Follow these 8 rules to be an excellent defensive driver

It's not easy to be a good driver. I've been driving for decades, behind the wheel in 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 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 mph - 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 eight good ways to get better at it: