1. 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

2. 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

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

4. 12.4 Million Licensed Drivers
15 to 20 Year Olds
12.4 Million Licensed Drivers
Deaths ,620
Involvement ,898
Injuries ,000
Police Reported Crashes ,986,000
Unreported Crashes
Close Calls
Stressful Situations
High Risk Driver Behaviors
(NHTSA 2004)

5. 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 year olds involved in fatal crashes in 2004 had BAC of .08 or higher
Drivers 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

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

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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?

12. 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”

13. 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.

14. 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

15. 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.

16. 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