Chapter One Driving and Mobility

Mobility and Driver Education Mobility: ability to move or be moved It is a fact of life Must learn the basics of driving Young drivers crash much more often Learning, practice, awareness

What is gained from Driver Ed Course Learn information and skills Understand problems of driving Freedom Gain useful knowledge; manage visibility, time and space, become aware.

Useful Knowledge Personality, emotions, maturity Minimize risk Alcohol and drug effects Interpret traffic laws Limiting factors emergencies

Awareness of Limiting Factors You need more than driving skill False feeling of little risk Illness, injury, meds Emotional state Drugs and alcohol

Why is Driver Ed Important? Crash: when a motor vehicle hits another object Young drivers are involved in significantly more Age 15-20 is only 7% of population, but are involved in 14% of crashes

Factors of Over-Representation Young drivers lack experience Young drivers drive at dangerous times Young drivers drive differently

HTS Motor vehicles Streets and highways People Enables people and goods to move from place to place

History of HTS About 100 years old only. 150 miles of paved highway in 1902 Now over 230 million vehicles and 4 million miles of paved road 60% of freight is moved on roads

Designing good Highways Army of engineers design today’s highways They must determine best route Plan construction of bridges Exit ramps, traffic signs, curves

Vehicles Range from small to large Flashy to old Handling of vehicles Safety features Care care by owner

Drivers 194 million licensed drivers 55 million pedestrians and bicyclists Drivers must anticipate unsafe driving by others

HTS Regulation Federal, state, and local laws State, county and local police enforce traffic laws

The Risks of Driving

Federal and State Requirements National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act National Highway Safety Act (pg 12)

Are Drivers at Risk Risk: possibility of personal injury or damage 1 in 9 chance of a crash 1 in 83 chance of disabling 38% of 15-20 yr olds deaths are in crashes 85% of traffic deaths are in first crash 57% of crashes are 1 vehicle

Reducing Risks Keep vehicle in good condition Anticipate action of others Protect yourself: safety belts, low beam lights Drive only when physically and mentally able Develop good driving habits

VTS Visibility: what you can see from behind the wheel Time: judge speed of you and others Space: margin between you and others

The Costs of Driving

Crash Costs $230 Billion per year in auto crashes More than 42,000 die per year in crashes

Lowering the Cost Seat belts could save 10,000 Not drinking alcohol could save 13,000 and another 360 injuries Driving the speed limit could save 12,000 and another 690,000 injuries

Other Costs Operating Costs Fixed costs: insurance, license fees, environmental Driving 15,000 miles per year would average about 52 cents per mile in costs. Cost-benefit ratio