Table of Contents

5. Driving Safety

• 5.1. Distracted Drivers
• 5.2. Getting Ready to Drive
• 5.3. Defensive Driving
• 5.4. Driving Safety for Mature Drivers - Tips to Help You Drive Safer .... Longer
• 5.5. When You Back Up
• 5.6. Avoiding Rear-end Collisions
• 5.7. Emotions
• 5.8. Basic Driver Improvement
• 5.9. Safety Belts
• 5.10. Protecting Children
• 5.11. Speed Limits
• 5.12. Following Officer's and Fireman's Instructions
• 5.13. Crossing Intersections
• 5.14. Right-of-Way
• 5.15. Stop Signs
• 5.16. Open Intersections
• 5.17. Roundabouts
• 5.18. Driveways
• 5.19. Emergency Vehicles
• 5.20. Making Turns
• 5.21. Turnabout (Three-Point Turn)
• 5.22. Turn Signals and Emergency Signals
• 5.23. Traffic Lanes
• 5.24. Blind Spots
• 5.25. Passing
• 5.26. Minimum Safe Following Distances
• 5.27. Parking
• 5.28. Expressway Driving
• 5.29. Night Driving
• 5.30. Animals
• 5.31. Reduced Visibility
• 5.32. Handling Emergencies
• 5.33. First Aid

Emotions can have an effect on driving safely. You may not be able to drive well if you are overly worried, excited, afraid, angry or depressed.

• If you are angry or excited, give yourself time to cool off. If necessary take a short walk, but stay off the road until you have calmed down. - Avoid eye contact
• If you are worried, down or are upset about something, try to keep your mind on your driving. Some find listening to the radio helps.
• If you are impatient, give yourself extra time for your driving trip.
• Leave a few minutes early. If you have plenty of time, you may not tend to speed or do other things that can get you a traffic ticket or cause a crash. Don't be impatient. Wait for a train to cross in front of you. Driving around lowered gates or trying to beat the train can be fatal.

5.7.1 - Aggressive Driving (Road Rage)

Road rage is defined as violent or visibly angry behavior by a driver of a motor vehicle which can result in crashes or other incidents on roadways. It also called an extreme case of aggressive driving.

The following are possible signs of road rage or aggressive driving:

• Generally aggressive driving, including sudden acceleration, braking, and closely tailgating
• Cutting off other drivers, or preventing other vehicles from merging
• Hitting the horn or flashing lights
• Shouting obscenities, or threats
• Hand gestures
• Intentionally causing a crash between vehicles
• Getting out of a vehicle in an attempt to start a confrontation
• Threatening to use or using a weapon
• Throwing objects from a moving vehicle

Ways to Avoid Road Rage

• Keep a cool head
• Do not use your vehicle to intimidate others
• Never make obscene gestures
• Get out of the left lane for other fast moving vehicles
• If you witness something you think is road rage, call police
• Do not become frustrated or stressed out - if you do, remove yourself from the situation
• Never get behind the wheel if you are tired or irritable
• Avoid confrontation

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