Defensive Driving v.s. Aggressive Driving

Tennessee drivers have different types of driving habits; the most common are defensive and aggressive driving. Not all drivers know the difference between both driving habits, but aggressive drivers tend to be more dangerous while aggressive drivers are safer drivers. Tennessee car accidents typically happen more often when aggressive drivers are involved.

What is Defensive Driving?

Defensive driving courses are available for all Tennessee drivers and help keep drivers safe on the road! These courses offer ways for you to learn how to identify potentially dangerous situations and handle them properly. Online defensive driving courses will teach drivers rules of the road, ways to anticipate other drivers’ actions, and calm down while driving. A defensive driver should be able to do the following:

• Follow the rules of the road: driving the speed limit and obeying traffic signals and signs
• Drive with a calm state of mind: being alert with a clear head is very important to avoiding a Tennessee car accident; this means not driving when angry, emotionally distressed, or under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Predicting other drivers’ actions and reacting properly: whether the driving conditions are affected by the weather, road work, or traffic. Sharing the road with other vehicles means
• Tennessee defensive drivers should pay attention to the actions of other drivers at all times. If a driver on the road is unsafely switching lanes, it would be the best reaction to ensure there is enough distance between you and the other driver.

The skill of defensive driving is predicting potentially dangerous situations despite damaging conditions or the errors of other drivers when operating a vehicle. Practicing safe driving from the very beginning of learning how to drive will help new drivers avoid any traffic tickets and help lower the chance of an accident. Even experienced drivers can learn how to drive defensively to drive safely on the road. Avoiding accidents should be the number one reason drivers participate in defensive driving school.

What is Aggressive Driving?

Aggressive drivers are typically participating in aggressive driving habits that can lead to more car accidents because the habits are dangerous. Tennessee drivers with aggressive driving habits tend to drive above the speed limit, ignore traffic signals and signs, experience road rage, tailgate other cars, and switch lanes dangerously. It can be very easy to fall into aggressive driving habits, so it is difficult to avoid and will affect the driver safety of everyone on the road.

Reckless driving and aggressive driving can be seen as the same. Reckless driving, if the driver is involved in a Tennessee car accident, can be used as a reason for the driver being negligent. Specific behaviors that fall into both reckless and aggressive driving habits are:

• Speeding
• Honking
• Tailgating
• Running yellow lights and red lights
• Shouting or yelling at other drivers
• Not using turn signals properly
• Running stop signs
• Switching lanes dangerous

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA, reported that in 2020 speeding (the number one aggressive driving habit) killed over 11,000 people across the country.

When being involved in a Tennessee motor vehicle accident with an aggressive driver, these reasons will list them as the at-fault driver. Seeking compensation for the car accident is important for the victim. Injuries and car damage can be severe in these types of crashes. Contacting one of our Tennessee car accident attorneys will prove to be essential to receive the most compensation for your accident claim.