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Defensive driving expert gives tips for drivers in the road

Posted at 6:41 PM, Sep 11, 2018
and last updated 2021-08-30 11:55:59-04

13 Action News went behind the wheel with a defensive driving expert to show how even drivers who consider themselves safe can learn to be even safer on the road. As of Sept. 11, 2018, there have been 97 traffic-related fatalities in the City of Las Vegas.

Police and law enforcement agencies have been asking drivers to pay attention and to not drive drunk or distracted. But what more can drivers do? “It does not matter how good of a driver we think we are. All that matters is how bad of a driver we know everyone else is,” says Jeff Payne, a local defensive driving teacher.

13 Action News went along for a ride with Payne, looking for hazards and how to react to them. We saw things like drivers pulling out in front of us, pedestrians crossing on a red light. Payne’s biggest piece of advice is to not panic, even when you have just seconds until a crash.

“In that moment you turn a situation that isn’t that serious into a potential tragedy.” Payne says drivers make the common mistake of looking at what’s immediately ahead, and not at the risks that are coming up further ahead.

Take a look for upcoming crosswalks, traffic lights, and other drivers in front or behind you that aren’t playing it safe.

“Just because you’re in a collision that’s not your fault, doesn't mean that you couldn’t have proven that collision by what's going on around you.” Payne also created Driver’s Edge, a nonprofit driver education course.

LINK: The program offers behind-the-wheel training for drivers