Section 4
Risk, Space Management, Sharing the Road, and Vehicle Operating Space
Part I Risk
Risk: Chance of Injury, Damage, or Loss—Consequences of a Crash
Three Types of Risk
Risk Assessment: Being able to determine what causes risk and the consequences associated with those causes
Risk Acceptance: Evaluating the consequences of the decisions we make and the risks involved with those decisions.
In order to minimize risk, drivers need time, space, and visibility to execute a maneuver
Risk Compensation: Recognizing potential risk or limitations and making appropriate adjustments. 1)adjust speed, 2) lane position, and 3) use proper communication skills.
Three Principles for Reducing Risk
Never risk more than you can afford to lose
Do not risk large consequences for a small reward
Consider the odds and your situation
Good decision-making is essential to reducing driving risks
Guided practice is the key to developing sound habits and judgments
Risk Reduction Goals:
Make every driving sequence an efficient driving sequence
Use processing skills to make accurate judgments
Develop sound procedures for all maneuvers
Part II Scanning
Scanning: Moving your eyes so that you can gather information. We gather 90% of the information we use while we are driving with our eyes.
1. Keep your eyes moving. Don’t stare
2. Look ahead, behind, and side-to-side
Line of Sight: The ability to see the center of your path of travel from the vehicle to your targeting area.
1. This can be blocked by a curb, hill, bush, building, vehicle, etc.
Three Vision Fields:
1. Focus Vision:
a. Used for reading signs and interpreting signals
b. 3 to 5 degrees of useful information
2. Central Vision:
a. 30 to 36 degrees of useful information
b. Vehicle to roadway reference
c. Viewing path of travel
d. Viewing line of sight to target area
3. Peripheral Vision:
a. 175-185 degrees of useful information
b. Changes in motion
c. Changes in color
Scanning:
1. Scan ahead to see things early and increase reaction/response time
2. Scan 20-30 seconds ahead
3. Clues to look for
a. Brake lights
b. Turned wheels on vehicle
c. Bicycles
d. Pedestrians
e. Vehicles going fast or slow
Important Areas to Consider When Scanning:
1. Driving in Rural Areas
2. Watch for hidden intersections, driveways, curves
3. Hills and different road conditions
4. Other vehicles like farm equipment, trucks, and bicycles
Part IIISharing the Road
The Highway Transportation System is made up of many different types of roadway users. Examples of these users are pedestrians, bicyclists, mopeds, motorcycles, trucks, buses, etc. You are responsible for adjusting the way that you drive in order to avoid other driver’s mistakes and to assure everyone’s safety.
Bicyclists
1. Considered vehicles and have the same rights of way as vehicles
2. Expected to obey the same traffic rules and regulations
3. Slow down when approaching and give room
4. Be prepared to stop
5. Look for them on all roads unless a sign says otherwise
Mopeds:
1. Bicycle like vehicles (VA law)
2. Speeds under 30 mph
3. Must be 16 to ride
4. ID (not license) necessary but can’t ride if your license has been suspended
5. May pass if there is room and you are driving at a reasonable speed
Motorcycles:
1. Approximately ½ of all fatal crashes involve automobiles
2. Most are caused by the motorist’s failure to see the motorcycle in traffic
Slow Speed Vehicles:
1. Electric Vehicles
2. Maximum speed of 21-25 mph
3. May be driven on public highways with a speed limit of 35 mph or less
4. Have to be a licensed driver or have a learner’s permit and be accompanied
by a licensed driver
5. Must have insurance
6. Golf carts are not considered low-speed vehicles
Trucks, Tractor Trailers, and RV’s
1. Longer and slower
2. Greater stopping distances and turning ranges
3. No-Zones: dangerous areas around these vehicles where crashes are more
likely to occur
Part IVSEE-iT System
The SEE-iT System is a Space Management system that adds order and structure to the driving task. It allows us to focus and process what is important while driving.
Space Management Steps:
1. Search: Search the entire driving area for anything that might cross your path
of travel
2. Evaluate: Give meaning to what you have observed
a. Determine an alternate path of travel or change in vehicle direction
b. Determine proper speed
3. Execute: Carry out any alternative action needed to minimize risk
Maintaining a Space Cushion
1. Space around your vehicle gives you time to react
2. Emergency and collision avoidance
3. Maintain proper spacing around your vehicle, in your lane
Maintaining Space and Visibility to the Front:
1. Time Your Arrival: Adjust speed early to avoid unnecessary braking, stops,
and to conserve fuel
2. Forward Placement at an Intersection: Maintain a position that allows you to
monitor the intersection
3. Following Interval: Control space while in motion to establish a space cushion
and open line of sight
Following Interval:
1. 2 Seconds: Allows the driver time to steer out of problem areas at all listed
speeds on a dry surface and braking out of a problem at speeds under 35 mph
2. 3 Seconds: Allows the driver time to steer out of problem areas at all listed
speeds on a dry surface and braking out of a problem at speeds under 45 mph
3. 4 Seconds: Allows the driver time to steer out of problem areas at all listed
speeds on a dry surface and braking out of a problem at speeds under 65 mph
Determining Following Distance:
Reaction Time:
1. Foot Reaction Time: ¾ second
2. Hand Response Time: ½ second
3. Response/Reaction time doesn’t take into account any lag time due to drugs,
fatigue, or alcohol
Section 4
Changing Lanes, Lane Positions, Backing, Visibility, and BGE
Changing Lanes:
1 Check side mirrors
2. Check rearview mirror
3 Signal
4. Watch out for drivers who may not want to give you right of way
5. Always check blind-spots
6. Always use your turn signals
7. Use of lane positions can also help to communicate where you want to go
Blindspots:
1. Dangerous areas which cannot be seen by using just the mirrors on either or
both sides of the vehicle
2. Quick turns of the head (over the shoulder) unless using the BGE setting
3. Do not drive in another driver’s blindspot
Lane Positions: There are five lane positions that we use to communicate with other drivers. Each position is found within one driving lane. A driver can create space and create visibility by adjusting the position of the Vehicle in the Lane.
1. Lane Position 1: Driving in the center of your lane
2. Lane Position 2: Driving to the left of your lane
3. Lane Position 3: Driving to the right of your lane
4. Lane Position 4: Straddling the left lane line
5. Lane Position 5: Straddling the right lane line
Intersections:
1. Risk is greater at intersections that are controlled by stop signs.
2. Crossing and joining traffic traveling at high speeds require more space when
traveling at higher speeds.
Intersections Controlled by Traffic Signals
1. Check for oncoming vehicles when making a left turn
2. Check for pedestrians and cyclists in the crosswalk
3. Check for cross traffic
4. When the light turns green count to three before moving into traffic
5. Make sure there is space available before moving into the intersection to
make a left turn
Intersections Controlled by a Yield Sign
1. Important to judge distance/speed of approaching traffic
2. Make sure there is enough space so that you may join or cross traffic safely
Backing:
1. Common mistake drivers make is failing to look both ways
2. Mirrors don’t give full view
3. Turn body and head
4. Back up slowly and check for pedestrians and approaching traffic
Backing and Turning:
1. The back of the car moves in the direction you turn the steering wheel
2. When backing left or right you should keep both hands on the steering wheel
3. Look both ways before driving
4. Back slowly with repeated glances to the front
Backing Straight:
1. Place left hand at top of the steering wheel
2. Right arm should be across the top of the passenger seat
Visibility:
1. Adjust speed to visibility issues
a. Hills
b. Curves
c. Intersections
d. Weather
e. Time of day
2. Headlights only let you see about 350 feet to the front of your car under
normal conditions
3. If you can’t see more than 100 ft. ahead you can’t drive safely
Blindspot, Glare Elimination (BGE): Adjusting the outside mirrors so that they are 15 degrees further out allows you to see the lanes to the sides and does not overlap s much as with the area you can already see in your rearview mirror.
1. To adjust the drivers’ side mirror, place head against the window, place head
against the window, adjust mirror to see along side of the car.
2. To adjust the passenger side, move body to the front (in line with rearview
mirror), adjust mirror to see down the side of the car
3. When you go back to a normal seating position you should no longer be able
to see the sides of your car in the outside mirrors.