Unit 11 – Drivers Ed – The Attentive Driver – Flashcards

While your central vision provides detailed information about the objects you look at directly, your Peripheral Vision (or side vision) lets you see objects and movements outside of your direct line of vision. Peripheral vision is the work of light-sensitive rod cells outside the center of the retina. Although your central vision is much more distinct, your peripheral vision increases your entire field of vision significantly. While the range of your central vision is only about 3°, the range of your peripheral vision is 180° or more.

Your peripheral vision lets you notice vehicles approaching from the side and helps you pay attention to the road whenever you have to turn away briefly. For instance, when looking in your rearview mirror, you can still track traffic with your peripheral vision. Or when you are looking straight ahead, you can still be aware of the traffic to your sides.

As your speed increases, your ability to see to your sides decreases. The chart on this slide represents this loss. With limited peripheral vision, you will be less able to see and respond to events on either side of you. When driving at high speeds, be sure to turn your head to your sides more often so you see what's happening around you.

It can be difficult to notice when your peripheral vision is impaired, but it is very important that you do so. As a result of poor peripheral vision, you might: Fail to react to a vehicle approaching dangerously from the left or right Fail to notice a stop light suspended over an intersection Weave between lanes while driving through a curve Drive too close to parked cars Never rely entirely on your peripheral vision when driving. Routinely check your mirrors and turn your head to look towards your blind spots.

Another important aspect of your vision is Depth Perception. Depth perception is the ability to see in three dimensions. Drivers rely on their depth perception to judge the distance between their car and other vehicles on the road. Depth perception can be affected by environmental conditions like fog and darkness as well as by medical conditions. Poor depth perception can result in stopping too soon or too late, turning too sharply or too broadly, driving at an inconsistent speed, and being unable to maintain an appropriate following distance.

Your sense of hearing can alert you to potential dangers in the driving environment, including: The presence of vehicles in your blind spots Drivers honking their horns Emergency vehicle sirens An approaching train Nearby road work Additionally, unusual noises in your engine, tires, or brakes may alert you to problems in your vehicle that require an immediate response.

People with a hearing impairment or total deafness can compensate for this handicap by learning to rely more on their vision and to more frequently scan their environment. For instance, hearing-impaired drivers can often realize that an emergency vehicle or a train is approaching by paying attention to the behavior of other drivers (e.g., slowing down, pulling over, or turning their heads).

Two other senses provide drivers with important information about the road surface, the position of their vehicles, and the conditions of its parts. Your sense of touch, through your foot on the brake or accelerator pedal and hands on the steering wheel, gives you a feel for the forces impacting your car. Your sense of kinesthesia helps you get a sense of your car's position on and motion across the road.

When driving, you should choose a fixed object 12-20 seconds ahead of you on the road to be your Visual Target. This can be a traffic signal, a building, the crest of a hill, or a parked car. Your target should be an object ahead of you on the road that is in the center of your field of vision. Targeting encourages drivers to scan far ahead and focus their visual attention on the next point on the road.

The space between your car and the target area that you've selected is known as the Path of Travel (POT). By analyzing the visual activity within your path of travel, you can develop a clear picture of the situation on the road ahead and anticipate the maneuvers you will have to perform. For instance, if there is an intersection along your POT, you know you will have to slow and watch for cross traffic.

The imaginary line drawn between your eyes and the object they are viewing is referred to as the Line of Sight (LOS). When driving, your line of sight should generally be directed at your selected visual target. Keep your line of sight clear as much as possible. This line can be blocked by a curve, the crest of a hill, a wooded area, a building, a large truck, etc.

As a novice driver, you may initially find it difficult to use your vision actively to scan the road. If you spend long periods in front of a television or a computer screen, you may be in the habit of using your eyes passively. When driving, however, you must constantly be looking around for potential problems. Train yourself to search for hazards actively. Eventually, you may find it unnecessary to consciously identify a specific target and come to focus your attention 12-20 seconds ahead of your position reflexively.

The area 4 to 6 seconds ahead of you is called the Immediate Range. The visual information available at this close range will tell you how you need to adjust your speed and lane position. If you're maintaining a safe following distance, the car ahead of you should be at the other end of this range. By the time an anticipated stop or turn is in your immediate range, you should have already begun performing the appropriate maneuver.

The area about 20 to 30 seconds ahead of you is referred to as the Target Area Range, or Visual Lead Area. When focused on this area, you should attempt to absorb all critical visual information about the roadway ahead. Think of this as the "big picture." By finding a target as far ahead as possible, you can keep your eyes focused farther in front of your vehicle, giving you more "visual lead time" to make decisions.

Zone 7 is the space that includes the vehicle itself, as well as the area around the car that is concealed from the driver. It corresponds to the blind area around the car discussed in Unit 8. Watch for potential hazards in each of the zones around your car and adjust your driving accordingly.

A Closed Operating Space is one in which the driver's line of sight or path of travel is impeded. Road conditions in a closed operating space require that an alternative path of travel be identified.

consider how the following situations affect the areas around your car: When a traffic light is red, the zones in front of your car are closed. When an oncoming car or truck is approaching along the lane to your left, zone 2 is closed. When a car is parked or a bicyclist is ahead of you on your right, zone 3 is closed. When a vehicle is in your left or right blind spot, or passing you, zone 4 or 5 is closed, respectively When one area is closed or changing, review the others to determine which of your alternate routes are available.

Standard Reference Points are used in typical driving situations to determine vehicle placement on a roadway. There are reference points at the front, sides, and rear of the car. Maneuvers such as parking, stopping, backing up, and changing lane position can be done more accurately and safely when using reference points

All the tools we have mentioned for managing your road position work best together. Use the following to manage your vehicle and the space around it effectively. Reference points and lines of sight Searching your path of travel attentively Changing your position when necessary Communicating respectfully with other road users

Increase your following distance as you increase your speed. At higher speeds, it will take you longer to stop or maneuver evasively in an emergency. In many emergency situations when you need to act quickly to avoid a collision, you should attempt to steer away from the hazard rather than stop. It will take you less time to steer than to brake, and it will take your car less time to change directions than to come to a complete stop.

On the following slide, you'll see a chart that indicates how far you should be from the vehicle ahead of you when you are traveling at different speeds. For each speed, the size of a 2-, 3-, and 4-second following distance, the amount of space it will take you to respond, and your total stopping distance are shown. The math works like this, taking 40 mph as an example. At 40 mph, you will be traveling at 58 ft per second, and so there will be 174 ft in front of your car if you maintain a following distance of three seconds. As it will take you at least 125 ft to stop, a three-second following distance is sufficient at 40 mph.

Following too closely is known as Tailgating. If someone is tailgating you, drive cautiously. First, increase the distance between you and the car ahead of you so you have more room to stop safely in an emergency.

As your speed increases, the challenges that you face as a driver also increase. At high speeds: You must increase your following distance so you have enough time to react to events ahead of you. It becomes harder to notice potential hazards because the environment is changing so quickly. Your peripheral vision is reduced greatly The distance you will travel while making a decision will increase.

Be conscientious and think about how your actions can affect others. How much easier would it be to remain calm if you never had to worry about other drivers impeding, annoying, or endangering you? Every action you take on the road should be governed by the golden rule of driving: always treat other drivers the way you want to be treated. By doing so, you'll make the road safer for everyone.

Tap your horn to inform other drivers of your presence or to warn other drivers if they are driving unsafely. You may wish to tap your horn when: A distracted driver fails to proceed within several seconds of the light turning green A driver is traveling down the street in the wrong direction A driver begins to enter an intersection you have already entered You are unable to avoid driving in another car's blind spot and it is moving into your lane You are approaching an intersection around a blind corner You have lost control of your car and cannot stop it safely Never blare your horn or use it to indicate your anger at another driver. Other drivers will be much more responsive if you always communicate politely.