1. OPTIONS AND RESPONSES
CHAPTER EIGHT

2. 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?

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

4. 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

5. 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

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

7. 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

8. 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

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

10. 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

11. 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

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

13. 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 SECOND AHEAD
SPEED AND VISIBILITY

14. 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

15. 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

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

17. 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