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What to Expect from Defensive Driving Education |
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Each state regulates what is taught in a defensive driving class. It varies a little depending on the laws of your prospective state. But for the most part many requirements are the same across the board.
Every defensive driving course will discuss the causes of crashes, the emotional impact of them, and the cost in dollars spent each year because of car crashes. Almost 50,000 people die every year in a car collision, with nearly 3.5 million more that get injured every year due to the same thing. About 38% of all car crashes that end with a fatality are alcohol related. Another 30% of collisions are due to speeding. The goal of a defensive driving class is to make people aware of this knowledge and how the can prevent collisions so that these numbers can go down.
You will also learn about how to deal with yourself while driving. Many people drive while stressed or feeling fatigued. Many times, they also experience road rage. At a defensive driving course, you will be taught how to effectively deal with these emotions while driving, so that you can focus on the task at hand. You will know how to recognize when you are not capable of driving so you can make other arrangments before you get behind the wheel. And you will know the symtoms of emotional driving and road rage so you can get control of those emotions before they take over your car.
In a good defensive driving course, you will also be taught about the affect that drugs and alcohol can have on you while you are driving. You will learn about your state's laws for blood-alcohol level and the laws that will be enforced if you are found to be driving while under the influence. You will also hear about the negative affect that countless people have had while driving under the influence.
You will learn how to avoid having a collision or at least how to lessen its severity. Some of the basic things they will go over with you are:
· Searching the road ahead and changing how you drive based on your surroundings.
· Using the 3 second rule for following a car.
· Knowing how long it takes your car and others to stop.
· Being aware of your own reaction time.
· Being aware of environmental hazards.
· Passing and the necessary distance needed.
· How to determine who has the right of way and how to respond if someone does not respect the customs of the right of way.
· What to do at railway crossings.
· Sharing the road with other motorists and vehicles.
· How to deal with emergencies with your vehicle and others.
You will also be taught about secondary collisions which can happen from someone hitting the windshield or seat in front of them because of not wearing a seat belt or something preventable. This part of the defensive driving course will give you plenty of motivation for making sure the seat belts and other safety equipment in your car are working well and that you and your passengers use them.
How to properly use the safety equipment in car is also taught in any good defensive driving class you might take.. Every age and height requires the safety belt to be worn a different way as to protect the passengers life. You are also taught how to properly use air bags, headrests, and car seats.
The final part of most defensive driving courses is a review of the particular states laws. Most of the time this is simply a refresher course, but it still may have information that you were unaware of before you took the course. So it is important to always pay attention, not just to this, but to all parts of the presentation. Not only must you learn and understand every aspect of that defensive driving course so that you can pass the test at the end, learning the defensive driving principles being presented to you could save your life.
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