Drive Right Unit 7 Chapters 14 and 15

1. Drive RightUnit 7Chapters 14 and 15 Period 2 Driver Education Mr. Miller’s

2. Chapter 14Effects of Driver Condition • 14.1 Emotions and Driving • Emotions influence the way you think and act. • They can affect the way you normally assess risk. • Minimize the effects of emotions by being courteous. • Increase the space between themselves and the vehicle ahead to reduce risk when emotional. • Strong emotions also can cause changes in your bodily functions. • Your heart races, breathing quickens, digestion slows and muscles tighten up. • Rush hour traffic and bumper to bumper congestion can certainly cause stressful emotions.

3. Chapter 14Effects of Driver Condition • 14.1 Emotions and Driving • You might be tempted to react angrily when you are driving in stressful situations. • Anger occurs more often to drivers than any other emotion. • It can range from mild irritation to furious rage and can result in aggressive actions or even violent acts of “ROAD RAGE”. • Some people believe that “road rage” is as dangerous as drunk driving. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILRSnIwARac http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txVZhepSe1Y&feature=related

4. Chapter 14Effects of Driver Condition • 14.1 Emotions and Driving • Your emotions can drastically affect your driving ability. • When you use the IPDE process your emotions can keep you from making the wrong decision. • Peer pressure can be a strong force with emotions. • In a vehicle, your passengers can strongly influence the way you drive. • When you are driving, you must be a leader and take control. You are responsible for the safety of your passengers.

5. Chapter 14Effects of Driver Condition • 14.1 Emotions and Driving • A passenger can assist a driver by: • Avoid saying or doing anything that might distract or upset the driver. • Refrain from heated discussions. • Talk about positive events. • Discourage the driver from reckless actions. • Be prepared to intervene if the driver endangers others by reckless driving. • Encourage the driver to let someone else drive, or refuse to ride in the same vehicle. • Do what you must to protect yourself and others. • Compliment the driver for doing a good job driving.

6. Chapter 14Effects of Driver Condition • 14.1 Emotions and Driving • Emotions have a big influence on the risk taking. • If you are angry, you will probably take more risks. • Mature, responsible drivers do not let their emotions make them take unnecessary risks. • You must also be mature enough not to join others when they suggest risk taking activities. • Coping with stress and holding back your emotions until it is safe to vent is important. • You must strive to keep your emotions from affecting your driving ability.

7. Chapter 14Effects of Driver Condition • 14.1 Emotions and Driving • Coping with emotions: • Use the IPDE process to drive in an organized manner. Learn and use correct driving procedures until they become habits. • You will then be more likely to execute the proper action, even when under emotional stress. • Anticipate emotion-producing situations, and adjust your expectations. • If you encounter an aggressive driver – don’t challenge them. Adopt a yield attitude. • Analyze your mistakes and learn from them. • Keep “courtesy” as on of your personal rules of the road.

8. Chapter 14Effects of Driver Condition • 14.2 Physical Senses and Driving • More than 90% of the information you gather while driving is received through your eyes. • When driving you will need the ability to see things clearly both near and far. Seeing gauges or street signs are equally important. This ability to see things clearly is called visual acuity. • Not being able to distinguish colors is called color blindness. If you are color blind you can compensate by: • Remembering the order of the lights in traffic. • Knowing the meaning of signs by their shape. • Reading all signs and checking all zones. • Taking cues from other drivers.

9. Chapter 14Effects of Driver Condition • 14.2 Physical Senses and Driving • Your field of visions should allow you to see ahead of your vehicle and approximately 90 degrees to each side or about a half circle. • However, you can only see clearly straight ahead in the area of central vision. • This straight ahead vision is only 10 degrees and cone shaped. • Surrounding your central vision is your peripheral vision. • The farther away from the central vision, the less clear the view.

10. Chapter 14Effects of Driver Condition • 14.2 Physical Senses and Driving • Depth Perception is the ability to judge distance between yourself and other objects. • Drivers can compensate for poor depth perception by: • Using a following distance greater than 3 seconds. • Allowing for additional clear distance ahead before passing. • Allowing greater distance at night than at daytime. • Darkness hides many guides you use in the daytime.

11. Chapter 14Effects of Driver Condition • 14.2 Physical Senses and Driving • The ability to see at night varies from person to person. • Not being able to see well at night is called night blindness. • All people see less at night than in daylight. • Colors are harder to see at night. • Your night vision is also limited to the area lit by headlights, streetlights and other lights.

12. Chapter 14Effects of Driver Condition • 14.2 Physical Senses and Driving • You increase or decrease your risk of becoming involved in a collision by changing the level of control you have over your vehicle. • Anything that distracts you from using your senses and concentrating on the driving task will increase your risk of a collision. • A stereo system in your vehicle can cause distractions, also it can be helpful if used safely. • Avoid changing stations, tapes, and cd’s while driving.

13. Chapter 14Effects of Driver Condition • 14.2 Physical Senses and Driving • Cell phones can be helpful in an emergency, but they are dangerous to use while driving. • Research studies have found that drivers talking on a cell phone were four times more likely to be involved in a collision. • You should turn off your cell phone while driving. • If you need to use the phone, pull off the road and stop the car. • Other distractions can come from pets in the car. • Pets need to be placed in carriers or secured with special harnesses.

14. Chapter 14Effects of Driver Condition • 14.3 Physical Disabilities • Sometimes you must drive even though you are not at your physical best. • Mental or physical work, emotional stress or loss of sleep can cause fatigue. • Fatigue lessens your fitness to perform tasks. • It dulls your senses and slows both mental and physical processes. • If you are fatigued, you will need more time to use the IPDE process. • Drowsy driving is estimated to cause at least 100,000 collisions a year.

15. Chapter 14Effects of Driver Condition • 14.3 Physical Disabilities • There are several signs of drowsiness: • Trouble keeping your head up. • Drifting between lane positions. • Wandering, disconnected thoughts. • Inability to stop yawning. • Eyes closing or going out of focus. • Inability to concentrate on driving task. Most people biologically prefer to sleep between 12:00am and 6:00am, and again around 2:00pm. Be Cautious!!

16. Chapter 14Effects of Driver Condition • 14.3 Physical Disabilities • Rest is the only safe remedy for fatigue. • Sometimes it is necessary to drive even if you are tired. Take these actions to deal with fatigue: • Rest before you start driving. • Change drivers often. • Stop every two hours. Walk, stretch, get a beverage or snack, or take a nap on long trips. • Wear sunglasses in bright sunlight and to shield against snow glare. • Use your orderly visual search pattern to keep your eyes moving. • Be active – listen to the radio, sing, or talk to passengers. • Stop in safe, well-lighted place if you feel drowsy. Lock the vehicle and take a nap.

17. Chapter 14Effects of Driver Condition • 14.3 Physical Disabilities • Any illness, even a cold, can impair driving to some extent. • A temporary physical injury, such as a broken bone or a sprained ankle, also can impair your driving. • They can cause discomfort and pain, limit physical movement, lessen endurance and strength, or dull your senses. • Many medicines have side effects that can interfere with your driving ability and risks.

18. Chapter 14Effects of Driver Condition • 14.3 Physical Disabilities • If you take medicine, consider these points before you drive: • Read the label to learn the possible side effects. • Ask you physician or pharmacist about side effects. • A medicine can affect you differently at different times. • If possible, drive to your destination and then take your medicine. • If you must take your medicine and drive, try to choose a quiet, less congested route.

19. Chapter 14Effects of Driver Condition • 14.3 Physical Disabilities • Your vehicle’s exhaust fumes contain carbon monoxide. • Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas. • Small amounts of carbon monoxide can cause drowsiness, headaches, muscular weakness, mental dullness and nausea. • Too much carbon monoxide can cause death!!

20. Chapter 14Effects of Driver Condition • 14.3 Physical Disabilities • Take these steps to prevent carbon monoxide exposure and combat its effect: • If you vehicle is parked in a garage – open door. • Avoid running the engine inside the garage. • In traffic, stop behind vehicles so you can see the back tires. • In traffic jams, especially in enclosed areas, turn off your engine when possible. • Check your exhaust system regularly. • Do not drive with the rear windows open. • Move a person who is overcome with carbon monoxide into fresh air. • Call 911!!

21. Chapter 14Effects of Driver Condition • 14.3 Physical Disabilities • Smoking while driving is dangerous. • Smoking raises the carbon monoxide level in a person’s blood. • Smoke residue accumulates on windows and affects vision. • Discourage your passengers from smoking. • Carbon monoxide from tobacco smoke can affect even non-smokers in an enclosed car. • If someone does smoke, open a window to provide fresh air for your car.

22. Chapter 14Effects of Driver Condition • 14.3 Physical Disabilities • Special vehicle equipment and controls can make it possible for many people with permanent disabilities to drive. • Others with less disabilities can control their disabilities with medication. • Older drivers are using the roadways more today than ever before. • One in six drivers is over 65. • 80% of drivers age 75 take prescription medication. • Aging slows reflexes, dulls vision and concentration, can make muscles weaker and inflexible, and reduces depth perception and field of vision.

23. Chapter 15Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Driving • 15.1 Effects of Alcohol on Driving Safely • Alcohol is the most commonly used drug in our society. • It is the most commonly found drug in fatally injured drivers. • Young people in their teens are among those in our society who use and abuse alcohol. • Even though it’s illegal for teens to drink, a significant percentage of them do drink. • This percentage of teens who drink alcohol presents a major problem for highway traffic safety when they mix drinking with driving.

24. Chapter 15Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Driving • 15.1 Effects of Alcohol on Driving Safely • The effects of alcohol vary from person to person. • One of the most serious problems of alcohol is the problem of the drinking driver. • Drivers cannot afford to increase the risks of driving by having their abilities diminished by alcohol. • Facts about alcohol and driving: • Young drinking drivers are involved in fatal crashes at twice the rate of drivers aged 21 and older. • Drivers aged 16 through 20 are more likely to be alcohol-impaired than any other age group. • Nearly half of those killed in alcohol-related collisions had not been drinking but were victims of drunk drivers. • More than half of all fatalities during holidays are alcohol related.

25. Chapter 15Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Driving • 15.1 Effects of Alcohol on Driving Safely • As soon as alcohol from a drink reaches the brain, it affects the way people think and behave. • Just one drink can affect a person’s behavior, both mentally and physically, regardless of the type of alcoholic drink. • Alcohol acts on the central nervous system like an anesthetic, slowing the activity of the brain. • It is not digested. It is absorbed directly into the bloodstream through the walls and linings of the entire digestive tract. • Once alcohol enters the bloodstream, it quickly flows to the brain.

26. Chapter 15Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Driving • 15.1 Effects of Alcohol on Driving Safely • Alcohol has the greatest effect on the parts of the brain that control judgment and reasoning. • These are the two most critical mental skills needed by drivers. • Physical abilities become impaired soon afterward. • A driver affected by alcohol has a decreased ability to reason clearly and make sound judgments. • A person in this condition can develop a false feeling of well-being. • This feeling is known as euphoria. People in a euphoric state of mind may take chances they normally would not take.

27. Chapter 15Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Driving • 15.1 Effects of Alcohol on Driving Safely • Alcohol weakens a person’s inhibitions, the inner forces of personality that restrain or hold back one’s impulsive behavior. • Alcohol slows reflexes and reaction time. Muscular coordination becomes slow and clumsy. • One of the most dangerous effects of alcohol is impaired vision. Impairment occurs in visual acuity, peripheral vision, night vision, color vision and depth perception. • As a person continues to drink, the center of the brain that controls breathing and heartbeat can become impaired.

28. Chapter 15Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Driving • 15.1 Effects of Alcohol on Driving Safely • Long term use of alcohol can lead to alcoholism. • Alcoholism is a major problem in our society. Not only for the problem drinker, but for the families and communities as well. • The amount of alcohol in a person’s bloodstream can be measured by chemical tests. • This amount of alcohol is called “blood-alcohol concentration” (BAC). • The level of intoxication is determined by the percent of alcohol in the bloodstream. • Each drink adds about .02 to .03 percent to the person’s BAC.

29. Chapter 15Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Driving • 15.1 Effects of Alcohol on Driving Safely • Factors that affect a person’s BAC: • Amount of alcohol consumed. • Amount of time over which a given amount of alcohol is consumed. • Person’s body weight • Some types of food in the stomach may make a difference in the rate of alcohol is absorbed. • When a person consumes alcohol in a carbonated beverage, the rate of absorption is even faster.

30. Chapter 15Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Driving • 15.1 Effects of Alcohol on Driving Safely • Alcohol is absorbed into the brain very quickly, but it is very slow to leave. • Alcohol continues to circulate throughout the body until it is oxidized and removed by the liver. • The body rids itself of alcohol at a rate of about three-fourths of a standard drink an hour. • A person who has one drink needs about one and a half hours to rid the body of the alcohol in that drink. • Only time can reduce the body’s BAC and that person’s degree of impairment.

31. Chapter 15Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Driving • 15.1 Effects of Alcohol on Driving Safely • Myths about alcohol: • Coffee, cold shower or doing exercise can sober up a person who has been drinking. • One little drink wont hurt me. • I will not be affected because I am only drinking beer. • I can drive better after a few drinks. • A young person cannot become a problem drinker. If you do decide to drink, always appoint a designated driver ahead of time.

32. Chapter 15Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Driving • 15.2 Other Drugs and Driving • Besides alcohol, there are many other types of drugs that are legal and illegal. • Most drugs are classified according to the effects they have on the central nervous system and bodily functions. • Over the counter medicines, prescription medicines, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens are all varieties of legal and illegal drugs.

33. Chapter 15Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Driving • 15.3 Traffic Laws Governing the Use of Alcohol • All 50 states have become uniform in requiring a person to be 21 to purchase or consume alcohol. • Every state has an implied consent law for drivers. • Because there is no safe amount of alcohol for drivers, all states have set a BAC level at which drivers could be charged with a DUI (.08 percent). • Penalties for conviction • Suspension or revocation of driver’s license. • Payment of fines. • Serving a prison term

34. Chapter 15Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Driving • 15.3 Traffic Laws Governing the Use of Alcohol • Zero tolerance law makes it illegal for persons under the age of 21 to drive with any measurable amount of alcohol in the blood. • Tests for intoxication include chemical testing and field sobriety testing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAlCt_o4rVQ

35. Chapter 15Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Driving • 15.4 Coping with Peer Pressure • The influence of others of a similar age is called peer pressure. • Positive peer pressure – they want to be helpful. • Negative peer pressure – encourage you to do something that is wrong or dangerous. • Peer education is one method used by school districts to help young people make positive decisions. • Peer education help influence other young people to be influenced in a positive way. • Actions you can take: investigate facts, get the word out, communicate your support, and work with other local communities in a positive way.