You might have earned your driver's license, but that doesn’t mean your driving education should end just yet. In fact, passing your test is just the beginning, it's only when you're out on the roads by yourself that you really get to grips with things. When it comes to road safety, there are few skills more effective than defensive driving. Here's what you need to know. 

What is it?

Defensive driving isn’t a single technique, but rather a series of strategies that allow drivers to identify potential risks and hazards on the road. By being more aware of your surroundings and keeping your awareness sharp, you’re much more likely to spot the potential causes of accidents before they happen. As safemotorist.com shows, this includes looking at what kind of vehicles are on the road, recognizing blind spots, paying attention to the habits of other drivers, and more. It requires a lot of focus, but it can make your driving significantly safer.

Eliminating your worst habits

We all have bad habits, and some of us take them onto the road. You might not be entirely aware of them and, even if you are, you may not notice when you’re committing them. Some bad habits you might have could include failing to stop at signs, driving aggressively around trucks and larger vehicles, or drowsy driving. Defensive driving makes you much more mindful of the situation on the road around you. This also makes you a lot more aware of your own driving. The level of focus you need to maintain means you could also catch yourself before you put you and your car into risk.

It could help you save money

Nowadays, insurance companies offer more ways to reduce your costs based on your driving. Sites like cheapautoinsurance.co can help you scan the market not only for the best deals but can help you find insurance providers who offer schemes for safer drivers to reduce the cost even more. For instance, some will allow you to submit dash cam footage for a discount. Others use black boxes to capture data based on your driving to adjust your rates accordingly. Pair a defensive driving lesson and a black box and it could mean serious savings.

Avoiding the biggest risks on the road

Even if you are a responsible driver that avoids speeding, running red lights, or driving under the influence, there is still one major risk on the road you have to be careful of: other drivers. For instance, teen drivers are amongst the riskiest and most aggressive on the road. Defensive driving is your only real defense against other motorists. By being more aware of your surroundings and their behaviour, you can apply the techniques that can help you extradite yourself out of an unsafe situation.

The one reason to learn defensive driving above all else is to make the road a safer place. You’re much less likely to be the cause of a collision, but you can also become better at noticing the red flags of other drivers, as well. It might be time to look into a defensive driving course.