IPDE Process

IDENTIFY Give meaning to what you see. The sooner you identify a possible hazard the more time you will have to react safely. Look For: – Closed/Open Zones – L.O.S. Restrictions – Other Roadway Users – – –

Predict How might this hazard affect your intended path of travel? What is the consequence of my action? Predict where possible points of conflict can occur. Scanning your target areas can help you predict hazards that may affect your path of travel.

Decide Once you have identified, and predicted a possible conflict, you then decide upon an action. – Do I have to change direction? My speed? How should I communicate my actions? *Safest position in traffic is the place where the fewest vehicles surround you. Object is to surround yourself with space.

Execute Carrying out your decision. The important actions you will execute are: – Controlling speed What are you DOING, braking or accelerating? – Steering – Communicate –

Smith System Aim High in Steering – Look where you want to go and not where your at! – Keep your vision high, way down the road. Try looking seconds down the road.

Smith System Get The Big Picture – The traffic picture that you see is the total of every conflict that can be perceived. It is not just what you see, but what you should see. – The area you can see around you while looking straight ahead, your field of vision. 180 degrees. With 10 degrees of central vision. – Your “Big Picture” should be down the road and the entire width of the road.

Smith System Keep Your Eyes Moving – The “Key” to getting and keeping the big picture. Since the traffic scene is moving, so should your eyes. – Scanning, glancing continually and quickly. Scanning helps you stay more alert with your attention at a higher level. – Look near, look far, check your inside mirrors, check your outside mirrors, check your gauges…

Smith System Leave Yourself An Out – Plan for space…Be ready for the unexpected. – You open up space for an “out” when you choose the proper lane, leave space ahead and to one or both sides. – Depth perception, the ability to judge the distance of objects correctly.

Smith System Make Sure Others See You – Communicate with other roadway users. – Get Eye Contact – Use your horn (gentle taps)

Zone Control System Managing the 6 zones that surround your vehicle. The goal is to have as many open zones as you can.

OVSP Pg. 83 Process of searching critical areas in a regular sequence. 3 ranges: – Target area range, early detection of any conditions that might affect your path of travel. – second range, identify changes in your line of sight to make decisions about controlling your P.O.T. – 4-6 second range, final update of how you are controlling your P.O.T.

Lane Position 1: Car is centered within the travel lane. (safest position, most space around vehicle) 2: Car is 3-6 inches from the left line of the travel lane. (Closed R. Zone) 3: Car is 3-6 inches from the right line of the travel lane. (Closed L. Zone)

OVSP Minimize a single hazard by adjusting space. Separate hazards by adjusting speed. Compromise Space by adjusting space and speed to the greater hazard. Pg 94