Driver Attitude

Human beings are all blessed with unique personalities that help to dictate actions in life. Behaviors are a function of decision-making ……decisions that can often have devastating results. Driving a motor vehicle is neither a game nor a recreational activity; it is an action that can affect many lives if done incorrectly or without the proper attitude. Don’t get in your vehicle unless you are prepared to drive….and prepared to drive safely!

A. Overview

Stress, emotions and fatigue always affect your ability to drive. Every driver needs to possess an attitude that is suited for the safe operation of the motor vehicle when behind the wheel and should avoid getting distracted. Environmental factors, in addition to attitude, change your driving habits.

To be a conscientious driver, you need to be a defensive driver and have a positive attitude toward law enforcement. Such an attitude can only benefit you. You also need to be able to anticipate potential traffic hazards, select prudent traffic routes, and be aware of the dangers of night driving. (Driving during daytime hours is typically much safer and less dangerous than driving at night.). Your attitude and behavior can also be adversely affected by a lack of knowledge regarding when to merge or to yield to other drivers.

Driving is a privilege that is extended to you by the State upon meeting prescribed criteria. There is no right to drive, and as a license holder, you are merely exercising a privilege granted to you. You should make every attempt to keep up to date on changes to New Jersey driving laws, new construction, potential road hazards, etc., and always try to keep a positive attitude when behind the wheel. The first drive-in theater, which opened in Pennsauken, New Jersey in 1933, was invented by Richard M. Hollingshead, Jr.

B. “Like a Loaded Gun”

A motor vehicle weighs many thousands of pounds, and if driven carelessly, it can lead to tragedy. People are lectured about gun safety and made aware of the associated dangers. However, a motor vehicle, a “simple” object that transports you daily, is far more dangerous than a gun. Abuse of a loaded gun often results in a scary reminder regarding gun safety without injury to anyone. However, abuse of a vehicle will undoubtedly result in damage or injury at some point. An intoxicated person most probably wouldn’t be able to aim the gun, but that person would be able to start a motor vehicle.

This bears repeating: Abuse of a vehicle will almost always lead to harmful results. You must be aware of the tremendous responsibility involved with operating a motor vehicle and consider it the same as a dangerous weapon.

Behavior

Your attitude and behavior should, at all times, be consistent with actions necessary to be safe on the road. The following elements are vital to safe driving:

1. General Knowledge

A basic knowledge of safe driving techniques and penalties for violating traffic laws can help you to be a safer driver. Benefits derived from periodic participation in traffic safety programs should not be forgotten, as yearly reminders of techniques to be followed are important. Penalties for negligent driving can range from simple traffic tickets to license suspensions, and especially fatal traffic accidents.

2. Personal Goals

Your main objectives while driving should be to prevent collisions and to drive as safely as possible. A concern for others and general road awareness are also vital.

3. Time Management

Allow for sufficient time to drive during long road trips and be prepared for unforeseen problems. After you recognize potential trouble or road hazards, you should then allocate appropriate additional driving time, if needed. Hurriedness and stress due to poor time management are major contributors to traffic crashes. Not leaving yourself ample travel time increases your stress level and detracts from your ability to operate a vehicle safely. Hurriedness while behind the wheel leads you to take unneeded chances, speed, and become a road hazard. Avoid driving while under severe duress, as a wandering mind cannot focus on the tribulations of the road.

Additionally, you should always observe maximum speed laws on highways, parkways and turnpikes and be aware of the basic speed law as it applies to city driving. That law states that you should never drive at a speed that is faster than is safe and you should neither impede nor block the flow of traffic. “Prima facie” speed limits apply even when no visible or noticeable posts are around. Despite a lack of time due to any number of circumstances, basic traffic laws must always be followed.

4. Anticipation

In all aspects of driving, you must be able to anticipate sudden changes, possible emergencies, and high-risk areas. Adjustments should be made to driving without carelessness behind the wheel. High-risk areas to drive near include schools, playgrounds, parks, hospitals, housing communities, businesses, and municipal centers. Also be wary for children at play and stray animals. Various types of vehicular emergencies should also be considered, and corrective measures visualized. A cushion of safety should also be allowed, with proper vehicle spacing, anticipation of road hazards, and avoidance of known congested areas. Learn where alternate exits are in case of an unexpected change or emergency situation.

5. Preparation

Always be prepared for vehicle trouble. A vehicle should be properly equipped with road flares, a flashlight, a fire extinguisher, fuses, paper and pencil, your cell phone and charger or change for a telephone call, a spare tire, extra oil, and in case of a collision, a cell phone that takes pictures or a camera to document the scene. Preparation is often the only assistance you will ever need. Alfred Joyce Kilmer was a poet from New Brunswick best known for writing a poem about a tree.

6. Awareness of Traffic Conditions

Always be aware of traffic conditions on your chosen roadways and be prepared to make intelligent choices about where you choose to drive. Decisions to drive on side streets versus through streets, one-way streets versus two-way streets, or certain unsafe roads in general can lead to or prevent traffic collisions. A safe driver has a general awareness of which roadways are the safest to travel upon, and always makes decisions with that knowledge in mind.

7. Body and Head Positioning While Steering

To be safe on the road, you need to be properly positioned in the driver seat (sitting up straight with both hands on the steering wheel) with clear visibility over the steering wheel. The roadway must be visible without obstruction, and this relies on the position of your head and body in the vehicle. You must be buckled in the driver’s seat, with your eyes able to focus on all aspects of the road ahead.