In the US there are 177 million drivers on the roadways, that means one out of every three Americans has access to a vehicle and is old enough to drive.

• 6,420,000 auto crashes in the United States in a year
• 2,300,000 of those accidents result in a disabling injury
• 44,000 people are killed each year, that's 120 people killed a day 
• 98% of crashes are caused by human error
• Every 5 seconds a car crash occurs
• Car crashes are the leading cause of death in people between the ages of 1 to 44 years old
  
• Driving is your most dangerous daily activity

How can you avoid being in a vehicle accident?

• Be Alert- recognize the hazards in your path of travel 
  
• Be on The Defensive- have a plan of reaction in case another driver or obstruction comes into your path of travel 
  
• React properly- rehearsing in your head how you would react if certain events unfolded, will help guide you in the case of a real event- overaction is a killer.

1. Failure to wear a seatbelt
2. Excessive speeding
3. Distraction/Inattentiveness - eating, drinking, smoking, radio, cell phone
4. Incorrect assumptions about other drivers
5. Tailgating/not leaving enough space between vehicles
6. Not checking traffic before pulling out or crossing lanes

There are three main types of driver distractions that contribute to accidents:

• Visual – eyes off the road
  • Crash risk up to 1.5x
• Mechanical – hands off the wheel
  • Crash risk up to 1.6x
• Cognitive – mind off driving
  • Higher risk due to brain overload and selective attention.

In the city scan the road at least one block ahead or up to the next intersection

In rural areas and freeways scan the road for long distances or to the next hill or curve

In all cases, maintain traffic about you, checking side and rear view mirrors every 5 seconds.

• Be alert
• Be aware
• Be prepared
• No Surprises

While driving it is important that you rehearse in your head what your reaction would be if any number of dangerous scenarios were to occur.

After recognizing a hazard your attention should shift to avoiding a collision or rollover. Acting correctly and timely will be the result of the rehearsals that played out before the hazard. You should only take the actions necessary to avoid the hazard, and not overact. Overreaction results in an accident in nearly half of all high-speed reactions. Take care to not overreact!

Driving while suffering from an illness will result in a lower attention level and slower response time. To compensate for the illness:

• if you are not feeling well, don't drive.
• if you must drive, be especially cautious.
• don't drive long distances, if possible.
• if you are taking medication, know the side effects and potential effects on driving ability. Do not drive if the prescription advises against it.

Definition:

• Fatigue - a weakness or weariness resulting from physical exertion or prolonged stress. both physical and mental (psychological)
• Drowsiness - a state of lowered consciousness, reduced alertness and dulled perception.

Causes

• Monotony
• Tight schedules
• Heavy traffic
• Bad weather

• After 2 - 4 hours of continuous driving, one becomes fatigued, senses become dulled, and the level of perception is lowered.

Definition

• Highway Hypnosis- A state of drowsiness caused by lack of visual and physical stimulation while driving.
  
  • Straight, monotonous roads.
  • Driving alone at night.
  • Being surrounded by the monotonous engine sound

Defenses for fatigue and drowsiness:

• Recognize the characteristics of fatigue and drowsiness.
• Allow enough time for travel and rest periodically.
• Take rest breaks.
• Adjust the seat and use firm pillows to support your back.
• Open the window for fresh air.
• Listen to the radio.

If you are the driver, you will be more likely to become drowsy if passengers are sleeping. Ask the person in the passenger seat to stay awake and talk with you to keep you alert.

Psychological impairment can result in distractions such as:

• Stress
  
  • Reduces your concentration on the driving task.
  • Creates mental fatigue slowing reaction time.
  • Causes erratic or irrational maneuvers.
  • Causes intolerance of other drivers.
• Emotions
  
  • Any strong emotion, even positive ones, can effect driving.
  • Worrying can cause the driver to be preoccupied with the problems instead of driving.
  • Anger can cause impatience and intolerance of other drivers.
  • Positive emotions, like a job promotion or raise, can result in mental distraction, causing the driver to be unaware of the surrounding traffic environment.
• Attitude
  
  • Aggressiveness (Me-first)
  • Inattentiveness

What can you do to keep stress, emotions, and attitude from effecting driving?

• Recognize your frame of mind. If highly emotional, agitated or stressed out, don't drive.
• Talk out the situation.
• Let someone else drive. If you must drive, sit in your vehicle for a while before you start out.
• Take deep breaths and calm down.
• Once on the road, keep your speed down and add a second or two between you and the vehicle ahead of you.
• If you can, avoid driving in congested areas to reduce aggravation.

There are 5 characteristics of a true defensive driver:

• Knowledgeable
• Alert
• Foresight
• Good judgment
• Skill

Knowledge

• Knowing the traffic laws.
• Knowing how to avoid a collision.
• Knowing how to recognize hazards.
• Knowing how to act correctly in time.

Alertness

• Aware of how our own physical or mental condition could effect driving.
• 100% of our attention. Staying alert to the traffic situation by checking your mirrors, rearview and side, about every five seconds.

Foresight

• The ability to anticipate and prepare for hazards.
• Sizing up the traffic situation as far ahead as possible.
• Anticipating hazards that are likely to develop.
• Deciding whether changes in the driving situation will be a threat to your safety.
• There are two kinds of foresight:
  
  • Immediate.
    
    • Scanning the road ahead is an example of immediate foresight.
  • Long-range.
    
    • Wearing a safety belt is another example of long-range foresight.

Good judgment

• Looking for alternatives in any traffic situation.
• In control of their behavior.
• Passing when it is safe.
• Not making risky maneuvers.
• Sometimes those actions and choices are limited, but good judgment means using good sense and intuition to choose wisely and quickly.

Skill

• The ability to operate a vehicle properly and safely.
• There is only one reliable substitute….

Myths about alcohol:

• Drinking coffee will sober up the drinker.
  
  • Coffee only makes a wide-awake drunk.
• Strenuous exercise will make the drinker sober.
  
  • Exercise makes a hot, sticky, drunk.
• Cold showers will make the drinker sober.
  
  • Makes a cold, wet drunk.
• A cold swim will sober up the drinker.
  
  • Sometimes, could make a dead drunk.

What sobers up a drinker?

• A drinker will only sober up after the liver has processed the alcohol, and that takes time.

Blood alcohol is measured in BAC (blood Alcohol Concentration)

• BAC refers to the % of alcohol in the blood.
• Measured by the concentration of alcohol in the breath, blood or urine.
• A BAC reading of 0. 10 is like having one drop of alcohol in 1,000 drops of blood.
• BAC of 0.10, seven times more likely to be involved in a fatal collision than a sober driver.
• BAC of 0.15, 25 times more likely, at 0.20, 100 times more likely to have a fatal collision.

The Alcohol Process:

• When alcohol is ingested, 5% enters the bloodstream directly through the mouth and throat tissues.
• The small intestine absorbs the largest percentage (80%).
• Less than 10% is eliminated by the kidneys, lungs, and skin.
• 2 - 5% is passed unchanged by bodily functions.
• The liver eliminates the other 90% through oxidation.
• The liver can oxidize a limited amount of alcohol per minute (about one drink/hour).

Alcohol and Driving

• How can drinking alcohol effect Driving ability?
  
  • Judgment
  • awareness (cognitive functions)
  • vision
  • response time

Alcohol and Driving Facts

• Alcohol involvement increases greatly at night and on weekends.
• 48% of all motor vehicle deaths occur between 3 p.m. and midnight.
• More occur on Saturday than on any other day of the week.
• Among passenger vehicle drivers who were fatally injured between 9 p.m. and 6 am
  
  • 63% have blood alcohol at or above 0.10%.
  • 50% have blood alcohol at or above 0.10% on weekends
• Impaired driving contributes to nearly 50% of all fatal collisions.
• Alcohol-related crashes more likely to involve men than women.
• Rates are highest for males (21 - 24).
• For drivers in that age group, 35% were intoxicated with blood alcohol greater than 0.10%.
• Among fatally injured male drivers, 46% had blood alcohol of 0.10 or more, the number is 23% for women.
• A drink is defined as:
  
  • a 12 oz. can of beer (5% alcohol content)
  • One and one half oz. of 80 proof distilled spirits
  • a 5 oz. glass of 12% alcohol content wine.
• Each of these drinks contains the same amount of alcohol.
• It takes approximately one hour for the body to eliminate one drink.
• Lite beer has the same amount of alcohol as regular beer.

Defending against impaired driving and drivers requires you to watch for:

• Unreasonably high & inconsistent driving speeds.
• Frequent lane changing at excessive speed.
• Improper passing (not enough room to pass).
• Slow driving or excessive swerving when overtaking or passing.
• Overshooting or disregarding traffic control signals.
• Approaching a traffic signal with an uneven motion.
• Driving at night without lights.
• Failure to dim lights to on-coming traffic.

If you observe an impaired driver:

• If ahead, maintain a safe following distance.
• Don't try to pass, as they may swerve into you.
• If behind you, turn right at the next intersection and let them pass.
• If coming toward you, slow down, move right.
• Report suspected impaired drivers to the nearest law enforcement agency.
• Always wear your safety belt.

Laws and consequences of a DWI/DUI include:

• You can be charged and convicted of DWI or DUI at any BAC level if driving indicates that they are under the influence or impaired. In our state, the illegal BAC level is 0.10.
• Penalties for DWI/DUI include:
  
  • fines.
  • dependency assessment and counseling.
  • jail sentence(up to 90 days).
  • mandatory suspension of driving privileges and insurance, and
  • very expensive legal fees

Judgment:

• It can affect spatial perception.
• Impaired judgment can result in greater risk-taking, like pulling out in front of
• another vehicle when it is not safe to do so.

Cognitive Functions

• Impaired drivers tend to scan their environment less often.
• Have difficulty dividing attention and competently performing more than one task at a time.
• Impaired drivers frequently forget to turn on headlights, or lower their brights.
• Impaired drivers tend to stare at objects, unable to maintain mental focus.
• Impaired drivers change speeds without reason and make frequent lane changes.
• They may overshoot a stop sign or completely disregard it.

Vision

• Impaired vision affects normal rapid eye movement. REM assists in peripheral vision.
  
  • Impaired rapid eye movement results in tunnel vision. This can cause a driver to see less on either side or to be less attentive to what the eyes see.
• Alcohol-impaired vision may also cause night blindness or glare blindness. It takes longer for eyes to readjust from partial darkness to a brightly lit environment.
  
  • Response time.
    
    • Response time is profoundly slowed.
    • Driver’s critical thinking skills inhibits quick decisions.

Talking on cell phones increases crash risk by 4 times

• More than 100 million people are talking while driving

• 11% of all drivers at any moment

Result: 1.4 million crashes per year (25% of all crashes) are caused by cell phone use.

• Driving and talking on a phone requires the brain to switch back and forth between talking and driving.
• There is a switching-time reaction
• One task is always “primary” and the other “secondary.” 
• When driving is a secondary task for the brain, driving becomes impaired.  

• 23 studies reported negative effects of cell phone use on handheld phones.
• 33 studies found effects in reaction time, speed, headway and lateral lane position for hands-free phones. 

With a passenger:

• You can rely on many non-verbal cues to understand the other person
  
  • Passengers can see your driving environment
  • Passengers can serve as an additional lookout for hazards
• As a result, passengers actually reduce the crash risk for adult drivers
  • this is not true for novice teen drivers

If all the people in the cars around you were your loved ones, how would that change the way you drive?

Everyone in the cars around you is somebody’s loved one, let’s look out for each other.

• Don’t talk on the phone or text while driving.
• Enact a policy covering your employees.
• Support legislation to enact bans on cell phone use while driving.
• Implement life-saving technology for yourself, workplace, and families.
• Educate people you care about.

The faster you drive, the longer it takes you to stop. The distance between your front bumper and the back bumper of the other vehicle should be two seconds. This allows you enough time to stop in case the driver ahead stops suddenly.

Two-second plus rule:

• If you are being tailgated by another car add two seconds from the vehicle ahead of you.
• If you are being tailgated by a tractor-trailer or bus, you'll need six seconds from the vehicle ahead.
• If you are following a motorcycle add one second.
• Only under perfect conditions should you use the two-second rule. Any other time you should use two seconds plus.
• You also need to add the following distance whenever you are towing a trailer.
  
  • add one second following distance for every 10 feet of additional vehicle length. However, never add less than two seconds.
• Add one second for loss of traction due to wet pavement.
• Add one second for reduced visibility.

Other conditions that can effect driving are:

• Vehicle
• Light
• Weather
• Road
• Traffic

Conditions of the Vehicle

• The vehicle and the driver are the only conditions that we can control. Before getting into a vehicle:
  
  • walk around it and check the tires.
  • check for leaks under the engine that may have dripped onto the pavement.
  • Give your vehicle a once over look for any obvious problems that could cause a breakdown.

• Vehicle conditions that could cause a collision
  
  • Worn Tires
  • Dim or non-functional head and Tail Lights.
  • Bad or faulty brakes.
  • A poorly maintained vehicle might not respond properly in an emergency.
• It is your responsibility to maintain your vehicle. Even if you are not a "mechanic" there are things that you can check every time you get into the car:
  
  • Horn
  • Windshield
  • Wipers
  • Washer fluid
  • Taillights
    
    
• Light conditions affecting driving: 
  
  • more than 50% of fatal collisions occur at night.
  • not enough light.
  • too much light.
• When would you encounter Insufficient light conditions?
  
  • at night, dusk, dawn 
• Weather conditions that affect Driving:
  
  • Weather conditions can affect visibility and the road surface. Again, you want to be able to see, be seen, and recognize the condition of the road.
    
    • Rain
    • Snow
    • Ice/sleet
    • Wind
    • Fog, smoke, dust
• Conditions of the road that can affect driving: 
  
  • Shape
  • Surface
  • Shoulder

• Traffic conditions that could affect driving:
  
  • Conditions are most dangerous between midnight until 2:00 a.m. on
  • Sunday
  • One out of three drivers are impaired
  • Traffic conditions vary from depending on the area 
  • In rural areas, the speeds are higher and the flow is lighter 
  • In urban areas, the speeds are not as high and the traffic is denser

When approaching areas that have been marked as animal crossings:

• Slow down.
• Scan.
• Be alert for areas that are heavily wooded or near farms, and areas of water.
• At night don't overdrive your headlights.
• If you hit an animal, get out of your vehicle to check.

If the emergency vehicle is behind you:

• Immediately move to the right of your lane, to another lane, or to the shoulder if possible.
• If moving right is not possible, stay where you are. Do not move left. The emergency vehicle driver will move left when observed that you cannot move right.
• Make your moves based on those of the emergency vehicle.

When approaching a school bus:

• Slow down.
• If the lights are flashing amber, the bus is about to stop
• When the bus is stopped, the red lights are flashing.
• Look for the stop arm that is extended from the left side of the bus.
• State statute requires that you stop.

You must stop if:

• Red lights are flashing
• and/or if the stop arm is out.
• The bus is not separated from your vehicle by a median strip.

Almost two out of three pedestrian deaths occur in the urban environment.

• Watch for signs indicating pedestrian or school crossings.
• In residential areas, slow down, and watch for children crossing or playing.
• Children under 15 are involved in collisions with vehicles more frequently than any other age group with the exception of pedestrians
• Pedestrians over 65 may not see or hear well and are not as agile.

Common habits of bad drivers include:

• Driving slow in the left (fast) lane
• Switching lanes without using their blinker
• Tailgating
• Passing on the right
• Driving with their brights on
• Transporting unsecured loads