Factors that Affect Your Driving Ability

How Emotions Affect Your Driving Inattention – speeding or taking other risks without even knowing it Lack of Concentration – feeling anxious or excited about something else Ability to Process Information – decreases ability to use good judgment and manage risk

How to Control Your Emotions Maintain a Responsible Attitude – show respect for order and safety and take responsibility for your actions Identify Troublesome Situations – identify situations that may upset or annoy you, and deal with them in a responsible way

How to Control Your Emotions continued…. Avoid Triggering Aggressive Driving - Keep a safe distance from vehicles ahead - Apologize with an appropriate gesture - Always signal when changing lanes - Keep your cool

How to Control Your Emotions continued…. Plan Ahead – always allow enough time to get where you are going or try to find an alternate route Expect Mistakes from Others – never assume that other drivers will drive safely or obey all the rules Don’t Drive When Upset or Depressed – wait until your feelings subside

How to Control Your Emotions continued…. Don’t Give in to Negative Peer Pressure – don’t let the influence of friends cause you to take unnecessary risks Train Yourself Always to Use Correct Procedures – make sure safe driving procedures are automatic, no matter what your emotional state may be

Fatigue Senses are impaired You may not see objects clearly You may miss critical information (signs, lights, sounds) You may misjudge your speed You may take needless risks “Highway Hypnosis” Fall asleep at the wheel

How Vision Affects Your Ability to Drive Visual Acuity – clear vision Field of Vision Central Vision – the narrow cone-shaped area directly in front of you Peripheral Vision – angles to your right and left Vertical Field of Vision – up and down Depth Perception – gives a 3-dimensional perspective to objects (distance judgment)

How Vision Affects Your Ability to Drive Contrast Sensitivity – allows you to see details in the driving environment Color Blindness – unable to tell the difference between red and green or blue and yellow The most commonly used colors in traffic are red, green, and yellow. Night Blindness – when seeing at night is a major problem If you look at the headlights of an oncoming car, your eyes may take a moment to readjust to the darkness; at which time you may be temporarily blinded.