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ATTITUDE AND COURTESY

The first rule of defensive driving is, lose the attitude. Be as cocky and aggressive as you like while standing on your feet, but as soon as you get behind the wheel, you need to become Mr. Congeniality. Your manners and sense of fairness should be at their peak. Driving is an exercise in give and take just as much as conversation, bowling, and dancing are. Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow; you need to be able to do both graciously.

The whole purpose of defensive driving is safety. Laws and rules are in place to help control behavior, and to prevent collisions. You are expected to follow the rules; the state even throws in little incentives to keep you within the law: they are called tickets. But even the most reasonable and obvious rules get broken, either carelessly or recklessly, and then what are you going to do? If you are the one breaking the rules, are you going to be cavalier about it, saying to the other drivers, "Hey, live with it!"? Or are you going to do the considerate thing, and wave a hand in apology?

If you are the recipient of someone else's bad judgment, or rudeness, defensive driving requires you to FORGIVE AND FORGET. You may have the legal right of way, but if someone else wants to take it from you, give it! The objective is to be safe and stay alive; there is no point holding your ground to prove a point if it's going to cost a life.