week 1 drivers ed: fundamentals of safe driving

The first thing a safe driver must do:

Comply with Traffic Laws: always obey posted speed limits, signals, and other regulations

The second thing a safe driver must do:

Monitor Traffic Conditions: stay aware of road, weather, and traffic patterns

The third thing a safe driver must do:

Drive Defensively: observe the behavior of other drivers and anticipate potential hazards

Factors that increase driving demands (need to know 3):

phones, stress, fatigue, bad weather, rush hour/ traffic, increased speed, and emergency vehicles

more than _____ teenagers die in crashes annually:

6,200

approximately _____ of these fatalities involve drivers or passengers who were not wearing seatbelts

70%

more than _____ of fatalities occur in single-vehicle crashes, especially on straight highways. caution in these conditions is crucial

50%

novice (inexperienced) drivers have a crash rate _____ times higher than that of experienced drivers

4

it takes a novice driver about _____ years to develop the level of ability seen in the average experienced driver

5

SEEIT:

s- searching

e- evaluate

e-execute

i- in

t- time

risk is defined as...?

risk is defined as the chance of injury, damage, or loss

1st characteristic of risk:

Always Present: risk exists on every journey

2nd characteristic of risk:

Shared: all road users contribute to and are affected by risk

3rd characteristic of risk:

Changed: risk can be reduced through careful decisions and safe driving behaviors

driving involves more than just...?

skill

your gaol as a driver is to make...?

reduced-risk decisions

a common risk reducing strategy:

driving with headlights on in the day, which can double the distance from which your vehicle is seen

Nine driving behaviors that often lead to crashes (need to know 5):

speeding, cell phone use, failure to yield right of way, driving while intoxicated, disregarding traffic signs or signals, following too close, improper turning, unsafe passing, and failure to wear seatbelts

true or false: Not wearing a seat belt makes injuries more severe and is associated with higher-risk driving behavior

true

true or false: more experienced drivers increase their risk

true