Attitudes, Habits, and Feelings

Attitudes, Habits, and Feelings

Drivers' attitudes, habits, feelings, and emotions

...can have a great effect on driving performance. Both negative and positive attitudes can influence your behavior behind the wheel, as well as the behavior of others. For instance, loud and profane language demonstrates a negative attitude that can lead to aggressive driving. These attitudes also have an impact on the respect you show for others on the roads.

Good habits

...like always wearing your seat belt, obeying the speed limit, and yielding the right-of-way...will improve your chances of preventing a crash at times when quick thinking is a must. On the other hand, bad habits may cause you and others on the road to lose their lives. You can improve your habits by paying attention to them and by changing your bad habits. Develop and practice good habits and the roads will become safer for everyone.

Feelings and emotions may cause you to take your mind off of your driving

...whether you are happy, excited, sad, angry, or hurt. Don't drive until you have your emotions under control. If you must drive, don't let your emotions control your actions behind the wheel, and don't let passengers take control of your emotions.

Due to your emotions, is your mind on driving, traffic conditions, and the roadway?

Stress, Anger, Emotion and Fatigue

No one has to tell you what it feels like when you are stressed out, angry, upset, or tired. You know the symptoms but generally speaking, you are so wrapped up in your emotions that you don't realize that they may be affecting your driving. If you are in the midst of the most consuming temper tantrum, do yourself and everyone else a favor: Step back from your all-encompassing emotions and recognize you have a problem. Either fix the problem or don't drive.

Drivers who display other inappropriate emotions while driving, such as grief or worry, will not have their attention on the road and will drive erratically. Drivers who are tired will nod off at the wheel, especially in the early hours of the morning, drift in and out of lanes, or drive slowly as their foot comes off the accelerator. If you notice that you are becoming tired, pull over in a well-lit, safe area and take a nap or trade off with another driver, if one is available.

Driving while angry, tired, upset, stressed out, ill will increase the odds of your having an accident by a factor of 10. Now, that is something to worry about!

Dealing with Road Rage

Dealing with Road Rage

Incidents of road rage related accidents increased from 90 in 2000 to 219 in 2001, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety 2001 accident report. That's an increase of 143.3% in just one year.

Road rage happens when one driver reacts angrily to another driver.

Angry drivers may lash out by deliberately braking suddenly, by pulling close to another car, or by taking more violent steps such as coercing a driver to pull over to "settle" the dispute.

Many drivers make a habit of driving with road rage.

Here are some suggestions to help you avoid provoking other drivers:

Don't cut off other drivers.

When you merge, make sure you have enough room and always signal before you merge.

Don't drive slowly in the left (fast) lane.

Avoid using the fast lane except for the brief time it takes to pass another driver. Driving slowly in the fast lane frustrates other drivers.

Don't tailgate.

Many drivers get angry when they are followed too closely. Remember to keep the appropriate following distance between your car and the car ahead of you.

Don't signal gestures to other drivers.

Keep your hands on the steering wheel. Making obscene gestures to other drivers may provoke them.

Use your horn only for emergencies.

Even a polite tap of your horn may be enough to provoke another driver.

Avoid eye contact with an angry driver.

To some people, eye contact is the same as a challenge. If someone is determined to act out his or her frustrations, even a friendly smile can be misinterpreted.

Give an angry driver plenty of space.

If you make a driving error (even accidentally), it is possible the other driver may try to pick a fight with you. Put as much distance as you can between your vehicle and the other car.

Alcohol

Alcohol

The use of alcohol and other drugs can have severe effects on driver performance.

They slow reaction time, alter the perception of speed, and distort the amount of time needed to take an action. They also slow the thinking process, distorting the user’s reasoning capabilities. Finally, alcohol and other drugs slow the user’s physical capabilities, distort the use of all senses, and can cause temporary disability.

Individual Differences

It is difficult to determine exactly how alcohol will affect a person. People react differently at different times. Their mood or the occasion can make a difference. How fast they drink and how much food they have in their stomachs determine how they react to alcohol. Body chemistry, weight, and state of health also influence the effects of alcohol. Even the person's sex can make a difference. Females are usually affected sooner than males of the same body weight.

At first, alcohol may appear to be a stimulant. This is because it depresses, or reduces, inhibitions. People who have been drinking often appear to be more outgoing than usual. As they begin to feel more secure and confident, their judgment skills deteriorate. People who have been drinking take chances that they never would under normal circumstances. Behind the wheel, this can be deadly.

Avoiding and Identifying Drunk Drivers

The basic way to minimize the likelihood of encountering drunk drivers is to avoid driving when bars are closing. That is when the most drunk drivers are on the road, especially on weekends.

If you see a car drifting around in or out of its lane, moving too slow or too fast, tailgating, or driving erratically, it’s quite possible the driver is drunk. He is certainly not in control of his vehicle and may even be so drunk that they are falling asleep at the wheel. The best way to deal with a drunk driver is to

get out of his path. At the earliest opportunity, call the police or highway patrol and notify them of the vehicle’s description, including license plate number, location, and the driver's behavior.

Alternatives to Drinking and Driving

No one has to drink and drive! If you drink, use a designated driver. It encourages one person in a carload of drinkers to abstain from drinking. The designated driver then drives everyone home. Many restaurants, bars and other licensed establishments will provide incentives, such as free non-alcoholic beverages to any designated driver who informs an employee he or she is a designated driver. Of course, the best thing about having a designated driver is the ability to ensure a safe, good time for everyone.

Other options include calling a friend or a taxi to take you home or, if the party is at a friend’s or a family member’s house, arrange to sleep over.

Other Drugs

Other Drugs

Other drugs can have a serious effect on your ability to drive.

Below is a description of several of these drugs, as well as their effects on users.

Marijuana

Even small doses of marijuana affect the concentration and judgment needed for safe driving. Those under the influence of marijuana also have impaired sensory and perceptual abilities.

Stimulants

Cocaine and methamphetamines are common stimulants. Although the use of stimulants can keep drivers awake, it does not make them good drivers. In fact, the use of stimulants reduces coordination, increases edginess, and results in a short attention span and an inability to concentrate. This increases the likelihood of being involved in a collision by as much as four times.

In addition, caffeine is a stimulant.

Although caffeine can help drowsy drivers stay awake and alert, it has no effect on sobriety. Contrary to the popular belief that you can "sober up" a driver by giving him lots of black coffee, research shows that this is not the case.

Tranquilizers and Other Sedative-Hypnotics

These drugs, including barbiturates, produce a calming effect on users and help them to sleep. They can have a very negative effect on your driving ability by causing drowsiness.

Over-the-Counter Drugs

Many over-the-counter drugs cause drowsiness, which can be harmful to your driving ability. Always read the warning labels on any medication you take to ensure that it will not impair your ability to drive. Do not drive if you are using an over-the-counter drug that impairs your driving.

Any Drug

Any drug that you may take can impair your driving ability. If you take more than one drug, the combined effects can be even greater. If you have any doubts or questions about the effects of any drugs you are taking, consult your doctor or pharmacist.

Physical Condition

Physical Condition

All drivers must take their physical and mental ability to drive into consideration before getting behind the wheel

Drivers with short-term or sudden illnesses are usually less attentive and more distracted because of their physical condition. The usual one-second reaction time may be increased to two or three seconds, and if the driver is taking medication as well, the entire driving process is affected. The total effect is greater than the sum of the individual effects. Combining drugs produces a reaction greater than the sum of the individual drugs involved. This is called the synergistic effect.

Fatigue can also have an impact on your driving ability. It can slow your reaction abilities and make you more irritable and uncoordinated. Often, fatigue occurs during long trips. It can result from a heavy meal, eyestrain, lack of sleep, or just boredom. If you find yourself feeling drowsy, inattentive, or if your vision is blurred, you may be suffering from fatigue. If so, take a break and continue your trip when you are more alert.

In addition, your reaction time will be reduced. Drivers who are too sleepy to drive properly cause about 200,000 accidents a year around the country. Many traffic fatalities are caused by the driver feeling sleepy.

According to a study done by the American Automobile Association (AAA)’s Foundation for Traffic Safety, traffic-related deaths caused by a driver’s fatigue have skyrocketed in recent years. While fatigued driving was responsible for 3.6% of all fatal crashes in the U.S. in 1994, tired drivers helped cause 17% of fatal crashes in 2010.

The NHTSA recommends you follow these tips to avoid fatigue when taking long trips:

Plan your trip well with reasonable daily itineraries.

Rotate driving shifts, if more than one driver is available.

Always get a good night's sleep before you embark on a long trip.

Avoid late-night driving. Between midnight and 6 a.m. is the riskiest time.

Take a break every two hours to stretch and to relax.

Try to get some physical exercise during the day.

Try to maintain a good diet (without excessive caffeine that might contribute to sleep loss at night and fatigue the next day).

Physical fitness is a key to safe driving.

Let someone else take the wheel if you are not physically or mentally alert.

Alcohol and other drugs affect your ability to drive.

Driving Laws and Procedures

Driving Laws and Procedures

The knowledge of driving laws and procedures influences driver performance

Laws and procedures are designed to make driving safer. However, many drivers become more relaxed as they drive. As driving becomes second nature, drivers often pay too little attention to the driving task.

Your education as a driver does not end the day you receive your driver's license. Rather, good drivers continue to learn more and more about safe driving throughout their years behind the wheel. It is easy to become complacent after many years of driving, but a know-it-all can be even more dangerous than an inexperienced driver if he doesn't pay attention to new driving lessons taught every day on the road. By constantly paying attention to these lessons, you can learn how to avoid collisions and help make the roads safer.

No matter how experienced a driver is, new situations occur all the time, especially when driving in unfamiliar territory. Driving in urban areas can be extremely challenging to drivers from small towns, as different situations present themselves. Similarly, a driver experienced in big city traffic may not know how to handle many of the potential hazards found in rural areas.

Inexperienced drivers lacking sufficient knowledge regarding specific laws suffer in many ways. Some become frustrated, and others may end up making driving mistakes, such as going the wrong way on a one-way street, resulting in embarrassment, fines, injury, and sometimes death.

Drivers who lack sufficient knowledge of driving laws may not react in a manner anticipated by other drivers, thus increasing the chances of getting into a collision. You should know all of the driving laws so that you reduce your chances of colliding with other vehicles on the road.

Understanding the Driving Task

Understanding the Driving Task

There is much more to safe driving than just hand-eye coordination. The driving task is a complicated one that involves several sets of skills. To drive safely, you must be alert to changing traffic situations all around you. You must be able to anticipate potential hazards as they arise so you can avoid them in time. You must use good judgment constantly as you drive, never taking unnecessary risks. You must communicate with other drivers, as well as with pedestrians and bicyclists. And, you must have quick reactions and good hand-eye coordination to maneuver your vehicle when necessary.

Most importantly, you must be a courteous, defensive driver.

Throughout this course, you will learn many techniques to help you drive more safely.

The most important one is this: Always drive defensively

When you are driving, the goal is not to win a race or to show off your skills. The goal is to make it to your destination safely. Keep this in mind and always concentrate on avoiding driving hazards. Everyone's safety should be your number one priority.