Follow these 6 rules to be an excellent defensive driver

It's not easy to be a good driver. I've been driving for decades, I've been behind the wheel of many, many different vehicles, and I'm constantly trying to figure out if my skills are up to snuff. 

But it's even harder to be a good defensive driver.

You all know what defensive driving is: it's based on the notion that the roadways are inherently dangerous places and you as the mindful driver must be vigilant about threats, so that you can avoid trouble.

It used to be easier to embrace defensive driving. We had far fewer technological distractions in our cars, and vehicles were less isolating. You could feel the road, the engine, the brakes. The actual physics that you were exposed to — operating a shell of metal and glass, carrying a tankful of a highly explosive and flammable substance for fuel, hurtling down a freeway at 60 miles per hour — were in your face.

Advancements in the automobile, from noise-isolation to airbags, have made it easier to tune out.

But defensive driving hasn't gone away. Here are five good ways to get better at it.

SEE ALSO: Here's why you don't need to run your car on premium gas

Use your eyes.

Driving is visual — in fact, one of the most visually demanding activities a person can engage it.

You have in every modern car three mirrors. Use them obsessively. As you drive, your central focus should be on the road ahead of you, but you should also constantly scan your mirrors.

I try to retain a short-term mental picture of the activity around me. Where is that semi-truck? That pickup? That guy on the motorcycle? That dude who's running 20 miles over the speed limit? By doing this, you can file away your fellow motorists and their vehicle types and run a sort of background predictive algorithm so that you can manage your own on-road decision-making better.

Know your vehicle.

I'm fortunate in that I get to sample a lot of different types of cars, trucks, and SUVs. 

But as a result I'm also deeply aware of the capabilities of different vehicles. I'm not going to drive a Honda Accord the same way I would a Porsche 911 or Ferrari 488 GTB. 

Your car is a package. The engine, transmissions, brakes, and tires combine to form a whole. If you have mass-market brakes and regular old radials, you shouldn't be blasting around like you have a trackworthy sports car that was engineered to go hard.

You should also be aware of the safety features that your car has on board. For example, a lot of newer vehicles will warn you of other vehicles on your flanks, let you know if you're nodding off, and then buzz the steering wheel if you're slipping out of your lane.

Don't tailgate.

The number-one problem I see in everyday driving, particularly in the traffic-clogged Northeast, is tailgating.

On a highway, you want a lot of distance between you and the car in front on you. At highway speeds, you will need the space to execute evasive maneuvers to avoid an accident, or engage the anti-lock brakes in your cars to prevent rear-ending the vehicle ahead of you.

So how much space? I like at least a semi-truck length, which is about three car lengths. In stop-and-go traffic, where rear-ending is common, I sometimes keep at least a couple of car lengths between myself and the other guy.

I catch criticism for this, but I've also seen horrific accidents happen right in front of me on several occassions. I want a BIG margin for error.