OPTIONS AND RESPONSES CHAPTER EIGHT

OPTIONS AND CHOICES KNOW YOUR CHOICES IN DRIVING SITUATIONS OPTIONS DEPEND ON SITUATION MAKE COMPARISONS OF THE INFO YOU HAVE WHAT’S HAPPENING? WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT? WHAT CAN I DO?

INFORMED ASSUMPTIONS EVENTS YOU THINK OR ASSUME MIGHT HAPPEN HAVE YOU SEEN THE SITUATION BEFORE? IF SO, WHAT HAPPENED COULD IT HAPPEN AGAIN?

CHOOSING AN OPTION SOME CHOICES ARE MADE BEFORE ACTUAL DRIVING STARTS CHOICES MADE DURING DRIVING ARE MORE DIFFICULT MUST BE MADE QUICKLY CONSIDER VISIBILITY, TIME, AND SPACE

AFTER MAKING A CHOICE YOU HAVE ONLY A SPLIT SECOND TO EXECUTE HUMAN-PERCEPTION TIME: TIME NEEDEDTO DETERMINE AND CHOOSE AN OPTION VEHICLE-REACTION TIME:TIME IT TAKES FOR THE VEHICLE TO RESPOND

COMPONENTS OF TIME AND SPACE HUMAN-PERCEPTION TIME/SPACE HUMAN-REACTION TIME/SPACE VEHICLE-REACTION TIME/SPACE VEHICLE-BRAKING, STEERING, ACCELERATING, SIGNALING TIME/SPACE

SPEED, TIME & SPACE MANY FACTORS FORCE YOU TO CHANGE YOUR SPEED ALLOW CLEAR DISTANCE TO STOP SPEED IS AFFECTED MOSTLY BY THE DISTANCE YOU CAN SEE DOUBLING SPEED TAKES 4 TIMES DISTANCE TO STOP ALSO 4 TIMES THE DESTRUCTION POWER

MORE SPEED TIPS REDUCE SPEED BY 1/3 ON WET ROADS REDUCE SPEED BY 1/2 ON SNOW PACKED ROADS REDUCE SPEED TO A CRAWL ON VERY ICY ROADS EMPTY TRUCKS REQUIRE GREATER DISTANCE BECAUSE BRAKES LOCK UP

STEERING TO MANAGE T & S EVERY LANE CHANGE MANAGES T&S CHANGING LANES INVOLVES GRADUAL STEERING TRY TO MAINTAIN SPEED WHEN CHANGING LANES

ACCELERATING AND SIGNALING ACCELERATION IS SOMETIMES BEST. NEEDED WHEN CROSS TRAFFIC DOESN’T STOP NEED 6-8 SECONDS TO CROSS BUSY 30 FT STREET SIGNALING ALERTS OTHERS OF YOUR INTENT USE OF HORN WILL ALSO ALERT THEM. USE ONLY WHEN NECESSARY

SPEED ON CURVES AND DOWNGRADES TAKING A CURVE TOO FAST CAUSES SKID HIGH COG MAKES IT EASIER TO ROLL BRAKING IS DANGEROUS ; WHEELS MAY LOCK WATCH SPEED GOING DOWNHILL CHECK MIRRORS USE BRAKES ONLY IF NECESSARY

MANAGING VISIBILITY VISUAL LEAD:DISTANCE YOU CAN SEE AHEAD OF YOUR VEHICLE VISUAL CONTROL ZONE:IDENTIFYING OBJECTS/CONDITIONSTHAT MAY REQUIRE A RESPONSE, USUALLY 12 - 20 SECONDS AHEAD OF YOU RESPONSE ZONE:IMMEDIATE RISK. YOU BEGIN TO RESPOND. ABOUT 8 - 12 SCONDS AHEAD OF YOU.

MORE FOLLOWING INTERVAL: SAFE AMOUNT OF TIME ALOW WHEN FOLLOWING. TRY TO GET AT LEAST 3 SECONDS. ALLOW 4-8 WHEN CROSSING TRAFFIC POTENTIAL IMMEDIATE CRASH ZONE:AREA DIRECTLY IN FRONT THAT WILL CAUSE A CRASH. IT IS 0 - 4 SECOND AHEAD SPEED AND VISIBILITY

SPACE MARGINS ADEQUATE AMOUNT OF SPACE BETWEEN YOU AND ANOTHER SPACE CUSHION: SAFE SPACE MARGIN 3 SECOND FOLLOWING DISTANCE SPACE BEHIND IS TOUGHER TO ARRANGE SPACE TO THE SIDES

MORE SPACE MARGINS FIVE BASIC LOCATIONS:CENTER. 1/2 CAR WIDTH EITHER WAY,STRADDLING THE LINE OF THE LANE LEAVE EXTRA MARGINS IN AREAS WHERE YOU CANNOT SEE WELL

VISIBILITY MARGIN PUT YOU VEHICLE IN BEST POSITION POSSIBLE GET CLEAR SPACE TO SIDES SMOOTH FLOW OF TRAFFIC

TIME MARGINS FIRST CONCERN IS THE 4-8 SECOND RESPONSE ZONE TIMING IS MOST IMPORTANT WHEN THERE ARE MULTIPLE MOVING OBJECTS YOU HAVE LIMITED TIME TO REACT TO AN EMERGENCY. PLAN IN ADVANCE! COMPROMISE WHEN NEEDED