Chapter 3 License to Drive

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Chapter 3
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Vision
Age
Coordination
Hearing
Size and Height
Chronic Illness & disability
Fatigue & Lack of sleep
Illness
Injury
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Many of your decisions made while driving are based on what you SEE.
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Visual Acuity
o Ability to see objects both near and far.
• 20/20 vision is normal
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Field of Vision
o Area you can see directly in front of you, to both sides, and straight
ahead
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Field of Vision
o Central Vision
• The area in front of you where everything is clear
• Only about 3 degrees wide
o Peripheral Vision
• Unfocused areas to the sides of your central vision
• 180 degrees
• Peripheral vision is reduced 25% at 30mph and almost 90% at 60mph
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Depth Perception
o Ability to judge the distance between two objects
• i.e., following distance, stopping, ?
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Color Vision
o Ability to see color
• i.e., signs & signals
• Color blindness
• Inability to differentiate between certain colors
• Can still drive, but uses other visual cues
Pros
• More
experienced
• Better at
detecting
potential
hazards
Cons
• Decreased
reaction time
• Poor eyesight
• Poor hearing
 Older
drivers may
reduce their speed and
try to avoid situations
that require quicker
reflexes
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Determined by how quickly and efficiently you muscular and
nervous systems can work together.
o Hand & Foot Coordination
• i.e., steering, braking, accelerating, shifting gears
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Some people are naturally more coordinated than others,
but with practice can develop good driving skills.
o Increase space cushioning and following distance
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Hearing can tell us lots of things while driving
o Your ears detect sounds of potential hazards
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Horns
Sirens
Vehicles you cannot see
Pedestrians
o Other instances
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Information obtained from hearing can be crucial in split
second decisions
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May limit a driver’s ability to comfortably or safely operate a
motor vehicle.
o Too short
o Too tall
o Obese
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Make adjustments inside the car
o Mirrors
o Seat
o Steering wheel
o Pedals?
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Thanks to technology, many can drive
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Chronic Illness
o Can control their conditions with medicine
o However, they shouldn’t drive while taking certain medications that
affect their ability to drive
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Disabilities
o Adapted vehicles to make accommodations
o Given a license on a case-by-case basis
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Can affect your reaction time and decision-making abilities
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Fatigue
mostly on long trips, but can be caused by a number of factors,
such as boredom, eyestrain, poor ventilation, eating or drinking too
much
o Sets in slowly
o Symptoms
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• Physical
• Drowsiness, blurred vision, double vision, slowed reactions, lack of
coordination, and problems judging distance and speed
• Emotional
• Irritability
• inattentiveness
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What can you do?
o Pull over
o Rest areas
o Eat lightly
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Avoid driving at all costs
o Illness makes you drowsy and/or inattentive
o Injury can affect your ability to drive or affect reaction time
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Causes
o Damaged exhaust
o Driving in an area with insufficient ventilation
o Starting vehicles in a garage with the door closed
o Smoking with the windows closed
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Symptoms
o Headache, nausea, drowsiness, confusion, and/or loss of strength
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End result
o Unconsciousness
o Death
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Anger
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Stress
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Anxiety, Excitement, & Depression
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Distractions
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One of the most powerful emotions
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Aggressive mindset leads to aggressive driving
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Road Rage-action specifically targeted to another driver
o Tailgating, yelling at other drivers, obscene gestures, blocking paths,
assault
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Causes of road rage
o Hot temperatures
o Over-crowded roadways
o Set off by minor event that acts as the last straw
• Person already under stress
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Busy schedule
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Not enough sleep
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Personal problems at work, home, or school
o Stress causes adrenaline rushes, muscle tension, increased
breathing and heart rates, sweaty palms, headaches, and extreme
fatigue.
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Plan ahead to reduce stress
o Allow extra time during rush hour or bad weather
o Map your route before leaving
o Call ahead if you are late
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Major source of anxiety is driving in unfamiliar surroundings
o Panic sets in and it is easy to miss or overlook critical information
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Being too excited can decrease your attention and increase
your willingness to take risks.
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Depression can affect your concentration and coordination
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Best thing to do is have someone else drive for you
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Car stereos
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Cell Phones
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Passengers and Kids
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Smoking
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Pets
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Rubbernecking
Unit 1 Test on Friday
Chapter 1, 3,
Graduated Licensing
& IPDE Process
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