How can you ensure you are driving defensively?

Driving defensively involves being proactive about safety and awareness while on the road. Being aware of your surroundings and anticipating potential hazards is a key aspect of this approach. This means constantly scanning your environment for other vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, traffic signals, and road conditions that could affect your driving. By maintaining a broad awareness, you can make better decisions, react quickly to unexpected situations, and ultimately prevent accidents.

While staying in your lane, maintaining a steady speed, and keeping both hands on the steering wheel are all important driving practices, they do not encompass the full scope of defensive driving. These actions primarily focus on your own vehicle's control rather than the broader context of the driving environment. Watching only the road directly in front of you restricts your peripheral awareness and makes it more difficult to respond to potential risks in a timely manner.