Defensive Driving Course in Canada: Learn To Breathe Before Stepping On The Gas Pedal

It is a fact that Canada is a land of beautiful scenery and friendly people. It’s a great day for a drive, and you’re feeling confident about your ability to handle the road. You’ve got the windows down, listening to your favorite song, and thinking about how much fun it will be to get away from it all.

But the fact is there are other people on the road, and perhaps less confident than yourself. There are so many terrible, dangerous habits that drivers have picked up over the years! But you can start by taking a defensive driving course in Canada.

A defensive driving course provides you with all the tools you need to become a better driver by teaching you how to avoid accidents and ensure that everyone on the road is safe—including yourself! All of this is designed to help you gain and equip the abilities necessary to become an effective and safe driver for life.

Bad Habits You Might Be Guilty Of While Driving in Canada

Driving is one of the most typical things most of us do every day. We drive to work, school, stores, and so on. But as any Canadian driver will tell you, driving can get pretty dangerous sometimes.

Many think a defensive driving course is meant for new drivers who haven’t yet developed good habits behind the wheel. But it’s important to remember that even experienced drivers can find themselves in situations where they need to react quickly and efficiently. To do that, they need to be aware of their surroundings and abilities when driving.

A defensive driving course teaches drivers how to react and respond when situations arise on the road and how to avoid them in the first place. In addition, many driving schools, including Clover Leaf, offer customized 90 Minute Brush Up lessons to enhance driving skills and confidence.

People often get comfortable while driving for a long time and develop bad habits. It takes only a few seconds, and these habits can create havoc in the traffic. That is why many people decide to learn defensive driving to learn how to react in the real world and become aware of what goes on around them.

Here are some bad habits we’ve noticed that we all share:

Speeding is one of the most common bad habits among drivers. While it’s tempting to get where you’re going as soon as possible, speeding has many negative consequences for your car and other drivers on the road around you. Speeding increases your chances of losing control of your vehicle or hitting obstacles like pedestrians or animals who might run into your path.

No turn signals. When driving on the road, you should use your turn signals when you want to change lanes or turn left or right. This will help other drivers know that you are about to make a maneuver so they can adjust accordingly and avoid any accidents.

Tailgating happens when a driver follows another driver too closely behind them without allowing enough space between them. Allowing distance between the cars lets you stop safely or react appropriately in case anything unexpected happens on the road.

Dangerous turns. Even if you’re making a legal turn, there’s still a chance that something could cause an accident—like another driver cutting you off or hitting their brakes unexpectedly. The best thing to do is slow down when approaching turns, so you have ample time to react.

Distracted driving. Driving while distracted is dangerous because it takes your attention away from what’s happening around you, which could result in you missing vital warning signs or not noticing that a car is turning in front of you. It’s essential to stay focused on driving so that you can avoid accidents and injuries. Driving is a task that requires your full attention. If you are tired or emotional, it’s best to take a break from driving and let someone else take over.

Ignoring road conditions. Driving on deficient roads can be dangerous because you don’t have good traction and control over your car. It’s essential to slow down if there are hazards on the road, such as snow or ice. You should also ensure that your tires are properly inflated so they grip the road better and won’t skid when turning corners.

How Can a Defensive Driving Course Help You Avoid Common Mistakes?

Have you ever driven and suddenly realized that you were too close to the car in front of you? Your car screeches while you hit the break. You might have hit a car in front of you or managed the wheel perfectly. But either way, you pressed the pedal so hard that it moved your entire body.

It is a familiar mistake drivers make, but you can avoid it with a defensive driving course. The main goal of defensive driving is the focus. Don’t rely on other drivers to make good decisions. Instead, give yourself and those around you plenty of time and space. That means leaving space between yourself and the car in front of you.

That way, if anything happens on the road or the driver in front reacts, you have plenty of time to respond gently. In addition, the car behind you will have time to do the same. That is why this specific mistake is often a cause of chain collisions.

Don’t tailgate, as this might remove the opportunity for you and others to react to sudden changes, making it more likely to endanger yourself and the people around you. A defensive driving course will teach you what to do when these situations arise so that you can safely avoid them in the future.

You might have encountered a driver that freezes as a reaction to sudden changes in traffic. Of course, we are all different and react to dangers accordingly. However, springing into action momentarily can make a significant difference in the outcome while driving.

That is why many new and experienced drivers seek a driving school that can offer them an accurate life simulation of unexpected occurrences on the road. In addition, it helps them build confidence and teaches them how to become safe and assertive drivers.

Driving instructors, such as the ones in Clover Leaf Driving School, expose you to real-life situations, practice emergency maneuvers while you are in the driver’s seat in the best way possible, and provide you with in-depth knowledge of risk anticipation:

emergency braking,
collision avoidance,
defensive driving,
and escape route strategies.

Discover for Yourself!

Defensive Driving Course Takeaway

The idea of defensive driving is to keep your eyes open for possible situations that you can get yourself out of. That way, you can avoid the dangers that come with driving. There are many potential dangers on the road, but they all fall under four categories: environmental, animal, and others.

This means the driver is responsible for staying alert, correctly signaling, and knowing the road rules. It may seem like a lot to remember while driving, but it’s not as bad as you think! Just remember to stay safe on the road and follow these tips.

This article has examined how you can use defensive driving to avoid these four dangers. However, you should also remember that defensive driving is a mindset and not just something you do on the road.

It’s about being aware of your surroundings and always looking for ways to improve your driving. To use defensive driving techniques, you don’t have to be a professional or race car driver. Everyone can benefit from them!