Rule # 4 of Defensive Driving

4. Don’t Speed

Speeding usually doesn’t save much time. Driving at a higher speed increases your risk in two ways: it cuts your reaction time and results in more “stored” energy (that must be dissipated in any collision). You should consider if the risks are worth the gain. A defensive driver chooses a speed matching traffic as closely as possible without exceeding speed limits. If traffic is moving at higher speed than you should go, keep to the right and out of the way. This is often a legal requirement as well, if you are traveling at a speed less than the flow of traffic. Also, don’t neglect to maintain the correct following distance.