Risk and Habit Development North Dakota Driver Risk Prevention Curriculum Guide Developed by North Dakota Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association Funded by The North Dakota Department of Transportation Risk and Habit Development

Is Driving a High Risk Activity YES! Crash Every 2.8 Seconds Property Damage Every 7 Seconds Injury Every 11 Seconds Fatality Every 13 Minutes Source: NHTSA 2006

American Driving Culture 205 Million Licensed Drivers Deaths 37,261 Injuries 2,346,000 Property Damage 4,146,000 LER Crashes 5,811,000 Unreported Crashes Close Calls Stressful Situations High Risk Driver Behaviors “Not Everything That Counts Can Be Counted” - Albert Einstein NHTSA 2008

12.4 Million Licensed Drivers 15 to 20 Year Olds 12.4 Million Licensed Drivers Deaths 3,620 Involvement 7,898 Injuries 303,000 Police Reported Crashes 1,986,000 Unreported Crashes Close Calls Stressful Situations High Risk Driver Behaviors (NHTSA 2004)

Risk and Teen Drivers 1 in 6 are involved in a law enforcement reported crash every year 1 in 40 are injured in a collision every year 22 teenagers are involved in fatal crashes every day 10 teenagers parish in crashes every day 17% of 16-20 year olds involved in fatal crashes in 2004 had BAC of .08 or higher Drivers 16-24 year olds represented 24% of all fatalities 2004 Motor vehicle crashes are the LEADING cause of death for teenagers ages 15-20! 1.03 Video JS Passengers

Risk and Teen Drivers Motor vehicle crashes are the LEADING cause of death for teenagers ages 15-20.

Public Perceptions of Risk 77% have no idea of the level of risk when driving Remember: Unless a driver perceives driving as a high risk activity, it is difficult to motivate positive habit development or change in behavior.

Public Perception of Control 83% Think They Have Control When drivers feel they have a lot of control in preventing collisions, it follows that they neither see themselves at risk nor see a need to follow safety precautions. 83% of the drivers above see themselves at minimal risk in a collision.

Public Perceptions of the Likely Cause of a Crash 91% said it would not be their fault Drivers who perceive driving to be a high risk activity are more likely to believe that fault could lie within themselves or another driver rather than on an external condition or bad luck.

Think it Can’t Happen to You? Risk Factors Choose 3 numbers between 1 – 62 Choose 3 more numbers between 63 – 150 Choose 3 more numbers between 151 – 223 Risk Factor Activity – After students have written numbers, handout the partial listing of risk factors. Have students list the risk factors represented by the numbers they chose. (See pg. 52 – 54 Your Car is a Monster! Booklet or pg. 56 – 57 Partnership for Driver Excellence 3rd ed. Or Curriculum Resources pg. R3-12, for partial listing of risk factors ) As they do so ask them to imagine that all nine of the risks they are listing are occurring at the same moment in time.

What are the chances… of a crash occurring under those circumstances? a crash could be prevented? any two students chose exactly the same 9 risk factors?

Characteristics of Risk Risk is always present Most crashes involve at least 9 risk factors –the result of an over-accumulation of known and unknown risk factors Perceived risk differs from actual risk Perceived risk results in risk reduction actions being taken Unperceived risk results in no action being taken Actual risk may or may not result in an action being taken – “Choice” Risk is shared Risk can be altered, eliminated and managed “Choice”

Trillions of Ways a Crash Can Occur To significantly reduce the chances of crashing Choose to eliminate those risk factors contributed by our performance, and acquire a system of preventative habits. 10 Model Driving Habits serve as an insurance policy of low-risk behavioral patterns that will provide protection against an over accumulation of risk factors. If you were to calculate how many different combinations of nine risk factors can be made from the "partial listing", it comes to 3,191,260,909,915 different ways you could become involved in a crash.

10 Model Driving Habits Driver Vehicle Readiness See Clear Path Before Moving Keep the Car in Balance Use Reference Points Do LOS-POT Searching Turn Decisions into Actions Control the Intersection Get Rear Zone Control Control with a Front Vehicle Be Courteous to Others

Four Levels of Driver Performance Automatic Okay Behavior With no conscious thought process, one takes the correct action by habit. Intentional Okay Behavior When one thinks about it, one knows he/she has taken or is taking the correct action. Intentional Not Okay Behavior When one thinks about it, one knows he/she has taken or is taking the wrong action. Automatic Not Okay Behavior With no conscious thought process, one takes the wrong action by habit. Simple Driving usually take place at level 1 or 4. Correct behaviors may or may not be performed, repeated & reinforced. Experience is only a good teacher if the experience is good. Learning happens at levels 2 & 3.

Process of Habit Development For Positive Habit Development to Occur: Need to know what to do & have the desire to do it Demonstrate that you are capable of doing it Overcome internal resistance and tame the monster of bad habit Be able to know when it is correctly or incorrectly performed Practice doing it correctly Do it correctly without thought