the roads around them. That means they see only one car in ten. Or more worryingly, they don’t see nine cars out of ten.

So to make sure other drivers see you, make full use of your lights. Of course it goes without saying that you should always use your headlights during lighting up times, but defensive driving goes beyond the bare legal minimum. For example, I’ve heard certain advanced drivers say that you should use your headlights at ALL times unless driving in full sunlight.

To see the benefit of this, next time you’re driving when it’s starting to get dark, pay close attention to the rest of the drivers on the road. I guarantee that you’ll be more likely to notice the first few drivers who have switched their headlights on.

And while we’re on the subject of being seen, when passing other cars, make sure that you spend as little time as possible in the blind spot of other drivers. If they’re not aware of your presence, they’re more likely to collide with your vehicle.

3) Create Space

The third principle of defensive driving is to create space between your vehicle and other motorists. This gives you extra leeway to avoid a collision with other road users if something unexpected happens.

For example, don’t follow too closely behind other vehicles. If they have to stop suddenly and you’re too close you’re more likely to hit their vehicle. So back off, use the three second rule. Whatever speed you’re doing, make sure that the vehicle in front of you is always three seconds ahead. As a rough guide, choose a roadside reference point and start counting when the vehicle in front passes it. If you pass the same point within three seconds, you’re too close and need to back off. During bad weather conditions such as snow and ice, this gap should be extended to five seconds to account for the longer stopping distances.

And finally, when on the road, use your common sense. For example, avoid getting too close to any vehicle that looks poorly maintained or has signs of accident damage. These are subtle clues that the owner of the vehicle is not a defensive driver and as such is more of a danger to your safety.

4) Remain Calm

Another important aspect of defensive driving is to avoid road rage, both in yourself and other motorists. Try to remain calm at all times and don’t react to the anger of other people that you encounter while on the roads. Your ability to remain calm and rational is directly linked to your ability to put the principles of defensive driving into practice and stay safe. If you lose your temper when behind the wheel, your safety will be in jeopardy.

These are just a few of the most basic aspects of driving defensively. To find out more about how to stay safe on the roads and enjoy your driving, take a look at some of the defensive driving courses, many of which are available online. They will save you money and perhaps even your life.

Let’s begin right at the top of the list with one of the most important defensive driving tips around today; pay attention. Always pay attention. Never let your guard down. If you are driving, especially on unfamiliar stretches of roadway, pay attention. Know your surroundings and always check your side view mirrors and rear view mirrors. One of the most common comments after an accident occurs or after an accident is avoided is “I didn’t see that car.” This should never be uttered if you are paying attention while behind the wheel.

The second most important tip we can give drivers is to not trust any other driver on the road. You honestly don’t know what that other driver is going to do with their car. So, before you begin guessing what they are going to do, make a move yourself. Just be careful. Don’t trust anyone around your car but yourself. If you pay attention and drive safely, you will be a good defensive driver.

Tip number three for defensive driving is to obey all speed limit laws no matter where you are traveling. It doesn’t matter if you know the road you are driving on like the back of your hand or if it is an unfamiliar road; do not speed. Speeding is one of the main causes of accidents that lead to serious injury or death. If you obey the speed limit then you will be a safe and defensive driver.

The fourth tip we would like to offer to drivers is to always wear your seat belt. Seat belts were designed and manufactured in cars to save lives. If it is there, use it. Why not? The difference between life and death in a traffic accident could be the use of your seat belt. Also, make sure everyone in your car wears their seat belt as well. You shouldn’t wear your seat belt only because it is the law and you can be fined but because it will save your life.

Part two of our defensive driving tips will include impaired driving, red lights and stop signs, relaxing your attitude while behind the wheel, use your lights, use your turn signals, avoid distractions and slow down in inclement weather.

If you are taking a defensive driving course online, it is not necessary to attend a regular classroom-based course. It is an inexpensive way of getting traffic tickets dismissed and insurance rates lowered. Private institutions also provide a wide range of online defensive driving courses, which complies with state standards. Defensive driving course online gives maximum flexibility in scheduling. You can start and stop the program as and when you like.

The duration of the course varies from state to state. Usually, the duration of the course is four to eight hours. This is based as per the court?s requirement. In certain courses, a multiple-choice quiz will be conducted after each lesson. When taking the course, a sequence of security questions will also be asked to verify your identity. Final examination will be conducted after completing all the chapters. If you want to succeed in this online course, then you have to correctly answer about 80% of the questions.

Students pursuing defensive driving course online do not receive the direct supervision of an instructor. Instead, graphics, videos, flash animation, and easy-to-read text are offered.

Safe driving practices, have laid down rules like state speed limits, traffic laws, traffic signs, roadway markings, signals etc. All these are taught through defensive driving course online.

Upon completion of the course, the student will be awarded a certificate of completion. Most of the defensive driving online schools, offer a provision to select the method of certificate delivery at the time of registration. The certificate will be delivered within seven to ten business days.

That was then. Now, in most areas, you can take your defensive driving course online instead. The Internet has opened up a whole new world of instructional possibilities, as web-based schools have come to include online defensive driving among their offerings. The courses aren’t just one of those “get your diploma over the web by sending us a check” types of scams, they are fully approved, legitimate alternatives to classroom traffic school. The certificate of completion that students receive after completing a defensive driving course online is the same document they get when they attend a classroom-taught course. The only difference is that they sat at a computer instead of at a desk.

There are several things to know when choosing a provider for your online defensive driving course. The first is that your region must have approved the use of this alternate school type officially, on the books, for it to count toward getting your traffic ticket dismissed. That is easy enough to discover – you can either ask the court that issued your citation, or you can find an online traffic school and ask them whether your area allows their services.

Once you’ve determined that it is okay to take your course over the web, find a provider you trust. Some schools have over a decade of experience, and offer courses all over the U.S., while others are smaller, newer, and not as established. You should be able to tell within moments whether you’ve found one of the “big players” or a tiny operator. The bigger schools generally have the resources to keep their courses current and to improve upon them as time goes on, so they will probably give you the most bang for your buck.

You can also look at the way that the school presents itself to get an idea of what sort of course material you might encounter. There are “comedy” traffic schools online, with cartoon-like home pages and gags throughout the course, and there are more serious, straightforward schools that simply get you through the class as quickly and easily as possible. In either case, you will need to pass a final exam at the end in order to prove that you have mastered the material taught to you. This is what will trigger shipment of your certificate of completion. Some schools will allow you to have the certificate sent via overnight courier if you are in a hurry, or you can stroll out to your mailbox and get it from there. Either way, though, it sure beats commuting to traffic school in your car!

With the advancements of online education technology, Texas drivers can now complete their driver safety training on the Internet. An online course will not be conducted by an instructor. To verify the identity of the student, an online course will ask certain personal questions randomly throughout the lessons. The course will use a third party database to check the answers. Questions about the content are also asked to make sure the students are effectively learning the material. Students taking a defensive driving course online have the freedom to break up the course into segments as they see fit.

Texas drivers who possess a commercial driver license are not permitted to take a driver safety course like defensive driving for ticket dismissal. A driver must admit guilt or sign a statement of nolo contendere that proves they do not contest the citation. A speeding violation more than twenty-five mile per hours over the legal limit cannot be dismissed by defensive driving or any other driver safety course. Most municipal courts and justices of the peace require that a driver check before taking a defensive driving course for ticket dismissal.

A driver safety course can only be taken to dismiss one traffic citation every twelve months. A certificate of completion can be used for a single traffic violation and will not be accepted for any other citation at any time. If a driver committed multiple violations then only one charge will be dismissed by the certificate of completion.

Defensive driving teaches drivers the techniques needed to make them safer drivers and prevent accidents that don’t have to occur. Drivers not only learn how to prevent causing accidents, but also how to prevent those that might be caused by other drivers. Accidents that occur while driving commercial vehicles cost businesses millions every year. Not only is there a loss of the vehicles but also of employees. Time off for injuries costs the company as well as training new employees for the work. Some companies require completion of a defensive driving course before hiring new employees. This can reduce accidents by as much as thirty percent according to defensive driving statistics. Risk management should include defensive driving for employees who drive commercially whether you have one company vehicle or hundreds.

Most of us are teenagers when we get our first drivers license and defensive driving statistics show that most accidents occur during a drivers first two years of being licensed. Regular drivers training just isn’t enough to perfect our driving skills and teenagers don’t have the years of driving experience that older drivers have. Teenagers are among the highest at risk for accidents according to defensive driving statistics. Risk management for teens would include training them in defensive driving. Most companies won’t hire new drivers but if yours does, defensive driving training could help reduce the cost of insurance premiums. Because of the high payout for accidents of young drivers, according to defensive driving statistics, risk management is practiced by many insurance companies by encouraging young drivers to get special training.

Another high risk group of drivers is seniors who may have driven for all of their adult lives. Although they may have years of driving experience, they may not be used to the high flow of traffic that is now a normal condition of todays highways and as they age, their reaction time tends to slow. Many insurance companies offer discounts on premiums for these drivers based on their own defensive driving statistics. Risk management can’t change the aging process, but it can give seniors the techniques they need to look ahead and prevent situations from occurring that could lead to an accident.

Defensive driving statistics and risk management go hand in hand as a way to cut costs and to save lives. Nothing will better prepare a driver for the conditions on the road that have the potential to cause fatalities and injuries. A defensive driving course can make the difference in life and death.

One of the most common causes of accidents on the roads these days is distractions while driving. When you are behind the wheel, try to avoid as many distractions as possible. If you avoid distractions while driving then your trip will be a safe one. Such distractions while driving are talking on the cell phone, text messaging while driving, fidgeting with the radio, looking through the glove box, changing CDs, turning around and talking to passengers in the back seat, trying to eat, drinking, shaving, putting on makeup, getting dressed, reading the newspaper or directions and much more. All of these distractions can cause your eyes to divert from the task at hand, which is to navigate the roadway, and might lead to an accident. Getting rid of these distractions makes your trip a lot safer.

Our next tip is to always take care of your vehicle. If your vehicle is in mint condition than you shouldn’t have any problems driving. If your car has problems then you should get it checked out by a mechanic and have any glaring problems fixed to avoid breaking down or losing parts on the highway, which could cause an accident. Always make sure your vehicle has enough gas in the tank, that the proper fluids are stocked well, and that the brakes are working properly.

Try to avoid single car accidents as much as possible. These types of accidents are the easiest to avoid because the only person at fault is you, the driver. If you can avoid single car accidents then your trip will be that much safer. Single car accidents include rollovers, hitting a tree, hitting an animal, hitting a wall, hitting a pole or guardrail and hitting other parked cars.

Another important tip for being a successful defensive driver is to obey train signals. Never, ever, play chicken with a train. If you are approaching a railroad crossing and the lights are flashing and you hear a train whistle in the distance, stop before the tracks, and wait for the train to pass. Don’t try to beat the train by rushing across the tracks. It’s not worth it. There is too much to risk by trying to beat out a train at the crossing.

The final tip we can offer drivers to become better defensively on the roads in this article is to get plenty of rest before driving each day. If you are well rested when you are driving then you shouldn’t have any problems staying awake behind the wheel. If you begin to dose off behind the wheel then you should pull over into a safe parking lot and rest for a little bit.

Our next article will include sharing the road, beware of congested areas, don’t tailgate, pass with safety and beware of slow moving vehicles.