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WELCOME

It’s not just about Driving. It’s about saving Lives.

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Name and number of years driving

#1 reason you are here today

A ‘scary’ driving moment you have experienced

Introductions

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The Facts

In Canada, from 1994 to 2014, we’ve averaged nearly 2,800 deaths on our roads every year

In the US, the number is 40,000!

All these vehicles were driven by people with a license.
21% of all traffic fatalities were under 25
Drivers under 25 make up just 12% of the total licensed population

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SLIDE PURPOSE: A wake-up call! Help students realize how dangerous driving can be, and that just because they have a Drivers License, that’s no guarantee that they will not be involved in a crash – and be one of the tens of thousands of people killed each year.

NOTES/TIPS:

Use the points presented to get a reaction.
40,000 people… that’s like a stadium full of people – all killed within one year. Ask students to imagine a stadium full of people… and that all of those people are killed.
Make sure students “get it” – that a drivers license does not guarantee they are either safe or a good driver.

Additional stats (these are optional – use sparingly):

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers.
62% of teenage passenger deaths in 2004 occurred in vehicles driven by another teenager (This is more than illness, drugs or crime combined)

According to the National Safety Council:

The chance of one crash in the first three years of driving is 89%
The chance of two crashes in the first three years of driving is 52%
58% of teen drivers do crash within the first 12 months driving solo
A 16-year-old is 20 times more likely to be killed in a crash than an adult
Teens are 400% more likely to die in a car crash than 25-34 year-old drivers
113 teenage drivers each week in the U.S. are involved in fatal crashes
Nearly 1000 teens each day are treated in an emergency room for injuries suffered in a motor vehicle crash - some are life changing injuries

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The Facts

In Canada, from 1994 to 2014, we’ve averaged nearly 2,800 deaths on our roads every year

In the US, the number is 40,000!

All these vehicles were driven by people with a license.
21% of all traffic fatalities were under 25
Drivers under 25 make up just 12% of the total licensed population

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A driver’s license is no guarantee… in fact, it doesn’t even mean the holder is a �good driver…

SLIDE PURPOSE: A wake-up call! Help students realize how dangerous driving can be, and that just because they have a Drivers License, that’s no guarantee that they will not be involved in a crash – and be one of the tens of thousands of people killed each year.

NOTES/TIPS:

Use the points presented to get a reaction.
40,000 people… that’s like a stadium full of people – all killed within one year. Ask students to imagine a stadium full of people… and that all of those people are killed.
Make sure students “get it” – that a drivers license does not guarantee they are either safe or a good driver.

Additional stats (these are optional – use sparingly):

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers.
62% of teenage passenger deaths in 2004 occurred in vehicles driven by another teenager (This is more than illness, drugs or crime combined)

According to the National Safety Council:

The chance of one crash in the first three years of driving is 89%
The chance of two crashes in the first three years of driving is 52%
58% of teen drivers do crash within the first 12 months driving solo
A 16-year-old is 20 times more likely to be killed in a crash than an adult
Teens are 400% more likely to die in a car crash than 25-34 year-old drivers
113 teenage drivers each week in the U.S. are involved in fatal crashes
Nearly 1000 teens each day are treated in an emergency room for injuries suffered in a motor vehicle crash - some are life changing injuries

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What Makes a Good Driver?

Knowledge of traffic laws and driving technique
Vehicle Control Skills, including an understanding of what the vehicle can and cannot do
The right attitude when you sit behind the wheel of a car

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SLIDE PURPOSE: To get students thinking about what a good driver really is. In doing so they may realize that they are… or are not.

NOTES/TIPS:

Ask, “How many of your are good drivers?” Have fun with this slide – if more than half the room puts their hand up, tell them that the “majority are above average” then.

Ask the question, “What makes a good driver?” and then begin a discussion about it. Listen to and recognize the input. Then say all of the input can be put into 3 categories:

Knowledge of the traffic laws and driving technique
Good driving skills, including an understanding of what a vehicle can and cannot do
Good attitude… “and we’ll talk more about this later…”

“We’re going to look at all 3, but with a focus on vehicle control skills and attitude. We can teach you the skills… it’s up to you to develop and/or maintain the right attitude. But more about that later…”

“Is being a Good Driver something to be proud of? Or is driving just something you have to do?”

“Let’s start with some basic knowledge…”

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1. KNOWLEDGE

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So you got your license…

You did an online test that you hardly studied for
You learned to drive with an experienced driver (are we having fun yet?)
You may have attended a class
You had in-car practice time after work/school
You finally figured out how to parallel park

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So you got your license…

You did an online test that you hardly studied for
You learned to drive with an experienced driver (are we having fun yet?)
You may have attended a class
You had in-car practice time after work/school
You finally figured out how to parallel park

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So is that it? Are you ready to hit the open

highway at 100Km/hour?

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Rules & Regulations

1. Written rules (laws, regulations).

Examples?

2. Unwritten rules. Your experience.

Examples?

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The Best Classroom in the World…

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Today’s Rules

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Follow your coach’s directions
Ask questions
Have fun (that’s a rule!)

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2. You in the Driver’s Seat

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How did you do?

What are the things you need to do when you slip into the driver’s seat?

SLIDE PURPOSE: To help students understand the best position to sit in and use the steering wheel.

NOTES/TIPS:

Explain how drivers and passengers should sit in the vehicle. Discuss why they should use 9&3 (the 9&3 hand position maximizes control of the vehicle while keeping hands/arms out of the way of an airbag). You can discuss how some steering wheels are designed for a driver’s thumbs to rest on a spoke, therefore dictating what position (as close to 9&3 as possible) they should use.
Remind students the danger of driving in flip flops (foot slipping off brake pedal…).
Remind students of bent elbows, being able to reach the the top of the wheel (12 o’clock position) without pulling the back of their shoulder off the seat.
The reason for tilting the steering wheel down as much as possible/comfortable is so that the airbag will not expand up and under the chin in a crash (causing injury).
Always use safety belts
At least 10 inches between you & the airbag
Tilt steering wheel downward
Hands at “9 & 3” position
Elbows bent and/or wrists hanging over the wheel (shoulders back)
Passenger seat as far back as possible
Proper footwear
Adjust mirrors

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Seatbelts & Airbags

There are three crashes we want to avoid:

The vehicle crash
The human crash
The internal organ crash

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The driver aims to minimize the vehicle crash

The seatbelts & airbags minimize the human crash

and the internal organ crash

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Look �where you want to go…

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not where you �don’t want to go.

Vision when driving

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Look way ahead

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Low Aim

High Aim

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Confidence with your vision

Accident

Avoidance

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Scan the big picture

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Maintain a 360-degree view

Minimize your blind spots.

Are you sure your mirrors are adjusted properly?

Let’s test it!

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360-degree view:�Mirror adjustment

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Protect Your Bubble!

Use the 3-to-4 second rule…

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I’m there

Be aware of cars beside you…

Manage the risk

Create Distance to the Car in Front

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Awareness leads to changes in behavior

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What have you become aware of today so far?

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3. Vehicle Control Skills

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Braking

There are 2 kinds of braking:

Controlled braking: Every day, non-emergency stops (ABS not engaged)
Emergency braking: Stop as fast as possible while maintaining control (ABS kicks in)

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What is ABS ?

ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) allows the wheels on a motor vehicle to maintain tractive contact with the road surface while braking, preventing the wheels from locking up and avoiding uncontrolled skidding
ABS feels like pulsing beneath your foot and car shudders as it engages the ABS
Don’t forget to look UP when braking !
ABS = “Allows Braking and Steering”

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How do you brake in an emergency without ABS?

SLIDE PURPOSE: To help participants understand the differences between ABS and non-ABS equipped vehicles, and how to use them.

NOTES/TIPS:

Explain the difference between ABS and non-ABS vehicles – the advantages of ABS (without ABS on the car the wheel can lock up and then you loose the ability to steer).

Ask how many have ABS? Who knows what it means? Explain how ABS works and how to use it in an emergency (brake as hard as you can – let the system do the work for you; hold pedal down, despite pulsing feeling; continue to look where you want to go).

Ask how you should brake in an emergency without ABS. Explain “Threshold braking” (braking with the tires at their threshold just before locking up; squeeze pedal down, modulate by curling toes back if necessary – but do not pump). Even though most vehicles today have ABS, we still need to need to talk about non-ABS braking.

General braking tips:

Use the ball of your right foot to apply brakes while keeping the heel on the floorboard.
Look ahead when braking (“as the car nose-dives, keep your nose up”):

Look forward to give yourself an escape route if needed.
Look in mirrors to see how close the cars are behind you and if the are paying attention and see you braking and if they are in the next lane or can you use that as an escape route of needed.
Let you eyes scan around when braking to give yourself an escape route but do it quickly, don’t loose sight of the object in front of you or you’ll hit it!

Avoid Left Foot Braking

Increased wear / heat build up
Brake fade
Brake lights on unnecessarily

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Wake & Brake

Confidence with ABS

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Stopping Distances

How long does it take for you to brake to a full stop?
What are the factors that you need to consider in order to answer this questions?

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Stopping Distances

Stopping distance is a combination of:

Thinking distance (perception & reaction time)
Braking distance (dependent on brakes, vehicle condition, surface conditions, load weight and stability)

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Stopping Distances

1,400 kg car, 60 Kph

2,800 kg car, 60 Kph

40,000 kg truck, 60 Kph

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Your Vehicle

What are the most important features of your car you need to maintain in order to drive safely?

Hint…you have 4 of them

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Think about it…

Tires are the only thing that connect you to the road

SLIDE PURPOSE: To help students understand the best position to sit in and use the steering wheel.

NOTES/TIPS:

Explain how drivers and passengers should sit in the vehicle. Discuss why they should use 9&3 (the 9&3 hand position maximizes control of the vehicle while keeping hands/arms out of the way of an airbag). You can discuss how some steering wheels are designed for a driver’s thumbs to rest on a spoke, therefore dictating what position (as close to 9&3 as possible) they should use.
Remind students the danger of driving in flip flops (foot slipping off brake pedal…).
Remind students of bent elbows, being able to reach the the top of the wheel (12 o’clock position) without pulling the back of their shoulder off the seat.
The reason for tilting the steering wheel down as much as possible/comfortable is so that the airbag will not expand up and under the chin in a crash (causing injury).

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And yet….

The contact patch is about the size of your palm

4 squares between you and the road…

Think twice before you buy cheap tires!

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Michelin Tire Safety Video

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Tire Condition

What is the current condition of your vehicle’s tires?
Are all 4 tires in the same condition?
What can impact a tire’s condition?

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SLIDE PURPOSE: To help students understand the importance of proper tire pressures.

NOTES/TIPS:

Tires are grooved to dissipate water. Look at the photos and point out the difference 10 psi makes on moving water out from under the tire. These photos are from the Michelins testing facility in South Carolina. Same tire at same speed with different pressures driven over a glass plate in the road with high speed cameras under it.
Talk about tire pressure and what the effects are with too little air pressure – contact patch is bigger but the stiffness of the side wall of the tire is decreased and the car will roll more creating more weight transfer…
Too much and the contact patch is too small.
Miss-balanced pressures – if one tire is too low and one is too high, then the car will handle poorly.
You loose one pound of air every month no matter what…
Must be checked, ask how many where surprised at the pressures this morning when you checked them? Tell them to use the tire pressure gauge that we just gave them - don’t wait for you parents to do it.
Aluminum wheels loose air faster than steel wheels because of the molecular make up of aluminum vs. steel.
Where do you look to find the right tire pressure for your car? Usually on the driver’s side door frame (if not, check the owner’s manual).

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Tire Condition

Under-inflated

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Over-inflated

Contact patch will shift with air pressure. Wear will be different. Traction will be different!

SLIDE PURPOSE: To help students understand the importance of proper tire pressures.

NOTES/TIPS:

Tires are grooved to dissipate water. Look at the photos and point out the difference 10 psi makes on moving water out from under the tire. These photos are from the Michelins testing facility in South Carolina. Same tire at same speed with different pressures driven over a glass plate in the road with high speed cameras under it.
Talk about tire pressure and what the effects are with too little air pressure – contact patch is bigger but the stiffness of the side wall of the tire is decreased and the car will roll more creating more weight transfer…
Too much and the contact patch is too small.
Miss-balanced pressures – if one tire is too low and one is too high, then the car will handle poorly.
You loose one pound of air every month no matter what…
Must be checked, ask how many where surprised at the pressures this morning when you checked them? Tell them to use the tire pressure gauge that we just gave them - don’t wait for you parents to do it.
Aluminum wheels loose air faster than steel wheels because of the molecular make up of aluminum vs. steel.
Where do you look to find the right tire pressure for your car? Usually on the driver’s side door frame (if not, check the owner’s manual).

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In Canada

Need snow tires in Canada during winter as compound and structure need to adjust to Canadian winters

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Tire Limits

You can use 100% of a tire’s traction for:

Braking
Cornering
Acceleration
Or a combination �of two…

But you CANNOT use �more then 100%

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SLIDE PURPOSE: To introduce the concept of tires having only so much traction, and that they can be overloaded if you ask too much of them – the “100% Traction Rule.”

NOTES/TIPS:

Click once and let animation play through, as you talk through the slide. The concept you’re presenting says that you can only ever get 100% of traction out of a tire (or all 4 tires). You can use that 100% for braking, for cornering, or for acceleration – or you can use the 100% for a combination of those forces – but you cannot get more than 100% out of the tires. If you are braking at 90%, and you try to corner at 15%, the tires will give up and the car will begin to slide.

“Let’s start with multi tasking. Tires do it better than we do. They can brake AND corner, corner AND accelerate all at the same time. Up to 100% usage, but as soon as you ask it to do 101% of what it can do they give up…. it starts sliding. (Technically not, but getting into that is more confusing…).

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What This Means To You…

You must manage your car’s weight & weight distribution: the better balanced the car/the smoother the ride, the more traction it has.

You must manage your tires’ traction. You only have 100%, no more.

You must look after your tires as it is the only things that connect you to the road

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2

3

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Weight Transfer

Vehicle is at rest or moving at a constant speed

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Weight Transfer: Balanced

SLIDE PURPOSE: To introduce the concept of weight transfer, getting the students to understand that they manage the car’s weight distribution, and therefore, traction.

NOTES/TIPS:

Illustrate a car that is balanced – one either at rest or moving at constant speed.

When you are sitting still the weight of the car is balanced front to back & side to side. (You don’t need to get into it isn’t 50/50)

HINT: The Bottle Trick

Hold up a bottle sideways (water bottle or pop bottle with label pealed off and a darker liquid, coke or coffee, added).tell them the top is the front of the car.

When you start to brake the weight goes forward (holding up the bottle ask which way the liquid will it go?).

When you accelerate the weight goes to the ????…. (Have them say back)

It also happens side to side when you go into a turn. (change slide to show side to side)

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Weight Transfer

Weight transfers to the back

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Weight Transfer: Acceleration

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Weight Transfer

Weight transfers to the front

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Weight Transfer: Braking

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Weight Transfer

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Weight Transfer: Cornering

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Slalom

Steering confidence

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Skids & Slides

What are the main causes a skid or slide?

Too much speed for the conditions
Wrong driver input:

Braking
Steering
Accelerating

Which of these can you control?

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Skids & Slides

In what road conditions have you experienced a skid or slide?

Ice
Snow
Rain
Gravel
Dry

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Skids & Slides

There are 2 basic kinds of skids:

Front-wheel skid (understeer)
Rear-wheel skid (oversteer)

Have you ever experienced either kind of skidding?

What was it like?

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Front-wheel Skid: Defined

Understeer: when the front tires have less traction that the rears

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Rear-wheel Skid: Defined

Oversteer: when the rear tires have less traction that the front

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Skid Pad

Confidence when skidding

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Controlling skids…

Look where you want to go!
Ease off gas pedal, do not jump off and no heavy braking

You want to create a balance on all 4 tires

Steer where you want to go

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Your hands follow your �eyes, so look where you �want to go and you’ll steer �the correct way.

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Did You Know?

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Hydroplaning

Have you ever experienced hydroplaning?
What was it like?

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Hydroplaning

What causes hydroplaning?

Depth of water build-up
Speed
Effectiveness of tire:

Tread depth
Tread design
Tire pressures

Which factors can you control when driving?

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Hydroplaning

What to do when hydroplaning?

Look where you want to go
Gently ease off gas pedal
Keep steering pointed straight

Do NOT:

Brake
Steer abruptly
In other words…no sudden movements

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Speeding

Why do people speed?
What can happen/what is impact on others if we speed?

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Traffic flow (or lack of flow) affects travel time – no matter how hard you try to get there faster…

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Did You Know?

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Is it worth it?

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4. Attitude

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Why is attitude so critical to being an excellent and safe driver?��Can you think of an example of poor driver attitude? What was the impact on others?

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Driver Attitude

Strong sense of responsibility for yourself, your passengers, your vehicle and those around you
Acute awareness of your surroundings
Actively managing risk
Sound and calm decision making
Openness and willingness to becoming better

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Risk Management

External

Weather
Traffic
Vehicle

Driver!

Influence (alcohol, drugs, mental, sick…)
Fatigue
Distractions
Emotions
Other?

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What factors increase risk?

Does the level of risk change as we drive, as conditions change?

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Real Risk

Skill

Perceived Risk

SLIDE PURPOSE: For students to fully understand how varying conditions change the amount of risk they face; how most drivers’ perception of risk don’t match reality; and how drivers’ skill levels fit this model. And most important, it emphasizes how they must adapt their driving to suit varying risk level.

NOTES/TIPS:

This slide is all about Risk Management, and is a critical theme of the program. It’s important for students to understand the difference between real and perceived risk levels. However, this is a conceptual discussion – the graph bars are not calibrated to some real measurements, but are simply used to demonstrate the concept of varying levels of risk versus a driver’s skill level.
Use the Script below as a guideline for teaching this all-important message.
Below the Script, there is additional information about this message.

SCRIPT:

"Let's look at 3 scenarios - an open road on a sunny day, driving in traffic during the day, and at night in heavy traffic. Would you agree that the amount of risk - how risky the driving conditions are - in each of these scenarios are different? Would you agree that the scenario on the right is riskier than the one on the left?

"Let's call that the Real Risk levels. [click to have each bar graph representing the differing levels of risk appear – talk about each for a few seconds as you click on each]

"Does this make sense? That the Real Risk levels vary depending on traffic, road conditions, weather, and even your own level of attention or your emotional state? Okay.

"But here's the problem. If we put most drivers in these situations, they don’t perceive the amount of risk to be as high as it really is. That's human nature, to some extent. And of course, some people are more risk averse than others - they don't perceive something as risky as someone else. [click to have the bar graphs for Perceived Risk come up above the sunny open highway image on the left] Even though there is a possibility of a deer running onto the highway, a drowsy driver being on the road, or a number of other things that could happen, many drivers would only perceive the risk to be here [indicating the difference between the Real and Perceived levels].

"In our middle scenario, driving in traffic, sure, most drivers would see that as being a little more risky, but not as much as it really is. [click to have the Perceived Risk bar graph appear above the middle image] What are some risks of driving in this scenario? [draw out a few examples from students of the things that could make this scenario risky]

"Then there's driving at night with traffic. [click to have Perceived Risk bar graph appear above the image on the right] Again, most drivers will see this as being a little more risky, but not as much as what it really is.

"Can you see how being able to perceive risk accurately is important? And that we typically don't perceive it to be as high as it is?

"Now, let's add another factor: skill. [click to have the Skill bar graph appear above the image on the left] In this example, our driver is very skilled at driving on an open highway on a sunny day with little to no traffic around.

"In traffic though... [click to have the Skill bar graph appear over the middle image] our driver is a little less skilled, perhaps due to lack of experience.

"But look at this... [click to have the Skill bar graph appear over the image on the right] Due to a lack of experience, our driver has little skill in driving in these conditions.

"When you combine a lack of skill with an inaccurate perception of the amount of risk there is, well... the only thing between you and a crash is being lucky. And relying on luck is not a very good strategy!

"The point we’re making here is that we, as drivers, need to constantly be assessing how much risk there is, what our skill level is like in this situation, and then - and this is the most important part - we need to adapt our driving to suit. That might mean changing our speed, our following distance, where we are in relation to other vehicles, and most important, how much attention we put into our driving. Hey, we might have to stop thinking about the date we have coming up and focus on driving - otherwise we might not make it to the date!”

RISK VS. SKILL (More background info for instructors):

Many drivers on the road today consider themselves to be "good" drivers. After all, they've earned a licence that says so, right? Well, perhaps they are. But why, then, are so many involved in so many crashes.

I believe most people, when they first learn to drive, are taught less than 50% of the necessary skills to become an "adequate" driver (less than what I would consider "good"). Generally, they are left to acquire good driving skills through years of trial and error. This helps to explain the declining crash rate with increased driver age. The more experience a driver gains, the more skill he or she acquires, the safer they become. But that's not the whole story.

Every time you drive, there is a certain amount of risk involved. Call this the Risk Level. This will vary with changing traffic volume, road, vehicle and weather conditions, and driver distraction/awareness levels. For example, driving through an intersection in rush hour in the rain has a higher Risk Level than driving on a wide open country road on a sunny day. Or, driving while your mind is still thinking about work, or while eating, or tuning the stereo all cause a higher Risk Level than when you're concentrating on driving.

How a driver assesses this Risk Level is the most important factor. For many, the Perceived Risk Level is lower than the Real Risk Level. In other words, the driver does not accurately assess how risky the driving conditions are.

Another example: driving 60 MPH in a 50 zone in the pouring rain at night. Many people would think nothing of it. On a scale of 1 to 10, the driver perceives the Risk Level to be at 5, when in reality - accounting for the condition of the car’s tires, the amount of water on the road, the lack of visibility, the driver's awareness level, traffic volume, etc. - the Real Risk Level may be an 8.

Now, when you factor in the driver's Skill Level, you may just have a formula for disaster. If, on that same scale of 1 to 10, the driver's Skill Level is a 4 in this situation (understand that a driver may be very skilled - an 8 - at driving in good conditions; but through lack of training and experience, is unskilled - a 4 - at dealing with the rain and darkness), the only thing that's going to stop him or her from crashing is good luck. If the driver doesn't crash, would you say they were a "good" driver?

What's the result when a driver's Perceived Risk Level encourages them to motor down the street or highway faster, or with less attention than the Real Risk Level suggests, and that which the driver's Skill Level can handle (especially if he or she “meets” someone in the same situation)? All too often, a crash!

The ultimate goal of all drivers, then, is to have a Skill Level above a matching Perceived and Real Risk Level. With this, a driver will always have a margin for error, and should therefore never be involved in a collision.

Becoming a "good" driver is not just a matter of increasing our Skill Level through experience. We also need to improve our ability to accurately assess Risk Levels. Of course, this also happens, to a certain extent, with experience - as long as you have an open mind.

And that’s the key: keeping an open mind to learning, developing our skills, being aware of how the varying conditions change the risk levels, and adapting our driving to suit.

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Managing risk

A driver’s perception of risk doesn’t always match the reality of risk.

Drivers must adapt their driving to suit varying risk levels. Anticipate risk as being higher than what you perceive

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True or False?

Today’s vehicles are safer than in the past
Sign postings are safer than in the past
Highways and roads are better than in the past.
All drivers need a valid driver’s license today to drive a vehicle

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So why are there so many people dying on our roads every year?

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Answer: Drivers

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Aggressive Driving

What are some examples of aggressive driving or road rage that you have seen?

Cutting off others
Cursing & gesturing
Recklessness & speed
Tailgating
Forcing way into lane
Violent behavior

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How Should You Deal With Aggressive Drivers?

Pull to the right & slow down

DO NOT STOP

Keep aggressive drivers ahead of you, not behind you.
If pursued…

Do not engage
Do not go home
Go to a well lighted, populated place
Call police

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Accident Defined:

“an undesirable or unfortunate happening that occurs unintentionally…”
“such a happening resulting in injury that is in no way the fault of the injured person…”
“chance; fortune; luck”

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According to www.dictionary.com

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Are vehicle crashes “accidents”?
Are they matters of “chance, fortune or luck”?
Let’s call them what they are: crashes, collisions, incidents…
They’re not caused by “chance, fortune or luck”
They’re caused by drivers… and we are them

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How many of you have had a crash?

What was it like?

How much reaction time did you have before it happened?

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Reaction Time

What factors can reduce your reaction time?

Seating/controls position
Traffic
Weather
Vision
Inattention/distractions

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What are you thinking about ?

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What’s the impact?

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At 100km/hr:

you are travelling about 6 car lengths every second
It will take just over 2 seconds to cross an NHL hockey rink, 4 to cross an entire football field
100km/hr = 28m/s

Think about this when you get distracted

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Did You Know?

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Driver inattention is the �leading factor in most �crashes and near-crashes.

Nearly 80% of crashes and 65% of �near-crashes involved some form of �driver inattention within 3 seconds �before the event.

- According to NHTSA

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Did You Know?

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Distractions

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What do you see drivers distracted by when driving?

Technology
Passengers
Scenery, incidents
Weather conditions
Signage
Eating/drinking
Personal grooming

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And the current #1…

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AT&T Texting Video

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Stephanie, 1987 - 2008

Texting while driving

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Cell Phones

If you absolutely have to…

Total hands free
Earphone hands free
Let passenger dial / call / talk
Pull over in safe place

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Distractions

How are you going to eliminate distractions?

What are you going to do?

How can you encourage others?

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Are You a Better Driver?

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Take responsibility for what happens… to you & others sharing the road with you
Manage any risks: Consider yourself, your vehicle and your attitude
Keep an open mind to learning more – become an even better driver

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It’s not just about Driving. It’s about saving Lives.

THANK YOU

PLEASE DRIVE SAFELY!

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Appendix

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Session	Theme of session	Specific content in session	Janet’s comments
One	Knowledge vs Experience Getting behind the wheel	Welcome and introduction Overview of the day including classroom segments Just because you have a license doesn’t mean you know how to drive Written laws vs experience vs developing best practices Our individual responsibility as drivers The driver’s seat (positioning, wheel etc) The windshield (vision) Mirrors (positioning)	This is light and no read meat here
Two	Your vehicle: Vehicle control for safety	Braking (distance, weight transfer etc) Tires and traction (distance, timing ect)	Lots of good stuff here. May need to move some up to first session which is light
Three	Your attitude and approach	Collisions vs accidents Your experiences Playing it safe Distracted driving Aggressive driving Managing risks SPA	Lots of good stuff here. May need to move some up to first session which is light

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Vision

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Vision

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20-20 Vision when driving

Look where you want to go – not where you don’t want to go
Look way ahead – use High Aim Vision (not the 10-20 feet we naturally use)
Scan to see the big picture
Consistently have a 360 degree view, including looking through the cars ahead
Protect your “bubble” always

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Blind Spots… No More!

How do you adjust your mirrors to eliminate blind spots?

Adjust rear-view mirror straight out back
Lean head to the left… adjust left side mirror
Lean head to the right… adjust right side mirror

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Protect Your Bubble

Imagine that a “bubble” of empty space surrounds �your car
Drive so as to always protect that bubble

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Protect Your Bubble

How do you protect the bubble in front of your car?
If you’re in motion, create more space between you and the vehicle in front. Manage the risk

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Why drivers speed

“I’m late – I’ve got to hurry”
“My schedule is really busy – I have a lot to do and get done today”
“I was told to hurry”
“Me first” syndrome
“I am more important” (Sense of power)
“Posted limits are only a suggestion”

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Impact of speeding

Reduces amount of time to react
Creates need for greater following distance
Intimidates others
Increases likelihood of losing control
Increases force of crash

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Tires: A safe driver’s best friends

Think about it…Tires are the only thing that connect you to the road

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Excessive speed is the �leading cause in fatal �crashes (approximately 31%).

- According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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Did You Know?

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Canadian Car Crash Statistics

Mondays versus Fridays?

Fridays. The most accident-prone day of the week is Friday followed by Thursday. Hands downs, the most collision-free day is Sunday.

Rush hour versus any other time of the day?

The peak time of day for collisions is between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Interestingly though, the morning rush hour (from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.) isn't the second most common time of day for a collision; that's from noon until 3 p.m.

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Did You Know?

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Canadian Car Crash Statistics

Clear and sunny or when it's raining?

Overwhelmingly, most collisions in Canada happen on clear and sunny days followed by overcast, cloudy days and rain days.

Dry, wet, or icy roads?

Since most accidents happen when it's clear and sunny, this one should be easy; more accidents happen when roads are normal and dry, followed by wet roads; icy roads came in third.

Driving solo or with passengers?

The vast majority of accidents occur when alone

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Did You Know?

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Reaching for a moving object �increases the risk of a crash or �near-crash by 9 times…
Staring at an external object �by 3.7 times
Reading by 3 times
Applying makeup by 3 times
Dialing a cell phone by almost 3 times
Talking or listening on a cell phone by �1.3 times

- According to NHTSA

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Did You Know?

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An average driver trying to �read and send text messages �takes his or her eyes off the �road 28 times a minute to look �at the screen or peck out a response on a keypad.

- According to NHTSA

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Did You Know?

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Let’s Get Started….

What makes a good driver?
Do you think this class will make you a safer driver?

For how long?

What else will help you be a better driver?

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SLIDE PURPOSE: To engage the participants and get them involved right away through discussion; help them realize that it’s the AWARENESS that comes from a training program like this that matters most… and if that awareness fades over time, they’re not as safe.

NOTES/TIPS:

Ask the questions, and get engagement from the participants as soon as possible. Make everyone feel welcome and comfortable sharing thoughts, and asking and answering questions.
Will the class make them safer drivers? Absolutely… for some period of time. Any class like this raises awareness of the task of driving, and that’s a big part of making them safer drivers. But help participants see this for themselves – that it’s up to them and their awareness of driving that will make the biggest difference in how safe they are.
You can also ask if they’ve seen, or know, any bad drivers?