2024 Facts for Drivers PDF

Additionally, be sure to apply brakes gently and steer with fluid, non-jerky movements. Pay attention to posted speed limits and be familiar with maximum allowable speeds in adverse weather conditions. States may have required maximum speeds depending on the weather conditions and these rules can v...

Additionally, be sure to apply brakes gently and steer with fluid, non-jerky movements. Pay attention to posted speed limits and be familiar with maximum allowable speeds in adverse weather conditions. States may have required maximum speeds depending on the weather conditions and these rules can vary from state-to-state. Distracted Driving Distracted driving ts any activity that takes a driver's attention away from the task of driving. Answering or dialing a cell phone, sending a text message, cating, or even reaching for a fallen object are common examples. It has been the focus of a series of studies to determine how specifically distracted driving correlates to crash risk. A 2009 Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (WTTT) study, for example, found that texting truck drivers increased their risk of a “safety-critical driving event” by 23.2 times, dialing a cell phone by 5.9 times, and use of, or reaching for, an electronic device by 6.7 times when compared to a non-distracted driver. In other words, the longer a driver's eyes were diverted from the road, the more risk associated with that distracting behavior. Texting, for example, amounted to 4.6 seconds of distraction over a6 second interval. At 60 mph, that means a driver is traveling more than the length of a football field without eyes on the road. A Monash University study found that motorists who use hand-held devices are 4 times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves, and a Carnegie Mellon study suggested driving while using a cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37%. Distracted driving is not just about electronic devices. A study published in 2007 by the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety found smoking to be a source of distraction in 0.9% of distraction- related crashes, which equated to about 12,780 crashes over the 5-year study period. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) also found that eating while driving could be riskier than talking on a cell phone depending upon what was being eaten.