You Are The Driver

•You are part of a system•Your Driving Task•Your Driving Responsibilities•Your Driver’s License

The Highway Transportation System

• Drivers• Passengers• Users

People

• Cars• Buses• Trucks• SMV’s

Vehicles • Highways• City Streets• Rural Roads

Roadways

The Purpose of the HTS

The purpose of the HTS is to move people and cargo from point A to point B safely and efficiently.

Regulating The HTS

Laws are passed to make up the vehicle code.

Enforcement agencies assure that laws are obeyed.

Motor vehicle departments set rules to assure that driver and vehicle standards are met.

Courts decide whether drivers charged with violating the laws are guilty or innocent.

Highway traffic engineers plan, build, and maintain roadways.

Laws

National Highway Safety Act› Created guidelines for motor vehicle safety

programs. Vehicle registration Driver licensing Traffic courts Highway construction and maintenance

National Highway Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety act› Auto makers install certain safety features into

each car. Safety Belts

Driving Task

Physical Skills

Social Skills

Mental Skills

Mental Skills: task that involves decision making

Social Skills: interact successfully with people, obey traffic laws, and make an effort to work with people.

Physical Skills: Physical skills of driving

Reducing Conflicts by Being Defensive

IPDE Process: process of seeing, thinking, and responding.› IDENTIFY

Important info.› PREDICT

When and where possible points of conflict will occur.

› DECIDE When, where, and how to avoid conflict

› EXECUTE The right actions to avoid conflict

What Can You Identify?

Other systems that will help you use the IPDE system

Smith System: Organized method designed to help drivers develop good seeing habits.

Zone Control System: Method for managing the space around your vehicle.

Commentary Driving: The process of “thinking out loud” Saying out loud the IPDE process.

Your Driving Responsibility

Right vs Privelage…. Collision vs Accident Top 3 reasons for Collision for

teenagers› Immaturity› Inexperience› Distratctions

Attitude

Legal Responsibilities

Laws› Obey all traffic laws

Collisions› By law, any driver involved in a collision

must stop

Financial Responsibilities

Operating Costs› Costs for fuel, oil, and tires

Fixed Costs› Purchase price of car, licensing fees, and

insurance Crash Costs

› Responsible for paying for any injuries, and property damage caused.

Environmental Responsibilities

All drivers have a responsibility to help manage the environmental threats.› Buy and maintain fuel efficient vehicles› Use fuel efficient driving habits› Use car pools› Recycle used materials› Work for strong policies

Responsibilities to Yourself and Others

Making rational decisions Common courtesy Control anger and frustration Say “no” to negative peer pressure

Risk

According to the CDC drivers age 16-19 have a higher risk of MVC…. 4x higher.› Males

In 2006, the motor vehicle death rate for male drivers and passengers ages 15 to 19 was  almost two times that of their female counterparts.

› Teens The presence of teen passengers increases the crash risk of

unsupervised teen drivers. This risk increases with the number of teen passengers.

› New Drivers Crash risk is particularly high during the first year that

teenagers are eligible to drive.

Common Reasons for Collisions

Following another vehicle too closely. Driving too fast for conditions. Not wearing safety belts. Driving after drinking or using drugs. Driving while very tired.

What do they all have in common?

Factors that put teen drivers at risk

Teens are more likely than older drivers to underestimate dangerous situations or not be able to recognize hazardous situations.

Among male drivers between 15 and 20 years of age who were involved in fatal crashes in 2005, 37% were speeding at the time of the crash and 26% had been drinking.

In 2008, nearly three out of every four teen drivers killed in motor vehicle crashes after drinking and driving were not wearing a seat belt.

In 2008, half of teen deaths from motor vehicle crashes occurred between 3 p.m. and midnight and 56% occurred on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.

Graduated Driver Licensing

Requires young drivers to progress through a series of licensing stages.

LP Stage:› Drives when supervised by an adult› Permit must be held for a minimum of 9

months.› 50 hours of practiced driving @ home, 10

hours must be at night.

GDLP

Intermediate License Stage› Complete LP stage and approved DE

course› Night driving restricted› Passenger restriction› Collision-free and violation free› Penalties for violations are increased

GDLP

Full privilege LS› Successfully complete the intermediate LS

with no violations and no collisions