Defensive Driving for Dummies

Let's face it-the best way to keep your low deductible auto insurance premiums down is to avoid accidents. The best way to avoid accidents is to drive defensively. Here are a few fundamentals of defensive driving to help keep you safe out on the road.

• Pay attention! With the advent of cell phones, GPS systems, satellite radio, and other attention-grabbing gadgets, distracted driving is quickly becoming one of the top causes of accidents. How many times have you heard the excuse "I never saw the car" or "He came out of nowhere!" to explain an accident? Both of these excuses point to inattention. Try to focus solely on the task of driving next time you're on the road. If you must play with your gadgets, eat, talk on a cell phone, etc., either do it at stoplights or pull over.
• Operate under the assumption that other drivers are maniacs who are not paying attention. This is also known as the "never assume" rule of defensive driving. Always assume the worst in other drivers. That means that, if you see a turn signal, assume the driver is NOT actually going to turn. Likewise, assume that cross-traffic WILL run red lights, which is why you should pause and look left before starting into an intersection.
• Yield, yield, yield! This is where you might have to shelve your pride and your ego. Remember that no one ever yielded his/her way into an accident. Even when you are due the right-of-way, let the other person have the road to avoid confusion and collisions. People are often uncertain on right-of-way rules, so, when in doubt, just yield. The outcome matters more than the principle, in this case.
• Don't tailgate. When you follow too closely, you are almost guaranteed an accident if even the slightest little error were to occur, on your part of that of any other driver on the road. A sudden brake from one vehicle several cars ahead of you could mean a 10-car pile-up when people follow too closely. Use the two-second rule of following distance.
• Slow down! Because the lights are timed and other drivers tend to take their sweet time, speeding rarely ever results in appreciable time-savings. However, it does increase your risk of an accident in two ways: cutting the time you have to react and building up of more stored energy that will cause more damage to you and others in an accident. When you don't speed, not only will you avoid accidents, but you will also avoid tickets. This means you will continue to enjoy reasonable low deductible auto insurance premiums.