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SAFE DRIVING TIPS
Adaptive driving aids safety
Weather, geography and traffic affect our driving habits
By Richard Russell
Thursday, November 6, 2003
Because this country is so vast, it incorporates arguably the widest variety of driving opportunities and situations in the world. We have mountains in the east and west and all that flat, uninterrupted real estate on the Prairies. On the coasts we have unique weather considerations - seasonal but usually centred around moisture and what it means to visibility and traction.
Basic driver training prepares novices for the essentials only. As beginners, we learn how to steer, stop and conduct basic manoeuvres. With time and exposure these skills and our abilities grow. For those who rarely venture more than a few kilometres from home base, that will be enough. These drivers, especially in low traffic rural areas, can and do cope with unusual situations by avoiding them - choosing to drive when traffic is minimal, selecting routes with no complicated turns or scenarios and not driving when conditions are poor.
For the rest of us, driving is a constant process of adapting to a variety of factors, including but not limited to geography, traffic, weather and personal issues. A 1,000 km drive across the Prairies or other vast stretches of low density traffic, on relatively flat roads with sight lines that stretch to the horizon, is relaxing and stress-free - whether you have millions of miles and years of experience or are a rank beginner.
On the other hand, even 10 kilometres of jam-packed traffic on a high-speed, multi-lane, limited access road will raise the pulse rate and stress level of drivers of any age or level of experience, provided they are aware of the situation and possibilities. Some, whose minds are elsewhere, are not aware of the imminent dangers and blithely soldier through the experience relying on luck to keep them out of the morgue.
It is important to realize the need to adapt to different driving situations. In basic driver training, we make blanket statements and assessments because the new driver is not yet equipped to understand the diversity he or she is about to face. In advanced training we try to teach more experienced drivers what can be done if they are aware of the scene - how to recognize and react to problems, maximizing their skills and the dynamic properties of the vehicle.
All drivers should be aware of the differences brought on by changing traffic, weather and geography. With long sight lines, visual scanning yields a tremendous safety zone - that period of time that allows you to recognize a possible problem, prepare for it and take appropriate action. Short sight lines and sudden intrusions into your space leave precious little time for such organization. Sight lines are dependent on roads, terrain, traffic, weather and various other factors. Your view down a wide open, flat piece of straight highway, and thus your safety zone, can be abruptly changed by a large vehicle that pulls in front of you, spray from other vehicles, a sudden rain squall or winter whiteout. Driving down a city street at 3 p.m. and 3 a.m. bring two entirely different situations. In one you are constantly facing decisions and visual stimuli, in the other there may be little change or activity for blocks - but someone could dart or stumble into your path. Those lovely 30-second warning zones can be quickly cut to two seconds. At highway speeds, that's the difference between having 3,000 metres to recognize, plan and react, and only 60 metres! At city speeds the difference in distance is lower, but the warning time is usually equally as scary.
Driving in the wide open country on a clear sunny day does not mean you can put your alert driving antennae in the trunk. Low density, urban driving can also be misleading. Situations can and do change quickly and we can adapt to the changes only if we are aware they are taking place. Enjoy that relaxing drive, but stay alert!
Halifax-based Richard Russell operates the Advanced Driving Concepts driving school.
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