Final answer:
Defensive driving is a proactive approach to road safety that emphasizes preparedness for hazards, adherence to traffic laws, and the anticipation of possible risks on the road. It goes beyond basic driving skills, focusing on maintaining safety despite the mistakes of others or unpredictable conditions.
Step-by-step explanation:
What is Defensive Driving?
Defensive driving is a set of driving practices that allow motorists to address identified hazards in a predictable manner. These practices go beyond mastery of the rules of the road and the basic mechanics of driving. The goal of defensive driving is to reduce the risk of collision by anticipating dangerous situations, despite adverse conditions or the mistakes of others. This can include practices such as maintaining a safe following distance, being aware of potential hazards on the road, being able to control speed, and being prepared to react to other drivers.
It involves a mentality that looks ahead, expects the unexpected, and takes proactive measures to minimize hazards. For example, when you are aware of being might be followed by a police car, you are more likely to stick to the speed limit and follow traffic laws more closely. Defensive driving takes this cautious approach and applies it at all times, regardless of whether there is a visible enforcement or not.
Lastly, the philosophy behind defensive driving is that you are responsible for your own safety as well as for the safety of others on the road. You can’t control the actions of other drivers, but you can control your responses and actions in the face of poor driving by others, which typically involves driving in a cautious and defensively alert manner.