

Chapter 3










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.

Visual Acuity
o Ability to see objects both near and far.
• 20/20 vision is normal

Field of Vision
o Area you can see directly in front of you, to both sides, and straight
ahead

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

Depth Perception
o Ability to judge the distance between two objects
• i.e., following distance, stopping, ?

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

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

Some people are naturally more coordinated than others,
but with practice can develop good driving skills.
o Increase space cushioning and following distance

Hearing can tell us lots of things while driving
o Your ears detect sounds of potential hazards
•
•
•
•
Horns
Sirens
Vehicles you cannot see
Pedestrians
o Other instances

Information obtained from hearing can be crucial in split
second decisions

May limit a driver’s ability to comfortably or safely operate a
motor vehicle.
o Too short
o Too tall
o Obese

Make adjustments inside the car
o Mirrors
o Seat
o Steering wheel
o Pedals?

Thanks to technology, many can drive

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

Disabilities
o Adapted vehicles to make accommodations
o Given a license on a case-by-case basis

Can affect your reaction time and decision-making abilities

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
o
• Physical
• Drowsiness, blurred vision, double vision, slowed reactions, lack of
coordination, and problems judging distance and speed
• Emotional
• Irritability
• inattentiveness

What can you do?
o Pull over
o Rest areas
o Eat lightly

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

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

Symptoms
o Headache, nausea, drowsiness, confusion, and/or loss of strength

End result
o Unconsciousness
o Death

Anger

Stress

Anxiety, Excitement, & Depression

Distractions

One of the most powerful emotions

Aggressive mindset leads to aggressive driving

Road Rage-action specifically targeted to another driver
o Tailgating, yelling at other drivers, obscene gestures, blocking paths,
assault

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

Busy schedule

Not enough sleep

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.

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

Major source of anxiety is driving in unfamiliar surroundings
o Panic sets in and it is easy to miss or overlook critical information

Being too excited can decrease your attention and increase
your willingness to take risks.

Depression can affect your concentration and coordination

Best thing to do is have someone else drive for you

Car stereos

Cell Phones

Passengers and Kids

Smoking

Pets

Rubbernecking
Unit 1 Test on Friday
Chapter 1, 3,
Graduated Licensing
& IPDE Process