Unit 2
Better Drivers Public Web Site
Better Drivers Driver Ed. Course - Unit 2
Attitude, Perception and Traffic Safety
Some Main Points :
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A good attitude is as important for safe driving as skill or knowledge.
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Driving is a social activity. Be on your best behavior.
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Good habits allow you to drive correctly and safely without effort. It's worth the trouble to learn correctly and methodically.
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Decide which habits you should inherit from Mom and Dad. You have a chance for a fresh start. Try not to learn the bad habits of other drivers, only the good ones. Safety should be #1.
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Page 1 of the Handbook says driving is a privilege, not a right. Remember that.
Now you can read the essay, or go straight to the practice questions.
The title of this chapter seems strange, but attitude and perception are an important part of traffic safety.
How you see things, how you respond, what your attitudes and habits are--all these things greatly affect how you will approach the task of driving and how you will get along in the social activity of driving.
Driving is a social activity. It's like going to a party, but you don't know anyone. And you do not have the choice of not going. After all, you have to go to work or school or whatever. So...if you went into a party and you did not know anyone, I hope you would want to make a good impression, be on your best behavior (at least until you get to know some of the people) and stay safe.
Have you noticed that many drivers act in a manner that would be totally inappropriate in a face-to-face social setting? If they acted that way toward other shoppers at the grocery store, someone would put a stop to it. So why do we accept it on the road where the danger is very real?
Most of your habits and perceptions are learned from other people you have observed since you were little. Your attitude toward driving, the other drivers on the road, and toward the law are a result of the way you process what you have been observing and learning for years before you start to learn to drive. If these perceptions are faulty or unhealthy, it may translate to unhealthy attitudes, Now is the time to assess these things before you get entrenched in strong habits and nasty attitudes that are very difficult to change.
So let's get off to a good start.
Good habits are super important. Here's why:
If you have a habit of doing something, you do it without thinking about it. I know a bunch of people who have failed the driving test because they "forgot" to signal when they turned into the parking spot at the end of the test at DMV. It's only 5 demerits for no signal, and you are allowed up to 30.
But if they had 27 coming into the parking lot...
Some of them failed in the last one second of the test because they forgot to signal. It is not difficult to signal unless you have a habit of NOT signalling. Habits are powerful. If you have a habit of doing things correctly, correct driving is effortless. If you have bad habits, correct driving is a terribly difficult task.
Now why would you make a habit of not using your turn signal? Is it better, smarter, safer, cooler, faster or in any way more desireable to have a habit of "forgetting" to communicate with the other drivers on the road? Will "forgetting to signal" help you pass your driving test? NO!
It is much better to establish a good habit, which you will never regret.
Correct driving is effortless if you make a habit of it. When you practice driving, do not work against yourself by practicing to fail the driving test. Learn to drive correctly and you will be safer on the road and you will pass your test.
ASSIGNMENT: Read Survey of the Handbook
ASSIGNMENT: Read Strategies for taking a Multiple choice test
ASSIGNMENT: Do 30 questions
Now let's look at some questions. Answers below.
11. Driving a motor vehicle on Guam is:
a. Your right because you are American and everyone needs to drive to work or school
b. A privilege and not a right
c.A privilege that must be earned and can be taken from you if you abuse it
d. B and C above
e. None of the above
12. When signaling to change lanes, you must know that:
a. You have the right to change lanes after you have signaled 100 feet before changing lanes.
b. You must always signal your intentions to change lanes even when there is no traffic.
c.You only need to signal if there are police present
d. All of the above
e. None of the above
13. What is likely to make other drivers angry and cause trouble on the road?
a.Going very slow because everyone else is going too fast
b. Cutting in front of other cars without signaling
c. Following too close behind other vehicles
d. All of the above
e. B and C above
14. Is it a good idea to go slow at all times when driving?
a.YES, it means you are cautious and will never have an accident
b. NO, you should always exceed the speed limit to stay with the other traffic
c. YES, you should set an example for other drivers
d. NO, it interferes with the flow of traffic and upsets other drivers
15. You should never drive a motor vehicle when
a.It is after midnight
b. You are very angry or sleepy
c. You have been taking drugs or drinking alcohol
d.All of the above
e. Only B and C above
16. If you encounter a belligerent or enraged or drunk driver, you should:
a. Pull them over as soon as you safely can.
b. Stop immediately and get out of the car.
c. Signal, pull off the road onto a side road or stop at a lighted, populated place such as a gas station or a store.
d.Act crazy so they are more afraid of you.
17. If you under 18 and are at a party where everyone has been drinking, how do you get home?
a. Have the least drunk person drive
b. Draw straws to see who gets to drive.
c. Phone your parents for a ride
d. None of the above
18. If you start feeling angry with another driver who makes a mistake, what should you do?
a. Try to relax and think about something else
b. Try to remember that the other drivers are not deliberately doing things to anger you
c. Do not take it personally; everyone makes mistakes
d. Think about how you would like others to react if you make a similar mistake
e.All of the above
19. When should you have your headlights on?
a. From one hour before sunrise
b.Two hours before the sun goes down
c.Before you have difficulty seeing other cars that do not have headlights on
d.B and C above
e.A and C above
20. The following statement about seatbelts is true:
a. It is Guam law that safety belts be worn at all times while driving or riding in a vehicle.
b. Thousands of people die each year because they are trapped in burning cars and the seatbelts do not allow them to escape.
c. If your car does not have seatbelts or they are broken, you do not have to wear them.
d. Anyone over 12 years of age is not required to wear seatbelts
e. They are unnecessary as most cars have airbags to save you in a collision.
Answers to the questions 11-20:
11. Driving a motor vehicle on Guam is:
a. Your right because you are American and everyone needs to drive to work or school
b. A privilege and not a right
c.A privilege that must be earned and can be taken from you if you abuse it
d. B and C above
e. None of the above
Correct answer is D. Both b. and c. are correct.
Driving is not a right, so A is incorrect.
12. When signaling to change lanes, you must know that:
a. You have the right to change lanes after you have signaled 100 feet before changing lanes.
b. You must always signal your intentions to change lanes even when there is no traffic.
c.You only need to signal if there are police present
d. All of the above
e. None of the above
Correct answer is B. If you got it wrong, please read:
A. might seem like a good answer, but it is not. You do not have rights when you drive. Even the word right-of-way simply means it is your turn. Right-of-way means it's your turn and you can go if it is safe. In the scenario above, you don't even have the right-of-way, the cars already in that lane have the right-of-way. So you surely don't have the right to go just because you signalled.
B. is a good answer. Why not choose B? It seems like it would be just as easy to turn on your signal as to make sure there is no traffic before you decide you don't have to signal. Signalling your intentions by using your electric turn signals is a good habit. It is not productive to refuse to signal. If you make it a habit, you don't have to think about it.
If we refer to the garbage can method, we see that if you did not choose B, then you actually threw B in the garbage. Why would you throw B in the garbage can?
Back to Q.
13. What is likely to make other drivers angry and cause trouble on the road?
a.Going very slow because everyone else is going too fast
b. Cutting in front of other cars without signaling
c. Following too close behind other vehicles
d. All of the above
e. B and C above
Answer is D. Following too close is rude and dangerous. Cutting in front of another vehicle is also rude and dangerous. Cutting in front and following too close are known causes of road rage incidents. It robs the other driver of his safety cushion and threatens the lives of those in the vehicle. No wonder it sparks rage in some drivers. Don't do it.
Answer A. is also true. BASIC SPEED LAW on page 17 of the Handbook explains that you are expected to go with the flow as long as the flow does not exceed the posted speed limit. Going very slow is not recommended in the book and is not correct driving.
14. Is it a good idea to go slow at all times when driving?
a.YES, it means you are cautious and will never have an accident
b. NO, you should always exceed the speed limit to stay with the other traffic
c. YES, you should set an example for other drivers
d. NO, it interferes with the flow of traffic and upsets other drivers
Answer is D. Again, the BASIC SPEED LAW says "go with the flow...". Goiing super slow is not safe. It makes other drivers act crazy. It is not recommended in the book and is not correct driving.
15. You should never drive a motor vehicle when
a.It is after midnight
b. You are very angry or sleepy
c. You have been taking drugs or drinking alcohol
d.All of the above
e. Only B and C above
Answer is E. It is NOT all of the above because you are allowed to drive after midnight. B and C are true. It is on (about) page 8 of the handbook.
16. If you encounter a belligerent or enraged or drunk driver, you should:
a. Pull them over as soon as you safely can.
b. Stop immediately and get out of the car.
c. Signal, pull off the road onto a side road or stop at a lighted, populated place such as a gas station or a store.
d.Act crazy so they are more afraid of you.
The answer is C. If someone is belligerent (wants to fight), get into a safe place with lights and witnesses. Do not attempt to pull over an enraged driver and do not stop and get out; it looks like you want to fight.
17. If you under 18 and are at a party where everyone has been drinking, how do you get home?
a. Have the least drunk person drive
b. Draw straws to see who gets to drive.
c. Phone your parents for a ride
d. None of the above
Answer is C. A lot of times students tell us their parents would "kill them". Actually, a drunk driver is a lot more likely to kill you. Parents will give you a ride and a lecture. Better than what could happen if you allow a drunk driver to take you home.
18. If you start feeling angry with another driver who makes a mistake, what should you do?
a. Try to relax and think about something else
b. Try to remember that the other drivers are not deliberately doing things to anger you
c. Do not take it personally; everyone makes mistakes
d. Think about how you would like others to react if you make a similar mistake
e.All of the above
Answer is E. All of the answers above are good strategies for staying calm in a storm of emotions. It is better to decide how you will respond than to react without thinking.
19. When should you have your headlights on?
a. From one hour before dawn
b.Two hours before the sun goes down
c.When you have difficulty seeing other cars that do not have headlights on
d.B and C above
e.A and C above
Answer is E. Both A and C are correct. B is not correct.You should turn your headlights on before it is difficult to see other cars. Do not wait until other drivers have difficulty seeing you. In the rain, on overcast days and in the late afternoon, you should have headlights on.
Sometimes the drivers in the oncoming lane are blinded by the late sun. Headlights allows them to see you coming toward them.
Here is something to think about:
Every night, some alert drivers turn their headlights on well befeor visibility is a problem. Gradually, most of the drivers put their lights on. A few of the most oblivious drivers (Oblivious is not a good word to have applied to you as a driver.) still don't have their lights on. As the evening gets later and it gets darker, there are 10% of the most oblivious drivers without headlights. Then 5%, then 1%. Do you want to be the top 1% most oblivious, unsafe, unaware driver on the road?
The driver who does not turn his headlights on is showing the world that he is not paying attention to driving. What else might he do wrong? Usually, these drivers are the ones who are doing other inappropriate things on the road. Watch out for them and don't be one. If you are thinking about your driving, (and you should be thinking), you will turn on your headlights before others have trouble seeing you.
20. The following statement about seatbelts is true:
a. It is Guam law that safety belts be worn at all times while driving or riding in a vehicle.
b. Thousands of people die each year because they are trapped in burning cars and the seatbelts do not allow them to escape.
c. If your car does not have seatbelts or they are broken, you do not have to wear them.
d. Anyone over 12 years of age is not required to wear seatbelts
e. They are unnecessary as most cars have airbags to save you in a collision.
Answer is A. It is not true that people die from being trapped by seatbelts. Many die because of being thrown from the car, though.
People over the age of 12 are allowed in the back seat without seatbelts, but that does not mean they shouldn't wear it. It is safer to wear the seatbelt. Everyone must wear seatbelts in the front.
An airbag can kill you if your seatbelt is not on. Your head will snap forward at the speed your car is moving, at the same time the air bag deploys at about 100 mph. Very deadly.
Just wear seatbelts. Again, it is a habit that is worth working at. Once it's a habit, you just do it and you don't have to think about it. It's effortless.
Question? Email us.
betterdrivers@gmail.com Please include your name and date of birth so we know who you are. Thanks.