As the festive season approaches, drivers have to be more than ever cognizant of the dangers on the road. By applying some simple defensive driving techniques on our crowded streets, motorists can assist in halting the deadly trend taking place on the island's roads.

Which driver will you be for the festive season and beyond?

One sign of an aggressive driver, according to the book, Driving Instruction According to Aptitude, is the absolute refusal of to give way to others. A defensive driver, on the other hand, stresses consideration for others, thinks before acting, has the ability to grasp the entire situation, has wisdom to judge accurately and has traits of mildness, self-control, reads the road and acts in a way that protects other road users.

The International Express Agents for Jamaica Air-Express in 2000 printed a calendar highlighting various types of drivers encountered on the nation's roads. See where you fall on the list:

1The Yakker Driver: The yakker is the driver who talks continuously to passengers. This driver believes what he/she is saying is vital and constantly feeds off the audience's reactions.

2 The Creeper Driver: This driver believes that very slow driving, even on the highways, is the only way to drive a motor vehicle.

3The Road Hog: This driver middles the road to prevent anyone from passing.

4The Weaver Driver: This driver careens from lane to lane, passing other cars left, right and centre, in a frantic effort to get ahead of everybody.

5The Speeder Driver: This driver operates as if all other drivers are too stupid, too old or too slow and has no regard for the safety of others. He gets his kicks out of showing off.

6The Tailgator Driver: The tailgator follows very closely the vehicle ahead of him. He is almost as dangerous as the speeder as a sudden stop by the vehicle ahead will result in an accident.

7The Cut-Inner: He likes to pass at high speeds and then suddenly cuts in front of you.