How can defensive driving keep you safe?

When you are behind the wheel, you understand the importance of safe driving and being aware of the things going on around you. Your awareness of these things is actually a component of defensive driving, a method that drivers may employ in order to reduce their chance of suffering injuries in a motor vehicle accident. This type of driving can make you safer, protect others in your vehicle and make Texas roads safer for everyone.

While defensive driving is beneficial, it is not a solution to all of the hazards you could face on the road. You may be the safest and most cautious driver, yet you are still susceptible to the actions of others around you. When other drivers are reckless or negligent, it increases your chance of a crash, regardless of how defensively you are driving. Fortunately, there are ways you can seek to hold the responsible drivers accountable for what happened to you.

Protecting yourself

Defensive driving is a way for you to protect yourself and lower the chance that the irresponsible actions of other drivers will negatively affect you. Through simple habits and increased awareness, you can develop your defensive driving skills and reduce the chance of a crash. Defensive driving can include any of the following habits:

• Do not trust others around you to make good decisions.
• Be vigilant, watching other vehicles around you as you are driving.
• Drive the speed limit, and leave plenty of space between vehicles.
• Avoid getting behind the wheel when feeling angry, tired or too emotional.
• Eliminate distractions by putting away your phone and avoiding eating behind the wheel.
• Ensure you have enough time to get to your destination.
• Minimize the number of times you change lanes unnecessarily.
• Signal early, giving other drivers time to recognize what you are doing.

While you cannot control the actions of others, there are things you can do that will allow you to lower your chance of involvement in a crash.

Your rights as a victim

Despite good habits behind the wheel and defensive driving, you may still find yourself the victim of the reckless or negligent choices of another driver. If you are suffering after a motor vehicle accident, it may not be your fault. The civil justice system provides victims an opportunity to seek justice through reasonable compensation by filing a claim against the responsible party. A careful assessment of your specific accident can determine if this is an option available to you.