Should You Drive Properly Or Defensively?

In my last post, I wrote on how to drive defensively. You can check it out to know what defensive driving entails.
In driving properly, the driver assumes that all other road users adhered strictly to road traffic rules and regulations.
The question now is should drivers drive ‘properly’ or ‘defensively’?
In a community where people adhere strictly to road traffic rules and regulations, driving properly would be adopted by the driver. But, we all know that this situation is difficult and may be impossible to achieve all the time because different kinds of people are found on the road. Some of them are absent minded, aggressive, dangerous, inexperience, under the influence of drug, etc.
So, if you must protect yourself from road traffic accident not necessary caused by you but by other road users, it is necessary to drive defensively. Driving defensively will save lots of lives and will help to avoid a situation where your safety depends solely on the response of other road users.
I am not trying to insinuate that driving properly is not alright or accepted; of course all drivers are expected to drive properly. But, driving properly alone will not protect you from road traffic accident. You must combine driving properly with defensively driving.  

How To Drive Defensively

To avoid road traffic accident, it is advisable for drivers to drive defensively. Driving defensively entails that a driver should consider other road users as a threat or potential hazard to them. This becomes necessary because a driver, there is little or nothing you can do to change the driving pattern of other drivers as well as the movement of other road users. Bu, you can do much by ensuring that the road is very safe to use by making sure that your safety does not depend on other road users. The following are ways to drive defensively.

• To drive defensively, you must be conversant with road traffic regulations. Be able to interpret road signs.

• You must be fully alert when driving or cultivate alertness on the road.

• You must be aware of possible anger on the road and must learn how to avoid them when they occur.

• You must be able to understand the vehicle and be able to drive the vehicle skillfully both at emergencies and normal conditions/situations.

• Do not stand your ground all the time even in if you are right. So, give right of way to others when it is safe to do so even in situations where they are wrong.

• You should anticipate correctly and act where necessary.

Common Distractions While Driving

For a driver to drive safely, to his/her destination he/she should try to have full concentration when driving on the road. In as much as drivers try to have concentration while driving, there are distractions here and there that seem to take the driver’s attention. The following are common distractions experienced by drivers.

Making or receiving calls while driving can lead to road accident because your attention can be taking from the road and diverted to the calls you are making or receiving. As a driver, it is advisable to stop your vehicle before making or receiving calls.

Discussing with passengers: Although, talking with passengers while driving is not bad. But doing it too much is bad and it can lead to traffic accident. It is common to find some drivers engaging their passengers in heated argument while driving.

Dancing while driving

Changing cassettes or CD or tuning to radio stations while driving.

Playing very loud music while driving

Distracted by listening to music: Playing or listening to music is not bad when driving, but, when you put your mind on the music instead of the vehicle you are driving can cause distraction which can lead to road accident.

How to drive safely at night

Driving at night is quite different from driving during day time. This is because the natural light from the sun is completely shut out. This causes reduction in visibility which makes the driver to be extra careful and extra vigilance. In the developing countries it is common to find roads without street lights which put both the occupants of the vehicle and other road users at risk. The following are tips to help drivers drive safely at night.

Night driving

Reduce the beam of light from your vehicle when approaching oncoming vehicle, especially in streets where there are no street lights. This is to prevent flashing lights at the driver of the oncoming vehicle which can lead to road accident. And also, when an oncoming vehicle beam its light on you and prevents you from seeing clearly, instead of beaming your light back at her, it is advisable to slow down and allow the vehicle to pass before continuing your journey.

Don’t leave the light of your vehicle on high beam when driving behind a vehicle. This can cause lights to reflect on the rear view mirror of the driver or drivers ahead and make them not to see clearly.

Avoid looking directly at the light of an oncoming vehicle.

Be on the look out for vehicles with one head light. This can lead to road accident especially in roads without street lights. A car with one head light on the road with poor visibility makes the vehicle to look like a motorcycle.

Always maintain your lane when driving at night. It helps prevent road accident.

What determines a driver speed?

The speed at which a driver goes determines how he makes prompt decisions on the road and also how he/she takes action in times of emergency. There are several factors that determine the speed at which a driver goes. The following are some of them.

Road condition: The condition of a road is one factor that determines the speed at which a driver drives a vehicle. This is because a bad or a poorly design road limits the drivers peed as compared to a good road with great designs.

Traffic density: The number of cars, other vehicles as well as road users affects the speed of drivers. For example, a driver driving on roads with less amount of traffic will move at a higher or greater speed as compared to drivers driving on roads with high flow of traffic.

The condition of the vehicle: A vehicle that is ‘sick’ definitely will be slow or not too fast when it hits the road as compared to vehicle that is sound and ‘healthy’. These ‘sick’ vehicles are common in the developing countries.

Experience of the driver: A driver’s experience determines how comfortable he/she will be driving on the road which also determines the speed at which he/she drives. But, an inexperienced driver will definitely drive at a slower speed.

Visibility: The extent to which a driver can see should determine how fast he/she should go. A driver should slow down or reduce the speed when he/she drives in places that have low visibility.