Southwest Kansans can learn safer driving techniques and potentially reduce their insurance premiums by taking the one-day National Safety Council Defensive Driving Course, which will be offered soon by the Garden City Community College Department of Public Safety.

The course is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday in the John Collins Vocational Building at GCCC, with a fee of $75 per person that covers instruction, textbook and testing certification. Information and registration are available by emailing belen.terrones@gcccks.edu or 276-9629.

Participants will learn to avoid accidents by identifying and responding to risky attitudes and behaviors. They also will discover how to identify the effects of impaired driving, maintain control in adverse situations and understand six common errors that contribute to collisions. In addition, instructors will cover uncontrollable driving conditions and defensive maneuvers.

The course is used for driver improvement and risk reduction by courts, municipal governments, schools, business and industry, as well as state and federal agencies. Sufficient enrollment is required for the course to take place.