Most drivers have heard about defensive driving, but the demands of daily life might have kept you from thinking about it much since you first learned about it. Gulf Breeze Automotive wants you to understand how defensive driving practices help you to be a better driver and take better care of your car.
Driving Fast Doesn’t Do What You Want it to Do
Most of the time drivers who are speeding are doing so to avoid things like traffic and getting caught behind red lights. But when you are driving faster than you should, that doesn’t help you to avoid any of those things at all. Worse, it can cause you to be a bit more reckless and make decisions that are dangerous, like running a yellow light instead of slowing down.
Driving Aggressively Doesn’t, Either
It doesn’t get any better if you’re an aggressive driver, either. When you tailgate or make moves behind the wheel that cause issues for other drivers, that can put you and them in a bad spot. Decisions like this can put everyone at risk of being in an accident. They also don’t allow you to take corrective action if something goes wrong mechanically with your vehicle.
Be Aware of Everything Around You
The best way to start driving defensively is to make sure that you’re as aware as possible of what is happening around you. Other drivers are hopefully using their turn signals and engaging in other defensive driving behaviors. It’s important that you pay attention to that information, but don’t blindly trust it. You have to also be prepared to take evasive action if they do something different than what they indicate. Giving yourself space to maneuver and ensuring that you’re not speeding or driving recklessly allow you to account for the actions of other drivers.
Keep Your Car in Good Mechanical Condition
Keeping your car in the best possible condition is something you might not consider under the umbrella of defensive driving, but it helps you make sure that your car isn’t going to give out while you’re driving. Get familiar with the recommended service schedule for your car. Stay up to date with maintenance and that’s going to help protect your car for a long time to come.
If you need help making sure that your car is in top form or with repairs, Gulf Breeze Automotive in Gulf Breeze, FL can help with that. Give us a call today and we’ll be happy to take a closer look at what your car needs.