Driver Education

Responsible Driving

(Red book)

Chapter 1-Driving & Mobility

Notes and Study Guide

What Can You Gain from a Driver Education Course?

• As young adults you want to have mobility - the ability to move or be moved. The opportunity to have a drivers license gives you independence.

• Young drivers are involved in 14% of all motor vehicle

crashes, and most of these crashes

can be prevented.

• You will be sharing the road with 194 million

other licensed drivers. New Jersey has close to 6 million licensed drivers.

What will you learn in Driver Education?• Information and skills about driving

• The importance of being alert

• Gain knowledge about driving

• Being able to handle a wide range of driving situations

• Understand some of the problems of driving

Let’s prevent crashes - when a motor vehicle hits another motor vehicle, pedestrian, animal, bicyclist or any fixed object

Driver Education is taught to help prevent accidents among young drivers

• Lack of experience (gaining experience takes practice with parents in different driving environments.

• Driving at dangerous times (night, weather)

• Transporting of passengers

• Young drivers drive differently (speeding, distractions, space awareness, wearing seatbelts)

Highway Transportation System

• Includes Roadways

• People

• Motor Vehicles

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The Highway Transportation system (HTS)

• Regulated by federal, state and local governments

• To set uniform standards for vehicles and safety

• Federal law established in 1974 said the maximum speed limit is 55 mph.

• In 1995, the law was changed so each

state can set their own highway

speed limits.

The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act

• Requires automakers to build certain safety features into their vehicles (Examples - safety belts and shatterproof windows)

• Requires manufacturers to correct vehicle defects known as recalls.

The National Highway Safety Act

• Sets guidelines for state motor vehicle safety programs. Signed by President Lyndon Johnson.

• Each state monitors:• Vehicle registration & inspection• Driver licensing• Traffic laws & traffic court• Highway construction & maintenance

• Each state makes it’s own laws concerning highway safety (age of driving, hours young drivers can be allowed to drive)

The risks of driving• Risk - the possibility of personal injuries or damage

to vehicles & property• In a given year, 1 in 9 involve in crash • Motor vehicle crashes kill 42% of all people from ages 15-20

Reducing the risks

• Keep vehicle in top condition

• Anticipate the actions of others

• Protect yourself & others

• Drive only when you are in sound physical & mental condition

• Make a conscious effort to develop your driving skills

Visibility, Time, & Space

• Visibility - what you can see from behind the wheel and how well you see it.

• Time - ability to judge your speed and speed of other vehicles.

• Space - refers to distance, keep a margin of space between your vehicle & other vehicles.

The Costs of Driving• Motor vehicle crashes cost the USA $230

billion every year.• Non-crash costs of driving include:1.Operating costs - gas, oil, tires.2.Fixed costs - car payments,insurance and

licensing fees. 3.Environmental costs - to help in cleaning up

air pollution, hazardous waste dumping, and building of gas stations, roads and garages.