DMV.ORG is not affiliated with any government agency
   



Defensive Driving

 
MISSOURI DEFENSIVE DRIVING ONLINE SPONSOR
The successful completion of an approved defensive driving course, also known by many people as traffic school, could be a way to prevent traffic violations from damaging your driving record. Taking a defensive driving course can teach you driving techniques that may just help you avoid a dangerous driving situation, and it increases your awareness of road safety overall. Whenever you are enrolling in defensive driving classes in the hopes of getting traffic violation points dismissed, be sure to check with the courts prior to enrolling to verify that the course is Missouri state approved.

Missouri Defensive Driving >>
 

What is Defensive Driving?

Defensive driving means always being on the alert. It means putting down your coffee cup and your cell phone, and ignoring any screaming children in the back to focus solely on the road. Hazards abound, situations change in split-seconds, so you must always be prepared for falling rocks, careless pedestrians, and enraged drivers cutting you off.

Defensive Driving Techniques

  • Keep a respectable distance from the vehicles around you. Always try to have an escape route. So don't match the speed of the car next to you, don't crowd cars in front of you, and stay out of blindspots.

  • Before proceeding across an intersection, look both ways, even if you have the right of way. The one time you don't look will be the time someone runs a red into your side.

  • Be extra careful in parking lots, around schools and parks, and in other places where people or children might run out unexpectedly. Keep an eye out for car doors flung open without discretion.

  • If someone's tailgating you, pull over and let them pass. You can't teach someone a lesson on your own. Likewise, don't tailgate others.

  • Be extra careful when it first starts raining. This is when oil mixes with water to make an ultra-slick surface. Slow down.

  • Try to not drive behind trucks carrying loads of debris or equipment. Though debris is supposed to be tarped and tied down, it often isn't, resulting in a broken windshield at best.

  • Maintain a speed that's safe for your situation. So even if the speed limit's higher, you may have to slow down to allow for inclement weather, bright sun, or erratic traffic.

Is this page helpful to you?
Sponsored Listings

Shop rates of multiple Auto Insurance companies online. Receive free quotes and save hundreds.
www.dmv.org
Protect yourself from lemons. Our sponsor, AutoCheck, will deliver detailed vehicle history reports in seconds.
www.dmv.org
Save up to $500/year on Car Insurance with Esurance. Also, get the rates of their top competitors directly on their site.
www.esurance.com
Save up to 15% or more on Car Insurance by switching to GEICO.
www.geico.com