BIS Safety Software
Defensive Driving Fundamentals & Attitudes
Our Defensive Driving Fundamentals & Attitudes program, a globally acclaimed and award-winning blend of Defensive Driving techniques and Driver Attitude enhancement, aims to transform the way you navigate the road. Providing the complete Thinking Driver material that has earned nationwide accolades and reduced incident rates by up to 90% for one notable user, this comprehensive course is your ultimate solution for significant driver transformation.
The Defensive Driving Fundamentals & Attitudes program is an award-winning and globally recognized course that provides an in-depth understanding of Defensive Driving techniques and the role of Driver Attitude in safe driving. Offering the complete Thinking Driver material that has received numerous national awards, this course emphasises the impact of driving attitudes on risk tolerance in both corporate and personal driving scenarios. Factors such as stress, personal issues, and the actions of other drivers all play a role in influencing driving attitudes. This course equips drivers with the knowledge to recognize, understand, and manage these factors, ensuring clear and objective decision-making while driving. It also helps drivers avoid impulsive, disrespectful, retaliatory actions that can increase driving risks or lead to complaints.
The Defensive Driving Fundamentals & Attitudes course aims to transform Driver Attitude by educating employees on the personal factors that influence risk tolerance. By understanding their own psychology and "hot buttons," drivers are taught to manage their emotions even in stressful driving situations or when provoked by other drivers. This transformation in approach and perspective leads to a significant reduction in incident rates (up to 90%) as evidenced by numerous Thinking Driver course users.
Additionally, the course includes a comprehensive module on Thinking Driver’s proprietary 5 Fundamentals of Defensive Driving: Think and Look Ahead, Anticipate Hazards, Keep Your Options Open, Manage the Risk and Control With Finesse. These core defensive driving concepts, developed and perfected into a clear and focused driver safety system by Thinking Driver founder and internationally recognized driver training expert Spencer McDonald, form the essential skill sets required for incident-free driving throughout a lifetime.
This flagship Driver Course from Thinking Driver not only reduces incident rates but also engages learners through a variety of interactive on-screen activities. These include quizzes, click-to-discover facts, videos, audio commentary, and more. The user-friendly interface, coupled with interesting, entertaining, and informative content, makes this course a favorite among employees.
The Defensive Driving Fundamentals & Attitudes course was developed by internationally recognized road safety, driver psychology, and training expert, Thinking Driver Founder, Spencer McDonald. If you have been considering either Defensive Driving Fundamentals or Defensive Driving Attitudes as individual courses, rest assured that this all-in-one course includes content from both standalone courses.
*Source: Technical Safety BC (90% reduction in at-fault accidents between 2011 and 2015 using Thinking Driver training courses)
DRIVING ATTITUDES MODULE TOPICS
Understanding triggers
- Explores situations and the actions of other drivers that may cause irritation or changes in decision making as well as an increase in risk-taking behaviour
- Encourages a more tolerant outlook toward other drivers as a result of self-reflection and assessment
Managing Driving Stress
- Types and sources of driving stress
- Eye lead time
- How stress affects drivers mentally, emotionally, and physically to promote risk taking behaviour
- What drivers can do to reduce or manage stress and their reaction to it
Anger
- How anger, the most dangerous emotion when mixed with driving can result from unmanaged stress and frustration or from triggers resulting from other driver actions
- Understanding two kinds of anger that can result in reactionary or risk taking driving actions
- •Simple and effective anger management tools that can be used while driving
- How to avoid personal confrontations and road rage incidents
Aggressive Driving
- Understanding the nature of aggressive driving
- Recognizing aggressive driving behaviours and how anyone can turn into an aggressive driver if stressed or provoked
- Identifying how aggressive driving consumes excessive fuel and wears vehicles prematurely
- How to reduce risky driving actions which could cause incidents
- Reducing vehicle abuse, fuel, and repair costs
Emotional IQ
- How willingness to take responsibility for resolving even bad situations in a positive way can reduce stress and empower drivers
- Identifying safe speeds
- How unrealistic expectations of others leads to disappointment, stress, and escalated risk tolerance
This course is invaluable for everyone who drives as part of their job and faces stress or pressure.
“If you choose no other defensive driving course for your employees, choose this one”
The Five Fundamentals of Defensive Driving
Think and Look Ahead
Superior vision and observation is the first fundamental for safe, incident free driving. Vision is a learned skill that is often not taught properly (or at all) to new drivers regardless of whether they are trained by family of in a school setting. This foundation skill is taught in-depth in preparation for the skills to follow. Avoiding distracted driving is a key element in this module.
- The dangers and penalties for distracted driving
- How to avoid distracted driving
- Understanding and applying advanced observation and recognition skills
- Understanding the importance of eye lead time and how to calculate it
- Visual search and scanning techniques
- Developing total situational awareness by getting a big picture view
- Mirror adjustment to minimize or eliminate blind spots
Anticipate Hazards
Hazards abound in every driving environment. Defensive drivers recognize the hazards in their environment and understand how to mitigate the risks the they present.
- Using superior vision to identify potential hazards
- Recognizing potential hazards before they become critical
- Classifying types of hazards using risk assessment strategies
- Predicting other traffic movements and planning responses in advance
Keep Your Options Open
Space around the vehicle in traffic affords a driver time to respond to other driver actions and other hazards. Managing space is skill necessary to effective defensive driving and this module provides multiple strategies to develop and maintain a safety cushion of space around the vehicle in a variety of situations.
- Concepts of space cushion driving and the safety zone around a vehicle
- Establishing and maintaining a safe following distance and adjusting for speed, vehicle configuration and conditions
- Optimum spacing at stops and intersections to provide vision and sight lines
- Freeway and highway space risk management
Manage the Risk
Risk exists whenever a vehicle is in motion. The defensive driver understands the risk and takes action to eliminate unacceptable risk entirely (like choosing to not drive in a vehicle unequipped for the conditions) and mitigating acceptable risks by taking concrete action like covering the brake or choosing safer lanes or routes. Many risks are associated with the driver themselves including impairment resulting for substances like alcohol, cannabis or drugs (prescription or otherwise) and fatigue Strategies are explored to mitigate a variety of types of risk.
- Understanding and avoiding impairment and impairing substances including alcohol, cannabis and drugs when driving or working
- Recognizing fatigue and the risks associated with insufficient rest and/or sleep
- How to make good decisions to minimize risk in common driving situations
- Identifying safe speeds
- How to take proactive steps to reduce risk in critical situations
Control with Finesse
Superior vehicle control is the capstone to defensive driving skills. Optimizing traction is the objective and is achieved by developing smooth and balanced control inputs. Great steering, braking and acceleration skills permit abrupt or evasive maneuvers to avoid crashes to be executed successfully under control.
- Vehicle seating position for optimal control
- Total control steering technique as used by high performance drivers
- Maintaining vehicle balance and stability to optimize traction
- How to develop superior steering, braking, and accelerator control
- Correct use of anti-lock brakes
Approximately 2.5 hours
Testing conducted throughout this online Defensive Driving Fundamentals and Attitudes course is designed to reinforce the information presented. A mark of 80% must be achieved in order to receive a certificate of completion. Participants are able to repeat the course twice if the pass mark is not achieved.
Upon successful completion of this online course, a certificate of completion will be available for download and printing.
Course Details
Course Length
This course will take roughly 120 minutes
Passing Mark
To pass this training course, you need to score 80% or higher on the quiz
Certificate
Upon the successful completion of this course a certificate with your name will be stored on your profile and available to print
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