Being aware of the various factors that could affect your driving skills could help you become a safer driver. Freak accidents could still happen but with right attitude will help the motorist avoid taking unnecessary risks that could result in fatal mistakes.
While driving we must be prepared for any eventuality and that is perceptive driving. A clear road is never empty. What are the hazard types on the road?
- Is it a fixed type, such as a junction or a bend?
- Is it a moving hazard such as a vehicle or a pedestrian?
- How fast are the other road users moving?
- How fast are you moving?
- Does the weather affect the visibility or condition of the road surface?
Our ability to interpret such situations and make the right decision relies on factors such as:
Visual Capability
Excellent reflexes and good vehicle control is useless if the eyesight is poor, affecting the ability to see properly and make satisfactory distance judgements and the ability to see in poor weather conditions and at night. Drivers with low luminance myopia will also find it difficult to see ahead in dark conditions.
Level Of Alertness
Having our sense affected by fatigue, drinking alcohol, consuming drugs, or driving if we are unwell or upset, will reduce our risk of perception.
Distraction
Anyone can be distracted such as when the kids on the rear seats are squabbling and one has just dropped an ice cream on your upholstery. Another distraction factor is one which we are all familiar with - having a conservation with passengers or on a mobile phone.
Assumptions
Familiarity can cause drivers to pay less attention to roads, which they frequently use. Also, if our perception of improved roads and better cars make us feel safer, then we readily take more risks. For example, where cars are fitted with ABS, drivers tend to driver faster, take more chances, and use their brakes more heavily.
Experience
Young drivers are still in the learning mode. While they may see something earlier than a mature driver they perceive less risk than more experienced drivers and have a tendency to underestimate reaction time and breaking distance.
Depth Perception
All drivers need to develop a sound ability to accurately judge the speed and distance of approaching traffic.
Vehicle Characteristic
In an unfamiliar vehicle you must still perform the cockpit drill such as checking the minor controls and instruments and making a brake test. Looking away from the road to find a control while driving will at least double or treble the reaction time and any panicking will impair the decision making process.
Perception Of Risk And Safety
Once we have passed the test, our driving style is influenced and modified by real world motoring practices. For instances, the majority of drivers find it acceptable to drive in excess of speed limits. This suggests that with confidence, our perception of speed changes and limits can become a source of frustration. We know that the higher a car's speed, the longer it will take to come to a full stop.
Attitude
Knowing all the factors is pointless without having the right attitude. Many drivers who are too fast, aggressive ad inconsiderate do not perceive themselves as being unsafe. They are happy the way they drive. Cultivating the right attitude is vital towards becoming a safer