HIGHWAY PATROL SUPPORTS RENEWED SKILLS

WRECK-LESS DRIVING©
by Gunther Doerfert, Auto Safety Columnist

HIGHWAY PATROL SUPPORTS RENEWED SKILLS
RALIEGH, NC: The North Carolina State Highway Patrol has a driver refresher partnership with the AARP DRIVER SAFETY PROGRAM. This is an important recognition because the NC State Legislature may again consider offering an additional auto insurance premium reduction for older drivers who complete an approved defensive driving class . Legislatures in most all the other Southeastern states have passed such a mandate. In fact, across the Nation 36 states and the District of Columbia recognize the additional safety provided by such classes. There is such a class near your home base (1-888-227-7669).

The newly certified officers from the Traffic Safety Information section of the patrol will be joining the more than 100 trained volunteer instructors already facilitating classes in NC. Patrol Sgt. Jeff Winstead said, “We didn’t need to go out and reinvent the program. This is the absolute best one we could find”

“The goal of this classroom refresher is to help older drivers update their knowledge and driving skills, prevent traffic crashes and violations, and maintain mobility and independence" said Richard Moore, Secretary of the NC Department of Crime Control and Public Safety. The comprehensive curriculum is designed for motorists over age 50 and includes vision and hearing changes, effects of medication, reaction time changes, State law, and methods to develop and refine defensive driving techniques.

In other states and communities police officers and sheriff deputies have joined the local AARP volunteers as certified Instructors. North Carolina is the first state in which the entire Highway Patrol endorses the AARP DRIVER SAFETY program.
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NO LICENSE RESTRICTION

WRECK-LESS DRIVING©
by Gunther Doerfert, Auto Safety Columnist


NO LICENSE RESTRICTION
FAIRFAX, VA: More and more the impatient younger generation of drivers is promoting license restrictions for older drivers based on age or performance. I believe much of this comes from our crowded roadways and also the more hectic pace of life for those hustling to make a decent living. In this column we have pointed out repeatedly that age alone is not a valid measure of driving ability. There are poor drivers of all ages. Yes, all drivers should be retested periodically. And those of any age who have poor histories or obvious deficiencies should be retested.

Harry K. sent us a report from George Mason University, Study of Mature Driver Licensing, which says: “Mature drivers may require more time to perform certain tasks and to process new information. Clustered signs at intersections and poor or inadequate road markings may decrease braking and sight decision times. The increased speeds have decreased the amount of time mature drivers have to process information and to make decisions. Poorly marked roads and faded lane stripes intensify the problem of decreased night vision.”

Ultimately, many of the problems associated with mature drivers could be resolved “without license restriction or revocation” claims this report. Sounds like the GMU researchers are in favor of defensive driving programs for mature motorists. These classroom, and now on-line, courses are available in all 52 states, DC, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Phone toll free 1-888-227-7669 for your local locations and times. In some cities the course is available for deaf persons and also in Spanish.

An even greater problem is continued training for the youngest drivers. The human brain is not fully developed until about age 26. This means that younger drivers have varying degrees of immaturity and lesser decision making ability. Yet, the only driving training most of them have experienced is in high-school driver-ed and from their parents (who usually are in need of retreading also)
GHD186 all rights reserved

ROAD RAGE OR AGGRESSIVE DRIVING?

WRECK-LESS DRIVING©
by Gunther Doerfert, Auto Safety Columnist

ROAD RAGE OR AGGRESSIVE DRIVING?
BALD KNOB,AR: Jeffery L. tells us that there is great confusion over what is road rage and what is only driver aggression. He says rage appears when somebody else does not do what we want them to do. We then take revenge by using our vehicle as a lethal weapon or actually use a gun or knife ,etc.

According to Jeffery, aggressive driving occurs when the vehicle is operated in a way that endangers other persons or property. So, we are merely aggressive when we seek advantage by speeding, weaving in and out of lanes, blowing horns, flashing lights, using gestures or otherwise trying to intimidate others to get out of our way. All too often this selfish aggressiveness leads to road rage on the part of those we seek to push out of our path. Or, their return aggressiveness enrages us all the more.

Rather than spend our time trying to understand the difference between rage and aggression we should focus on avoiding both situations. Let’s start with the truism that we cannot control the other traffic. Our only control is over our reaction to the situation. Since the rage/aggression reaction will not cure the traffic problem we may as well relax and continue our attention to being a WRECK-LESS driver.

Some of the reasons for irritating traffic problems are: a 23% increase in population, 73% increase in number of drivers, 143% increase in household vehicles, 59% increase in women in the workplace (more autos and more driving). At the same time roadway surface area has increased only about 13% and roads are deteriorating faster than we can afford to repair or expand them.GHD185 all rights reserved

PERILS OF NIGHT

WRECK-LESS DRIVING©
by Gunther Doerfert, Auto Safety Columnist

PERILS OF NIGHT
GERMANY: Biological Cybernetics scientists report that the perceived motion of an object at night is really only about 75% of its actual speed. It was a complicated study involving the difference between color reception of retinal cone cells in bright light and the black and white rod receptors which take over in dim light. The research involved color blind persons who frequently have difficulty with moving objects. It is black and white rod reception which detects only 75% of the speed of a moving object.

Reading between the fancy words and translating from the German text, this is what we need to know: Under good night lighting conditions such as in congested areas there may be no problem (except for dark tinted windows?). In dim locations the roadway portion illuminated by the vehicle headlights is properly perceived by the cones. But, outside the headlight beams any objects are seen only by the less than perfect rods. Thereby we are likely to seriously underestimate the speed of vehicles, persons and animals in the distance or at the road sides. And this may cause us to increase our speed with disastrous results.

Have you noticed how much more difficult it is to hold a steady speed on dark roads? Older drivers with reduced vision and reaction time should be especially careful with night driving. Stay to well lit areas; drive more slowly than you really want to; do not drive in night rain; let a younger driver have the steering wheel; turn off distractions such as radio, cell phone, kids, and gabby passengers.
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