When you take drivers ed courses you'll learn that there are six zones surrounding your vehicle. To be a safe defensive driver and avoid crashes, you need to be aware of what’s happening in these zones all the time and predict what other drivers might do. Just like a super alert driver who paid attention during their driving lessons. Check out this driving school video to learn about all the zones you need to know.

Once you receive your learner permit, you can practice being aware of your surroundings and keeping a safe following distance on the road. To use these defensive driving skills, you'll have to check your mirrors and look around you constantly. This goes for teenagers as well as adult drivers. Our top driving tips for having zone control are to:

Remember that you exist not only in your car but in the areas surrounding your car. You have to manage all that space as if you're responsible for knowing what other drivers are going to do within your zones. As a new teen driver, we know this sounds tough. And it is. But you'll get the hang of it with some practice.
Keep a safe following distance from the cars around you. Remember learning about blind spots in driver education? Yeah, stay out of those too unless you want to end up in a bad situation. You should learn all about blind spots, following distance,s and zones before getting your driver license at the BMV or DMV (the name varies based on your state, weird huh?).
When you're in a car driving, stay alert. You need to stay alert any time you're driving, not just when you're in traffic school, and taking your road test. Being a safe driver is a lifelong skill, so be sure to stay aware of your surroundings any time you're in a car.

Expecting the unexpected can make you an expert at defensive driving and help you avoid an accident. Make sure to check out the rest of our safe driving videos for more tips to keep you in control on the road!

Space Management While Driving