Defensive driving is about anticipating hazards, staying aware of your surroundings and giving yourself enough time and space to react safely. From maintaining a safe following distance to managing distractions and adapting to changing road conditions, these defensive driving tips can help make every journey safer.
Whether you’re planning an end-of-year road trip or just going about your day-to-day tasks, the happiest, healthiest driver is the one who practises safety — without compromise. Owning a Subaru means you’re backed by Confidence In Motion, where safety is our primary focus.
While tech and innovation is a mammoth part of your Subaru’s development, you can take that to the next level with defensive driving habits, designed to empower you from a precautionary and pre-emptive response-time perspective.
Getting into the discipline of using defensive driving tactics means that we’re aware and ready for whatever happens. We are cautious, yet ready to take action and not put our fate in the hands of other drivers. This doesn’t mean you have to become a stress-ball of worry; it just means you’re prepared, all while getting the most from our driving experience.
Defensive Driving Habits To Always Keep In Mind
Defensive driving safety tips can be best described as follows:
- Reducing the risk of collision by anticipating dangerous situations, adverse conditions or the mistakes of others
- Implementing defensive driving habits that enables you to address identified hazards in a predictable manner
- Maintaining an increased awareness of everything happening around you while driving
- Driving characterized by prudence, diligence and reasonable cautiousness with the goal of making the road a safe place not only for a defensive driver but also for other road users
Top 10 Defensive Driving Tips
Prepared. Calm. Collected.
While completing an advanced driver’s course is an incredible investment, there’s so much that could become good-habits, making for a great short list of 10 things to remember when it comes to driving with defensive driving habits:
1. Stay alert and focused
Keep your attention on driving and continuously scan your surroundings. Avoid activities that take your eyes, hands or concentration away from the road.
2. Avoid distractions
Don’t use your phone while driving, adjust navigation before setting off and avoid eating or other activities that take your attention away from the road.
3. Look further ahead
Defensive drivers don’t only watch the vehicle immediately in front of them. Scan further down the road to identify slowing traffic, pedestrians, obstacles, intersections and potential hazards early.
4. Maintain a safe following distance
Leave enough space between your vehicle and the one ahead to give yourself time to react if traffic suddenly stops.
I’d specifically introduce the three-second rule here, while noting that additional distance may be appropriate in rain, poor visibility or heavy traffic.
5. Control your speed
Follow posted speed limits and adjust your speed to suit road, traffic and weather conditions. Driving at a safe speed gives you more time to identify and respond to hazards.
6. Make your intentions clear
Use indicators correctly and give other road users enough warning before turning, changing lanes or stopping. Never assume another driver knows what you intend to do.
7. Avoid blind spots
Don’t linger alongside another vehicle where you may be difficult for its driver to see. Check mirrors and blind spots before changing lanes.
This is a good place to introduce Subaru’s EyeSight Driver Assist Technology without making the technology the entire point of the article.
8. Anticipate other road users
You can’t control what another driver, pedestrian or cyclist does, but you can anticipate what they might do. Look for cues such as vehicles approaching intersections, pedestrians near crossings or cars positioned to change lanes.
9. Know the rules of the road
Understanding and following right-of-way rules, traffic signs, lane markings and speed limits helps make your actions predictable to other road users.
10. Stay calm behind the wheel
Aggressive driving can increase risk. If another driver behaves unpredictably, create distance rather than escalating the situation. Staying calm helps you make better decisions.
Defensive Driving in Different Road Conditions
Defensive Driving in Rain
- Increase following distance
- Reduce speed
- Use headlights appropriately
- Watch for standing water
- Avoid harsh braking or steering
Defensive Driving at Night
- Reduce speed where visibility is limited
- Use headlights correctly
- Watch for pedestrians and cyclists
- Avoid looking directly into oncoming headlights
- Increase awareness at intersections
Defensive Driving on Long Road Trips
- Take regular breaks
- Don’t drive when fatigued
- Check tyres before departure
- Plan fuel and rest stops
- Keep luggage secure
- Allow extra following distance
Defensive Driving in Heavy Traffic
- Anticipating lane changes
- Maintaining space
- Avoiding unnecessary lane switching
- Watching several vehicles ahead
- Being particularly alert around intersections and merging traffic
Defensive Driving vs Advanced Driving: What’s the Difference?
Defensive driving focuses on anticipating hazards and reducing everyday driving risks.
Advanced driving generally involves more formal training and techniques designed to improve vehicle control, observation and decision-making.
Frequently Asked Questions About Defensive Driving
- What is defensive driving?
Defensive driving is a proactive approach to driving that involves anticipating potential hazards, maintaining awareness and taking action to reduce the likelihood or severity of a collision.
- What are the 10 rules of defensive driving?
The key principles include staying alert, avoiding distractions, looking ahead, maintaining a safe following distance, controlling your speed, signalling clearly, avoiding blind spots, anticipating other drivers, following road rules and remaining calm.
- What is the three-second rule in defensive driving?
The three-second rule is a simple method for maintaining a safe following distance. Choose a fixed object ahead and count at least three seconds between the vehicle in front passing it and your vehicle reaching the same point. Increase the gap in poor weather or difficult driving conditions.
- How can I become a better defensive driver?
Focus on observation, anticipation and maintaining enough space to react safely. Avoid distractions, follow speed limits, maintain a safe following distance and regularly assess what is happening around and ahead of your vehicle.
- Does defensive driving prevent accidents?
Defensive driving cannot eliminate every risk on the road because you cannot control other road users. However, anticipating hazards and maintaining enough time and space to respond can help reduce the likelihood of collisions.
Safety is about more than you. It’s about everyone you cross paths with — whether they’re in a car or on foot. It is important that we strive to be more attentive and pre-empt errors and hazards by the activities around us.
If you would like to discuss safety in the Subaru context at what Confidence In Motion really means to us, call us on +27 11 608 0116 or email info@subaru.co.za.
And if it’s the car you need in order to practice defensive driving tactics, then find your nearest dealership and book your test drive today.
