Managing Risk with the IPDE Process

CHAPTER 4

Ch 4.1 Objectives

• Name three major factors that can contribute to the degree of risk you encounter while driving
• Name the four steps of the IPDE Process
• List the five rules of the Smith System
• Explain the structure of the Zone Control System

The IPDE Process

• Drivers who do not use some kind of organized system to drive will have more close calls and collisions than those who do.
• Drivers who use an organized system will be better equipped to manage risk and thus reduce the possibility of damage or harm.

Risk of Driving

• Driver-Contributed Factors
• Adjusting radio
• Being angry
• Having blurred vision
• Combing hair
• Drinking while driving
• Using a cell phone
• Other drivers on the roadway

Risk of Driving

• Vehicle-Contributed Factors (Owner fault)
• Bald tires
• Poorly adjusted brakes
• Dirty windshield
• Broken headlight
• Worn wiper blades

Risk of Driving

• Roadway-Contributed Factors
• Bright sun
• Construction
• Dark shadows
• Snow and ice
• Sharp curve
• Hills

Risk of Driving

• Some degree of risk is always present
• Try not to raise your level of risk by anything you are doing wrong (driving mad), or things that you should be doing but are not (maintenance).

The IPDE Process

• Identify
• Use visual search pattern to identify
• Open and closed zones
• Specific clues
• Other users
• Roadway features and conditions
• Traffic controls

The IPDE Process

• Predict
• Use knowledge, judgment, and experience to predict
• Actions of others
• Speed
• Direction
• Control
• Points of conflict

The IPDE Process

• Decide
• Decide to use one or more actions to
• Change or maintain speed
• Change direction
• communicate

The IPDE Process

• Execute
• Execute your decisions to
• Control speed
• Steer
• Communicate
• Combine actions

The Smith System

• Organized method to help drivers develop good seeing habits by using five keys for driver safety
1. Aim high in steering
2. Get the big picture
3. Keep your eyes moving
4. Leave yourself an “out.”
5. Make sure they see you

Zone Control System

• Organized method for managing six zones of space surrounding your vehicle
• Structure of the Zone Control System
1. See a zone change
2. Check other zones
3. Create time and space by getting the best speed control, lane position, and communication

Review 4.1

1. What three major factors contribute to you degree of risk while driving?
2. What are the four steps of the IPDE Process?
3. What are the five keys of the Smith System?
4. What is the structure of the Zone Control System?

Identify and Predict

CHAPTER 4.2

4.2 Objectives

1. Describe the location of each of the six zones of the Zone Control System
2. Explain what is meant by an open zone and a closed zone
3. Describe an orderly visual search pattern
4. Explain how knowledge and experience help you make accurate predictions

Identify and Predict

• With practice and experience, these steps will seem to occur in you thinking process as happening almost at the same time.
• As you search in and around your path to identify possible problems, you will be making judgments and predictions about what conflicts may occur.

Identify

• When you identify, you give meaning to what you see.
• You must know when to look, where to look, how to look, and what to look for.
• The sooner you identify a possible hazard, the more time you will have to react safely

Zones and Searching Ranges

• Zone
• Is one of six areas of space around a vehicle that is the width of a lane and extends as far as the driver can see
• Open Zone
• Space where you can drive without a restriction to your line of sight or your intended path of travel

Zones and Searching Ranges

• Line of Sight
• The distance you can see ahead in the direction you are looking
• Path of Travel
• The space your vehicle will occupy that is directed toward the target area
• Target Area
• The section of the roadway where the target is located in the center of your intended path and the area to the right and left

Zones and Searching Ranges

• Closed Zone
• Space not open to you because of a restriction in your line of sight or intended path of travel
• Red traffic light is an example of a closed front zone
• A parked vehicle to your right represents a closed right-front zone
• A closed rear zone might be a vehicle that is following you too closely

Zones and Searching Ranges

• There are three searching ranges that need to be evaluated
• Target Area Range
• The space from your vehicle to the target area
• Search this area to detect early any conditions that might affect your intended path of travel
• 12-15 Second Range
• The space you will travel in during the next 12-15 seconds
• Identify changes in your line of sight or path of travel
• Identify possible closed zones by searching left and right

Zones and Searching Ranges

• The 4-6 Second Range
• The space you will travel in during the next 4-6 seconds
• Get the final update of how you are controlling your intended path

Orderly Visual Search Pattern

• Process of searching critical areas in a regular sequence
• Example:
1. Look ahead to your target area range
2. Evaluate your left-front, front, and right-front zones in the 12-15 second range. Search driveways and intersections for possible changes in your line of sight and path of travel
3. Glance in rearview mirror to check your rear zones
4. Evaluate your 4-6 second range before entering that space
5. Look ahead again to evaluate another 12-15 second range
6. Check your 4-6 second range
7. Glance in rearview mirror
8. Check speedometer and gauges

Be Careful not to stare

Where and How to Look

• Field of Vision
• The area you can see around you while looking straight ahead
• An area of about 90 degrees to each side, for a total picture of 180 degrees
• Central Vision
• The area you can see clearly and sharply
• This is a narrow cone of only up to 10 degrees
• Peripheral Vision
• The area you can see to the left and right of your central vision

Where and How to Look

1. Aim High in Steering
• Helps to identify clues and analyze situations before your front zone closes
• Ex: curves, hills, large vehicles, weather conditions, buildings, trees, or even a dirty windshield
2. Keep Your Eyes Moving
• Scanning quickly and continually with brief fixations through your orderly visual search pattern will help you keep up with all the changes in your field of vision

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Where and How to Look

3. Get the Big Picture
• This is the result of aiming high and keeping your eyes moving
• It is the mental process of putting together the critical clues you have selected.

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What to look for

• Develop SELECTIVE SEEING
• Identify and select only those clues and events that restrict your line of sight or can change your intended path of travel
• Look for open zones
• Look for clues that an open zone may close
• Searching Parked Cars on a Street
• Clues: front wheels turned toward street; exhaust pipe vapor

What to look for

• City Driving
• Clues: intersections, parked cars, pedestrians, and traffic
• Open Highways
• Clues: crossroads, slow-moving vehicles, and animals
• Regardless of the Driving Environment ALWAYS
• Look for other roadway users, roadway features, changing conditions, and traffic controls

What to look for

• Look for other users
• Look for roadway features and conditions
• Changes from multilane to single lane
• Change in width of lane
• Roadway surface
• Roadside hazards
• Traffic controls

Predict

• How to Predict
• Knowledge
• Driver Education, study of traffic laws, and learning from others
• Judgment
• Judge speed, time, space, distance, traction, and visibility
• Sound judgments lead to accurate predictions
• Experience
• Exposure to a wide variety of driving experiences provides a solid base for making sound judgments later
• Possible points of conflict
• Hazard that may affect intended path of travel

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Predict

• What to Predict
• TWO major elements in the traffic scene you MUST make predictions about
• The actions of other roadway users
• Where might they go? Will I have an “out.”
• What might they do? Is there more than one option? Where will you be then?
• Will you have an open zone?
• If I have no open zone for escape, where will the conflict be

Predict

• Predicting control of your vehicle and possible consequences of your actions
• Speed is probably the most important factor in controlling your vehicle
• Traction: the actual gripping power between the tires and the roadway surface
• Wet or snow packed roads reduce the amount of traction
• Have to slow earlier at stop signs/lights

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4.2 Review

1. What is the location of each of the six zones of the Zone Control System?
2. What is an open zone and a closed zone?
3. Give an example of an orderly visual search pattern.
4. What effects do knowledge and experience have on your ability to make accurate predictions?

Decide and Execute

CHAPTER 4.3

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4.3 Objectives

1. Name the three decisions you must make when applying the IPDE Process
2. Describe the three different lane positions available to you within your lane.
3. Explain what is meant when you minimize or separate a hazard or compromise space
4. List the three most important actions you can take to avoid conflict

Decide and Execute

• Decide
• Drivers must continually identify and predict until they have enough information to make correct decisions about which action to take
• Execute
• Carry out the action you have decided upon.

Decide

• Change speed
• Choose to maintain speed, decelerate, brake, or accelerate
• Base your decision about speed control on your evaluation of the situation as well as the possible consequences of your actions.
• Change direction
• Left or right, or complete lane change
• Know where your “out” is
• Keep a space cushion around your vehicle

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Decide

• Lane Position 1
• Car is centered in the lane.
• Safest position under normal conditions
• Lane Position 2
• Car is three to six inches away from the left line of your lane
• Use this position if the front-right zone is closed
• Lane Position 3
• Car is three to six inches away from the right line of your lane
• Use this position if the front-left zone is closed

Decide

• In some situations you may decide that the best position is to straddle a lane line. Return to lane position 1 as soon as possible
• Try to detect changing zone conditions at least 15 seconds ahead
• This gives you ample time to decide on the best action

Decide

• Decide to Communicate
• Communicating is the process of sending and receiving messages to and from other roadway users
• This helps reduce the possibility of conflict
• The Smith System Key, “Make sure they see you,” tells others where you are and what you plan to do.
• A change in direction or speed can be executed with less risk if you have communicated your intentions to other users
• Communicate with
• Headlights, taillights, and brake lights
• Turn signal lights
• Parking lights and hazard flashers
• Back-up light
• Horn
• Car position
• Eye contact and body movement (wave)

Decide

• Traffic Flow
• The safest position in traffic is the place where the fewest vehicles surround you
• Your objective is to keep your vehicle surrounded by space.
• Adjust your speed or direction if one of your zones begins to close
• This will help you to avoid unnecessary stops and thus reduce your risk of conflict

Decide

• Three techniques to manage time, space, and distance in order to maintain your safe path of travel
1. Minimize a Hazard
• Put more space between yourself and the hazard
2. Separate Hazards
• Sometimes there will be more than one hazard. When this occurs do not try to handle both or all hazards at once. Instead, decide to deal with only one hazard at a time.
3. Compromise Space
• Sometimes hazards cannot be minimized or separated. When this occurs you must compromise space by giving as much space as possible to the greater hazard

Execute

• Control Speed
• Actions could be to maintain speed, coast, gently decelerate, or brake more firmly.
• The amount of braking needed will vary with the situation, the speed of your vehicle, the condition of the roadway, and the condition of your brakes
• ALWAYS CHECK YOUR REAR ZONE BEFORE DECELERATING OR BRAKING IN ANY MANNER!!
• ABS brakes vs standard brakes

Execute

• Steer
• Only steer away from a possible conflict just the amount of steering needed
• Over-steering can cause you to lose control of your vehicle, especially at higher speeds
• Under-steering can also present a problem. Try to steer just enough to avoid a conflict without making jerky or sudden movements
• Drivers who keep space cushions around their vehicles usually have an escape path to steer into, thus reducing risk

Execute

• Communicate
• In many instances your only action will be to communicate.
• You must communicate early enough so other users know your intentions.
• Headlights, taillights, and brake lights
• Use headlights if visibility is 1000 feet or less. Used during the daylight hours makes you more visible to other drivers.
• Research shows that the use of daytime headlights reduces daytime crashes of all types

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Execute

• Turn-signal lights
• Turn them on three to five seconds before making any change in direction
• Parking lights and hazard flashers
• When you are parked along the roadway but not in an emergency situation, have your parking lights turned on.
• If your vehicle is disabled, turn on your hazard flashers.
• BE PREPARED TO CHANGE YOUR PATH OF TRAVEL WHEN YOU SEE THE BLINKING OR FLASHING LIGHTS OF A STOPPED VEHICLE.

Execute

• Back-up Lights
• They let others know you are backing up
• Look for back-up lights on vehicles in parking lots
• Horn
• A light tap is usually enough for a warning
• In an emergency, a loud blast may be necessary
• Vehicle Position
• The position of a vehicle in the lane indicates to others the intended path of travel
• Eye Contact
• Try to develop eye contact with other roadway users.
• A wave of the hand may tell a driver to proceed. Other hand gestures may ask drivers to wait while you proceed

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Execute

• Combine Actions
• Sometimes you might need to accelerate and steer at the same time.
• In other situations, you might need to brake, communicate, and steer at the same time

4.3 Review

1. What are the three basic decisions you make in the Decide part of the IPDE Process?
2. What three lane positions are available to you within your lane?
3. What are the three techniques you can use to maintain a safe path of travel?
4. What three actions can you execute to avoid conflict?

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Using the IPDE Process

CHAPTER 4.4

4.4 Objectives

1. Explain what is meant by commentary driving.
2. Describe what is meant by selective use of the IPDE Process
3. Explain why the IPDE Process takes time

IPDE Takes Practice

• As you ride with other drivers, practice the I-P-D steps of the IPDE Process. You can then judge if the actions taken by others were based on correct decisions

IPDE Takes Practice

• Commentary Driving
• A system of “thinking our loud” as you practice the IPDE Process
• You verbalize what you identify, predict, and decide

Putting IPDE Into Action

• Use the four steps of the IPDE Process in order. Once you have learned the techniques for identifying, add the predicting step. You identify the hazards or events, then predict how the might affect your intended path of travel. You then perform the third step, deciding. Finally, you execute your maneuvers based on your decisions

Putting IPDE Into Action

• Selective use of IPDE
• Conditions may change in one or more zones so the process need not be completed. Begin a new cycle before completing the previous one
• As you become more experienced you will learn the more important clues and trouble spots in different areas of the HTS. You will then be able to adjust your selective application of the IPDE Process for those specific areas

IPDE Takes Time

• You must have time to identify clues and changing zones
• You must have time to predict the actions of others and the possibility of closed zones
• More complex traffic situations take longer to carry out the IPDE Process
• Sometimes your own feelings and physical condition an cause you to take more time to complete the IPDE Process.
• Don’t be complacent or lazy!!

4.4 Review

1. What is commentary driving?
2. Explain what is meant by selective use of the IPDE Process
3. What factors can cause the IPDE Process to take more time?