Department of Public SafetyBureau of Highway Safety

WELCOME TOMAINE DRIVING DYNAMICS

WELCOME TO MAINE DRIVING DYNAMICS

Revision Date: January 2014

MAINE DRIVING DYNAMICS

Course Includes:

•Collision Avoidance Techniques

•Defensive Driving Techniques

•Basic elements that constantly challenge and force drivers to always THINK on Maine's highways.

ABOUT MAINE DRIVING DYNAMICS

•5 Hour Maine State approved course

•3-Point credit reduction on Maine driver’s license or Maine Driving Record (out of state licenses)

•Student can only take class and receive a 3-point credit one time per every 365 days for credit reduction

•Credit is on license for 1 year

•Maine state statute 24-A 2902-G:Students 55 and older will receive an insurance reduction from their insurance carriers*

*submit certificate to insurance carriers

ABOUT YOU….

Why are you here??

What do you hope to gain by taking this course?

Prevention Choice Personal responsibility Know the risk♦ ♦ ♦

Plan your route Maintain your vehicle Focus your attention♦ ♦

♦Minimize your distractions Know your surroundings♦

♦ Share your space Watch your speed Keep your distance Signal ♦ ♦ ♦

your intentions ♦

Always wear your seat belt

Adjust Adjust Adjust♦ ♦

What can you control?

Expect the Unexpected!

SOURCE: NHTSA FARS DATA RESOURCE WEBSITE-OCTOBER 20152004-2014 NATIONAL MOTOR VEHICLE FATAL CRASHES

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Est 2014

Fa-tali-ties

38444 39252 38648 37435 34172 30862 30296 29867 31006 30057 24540

2,500

7,500

12,500

17,500

22,500

27,500

32,500

37,500

42,500

PRE-TEST

Maine Driving Dynamics Student Manual

THE ROADS ARE PAVED WITH THE DEAD

MAINE FATALITIES BY CRASH TYPE

Source: NHTSA FARS Website-2012

Crash Type 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012Total Fatalities (All Crashes)

155 159 161 136 164

Single Vehicle 94 84 100 88 101

Involving a Large Truck 23 22 14 17 11

Involving Speeding 53 61 83 69 78

Involving a Rollover 40 41 42 39 60

Involving a Roadway Departure

98 108 99 99 110

Involving an Intersection (or Intersection Related)

24 17 20 14 31

2013 MAINE FATALITIES

*Motor Vehicle includes ATV & Snowmobile*Motorcycle includes moped and off road motorcycle

January 0 0 0 6 1

February 0 0 0 6 1

March 1 0 0 3 1

April 0 0 1* 7 0

May 1 0 4 10 1

June 0 1 2 6 2

July 0 0 2 15 2

August 1 2 2 17* 0

September 2 1 1 7 3

October 0 0 0 9 0

November 1 0 0 14 0

December 5 0 0 13 1

FATALITIES BY COUNTY

Source: BHS FARS Data 2013

County   2012 2013 2014        ANDROSCOGGIN   8 9 10AROOSTOOK   10 10 4CUMBERLAND   19 13 13FRANKLIN   6 6 4HANCOCK   15 9 7KENNEBEC   16 20 8KNOX   1 6 4LINCOLN   8 4 9OXFORD   10 6 13PENOBSCOT   20 16 24PISCATAQUIS   1 0 2SAGADAHOC   2 6 3SOMERSET   9 10 9WALDO   4 5 7WASHINGTON   6 8 4YORK   29 17 10        TOTALS   164 145 131

How have vehicles changed?

Why are laws needed??

CHOICES

ResponsibilityWhat does this mean to you?

WHAT IS CONTROL?WHAT PART OF YOUR VEHICLE DO YOU HAVE

CONTROL OVER?

WHO DO YOU

SHARE THE

ROAD WITH?

**York Toll Booth Plaza-Portland Press Herald

Light

Weather

Road

Traffic

Vehicle

Driver

THE SIX CONDITIONS OF DRIVING

LIGHT CONDITIONS

WEATHER CONDITIONS

ADJUSTING TO DIFFERENT DRIVING CONDITIONS THAT OCCUR IN MAINE

Hail

Rain

Snow

Ice

Lightning

Fog

Dark

SAFETY IS ALWAYS IN SEASON

CLEAR IT OFF! ALL OF IT!

Source: MeDOT Website 2014

…or this could be the result.

ROAD CONDITIONS

WORK ZONES

TRAFFIC CONDITIONS

VEHICLE CONDITIONS

TIRE SAFETY

WHAT IS “ESC” & HOW DOES IT OPERATE?

1. Why is ESC (electronic stability control) important?

2. Who does electronic stability control work?

3. Is electronic stability control the same thing as traction control?

4. If my car has electronic stability control, does that mean I can’t lose control

of my care?

5. How do I know when my car’s electronic stability control system is active?

ESCfinal.org

TRUE OR FALSE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS)

• ABS allows you to stop in a shorter distance in an emergency.

False• If you stop suddenly and your brake pulses or

vibrates or you hear a grinding noise, your ABS needs service.

False• In an emergency stop with ABS you should not

pump the brakes, just press firmly and steer! Keep your foot on the brake!

True• It is a good idea to test your ABS in an empty

parking lot on wet pavement.True

• Headlights

• Signal and Brake lights

• Windows and Windshield

• Tires

• Brakes

•Windshield Wipers•Exhaust System•Vehicle Emissions•Gauges•Suspension•Steering

MAINTENANCE OF YOUR VEHICLESAFETY CHECKS

•Owner’s Manual•Spare Tire•Tire Jack•Lug Wrench•Shovel•Warm clothing and warm footwear

•First Aid Kit•Blankets•Roadmaps•Flash Light•Jumper Cables

SAFETY EQUIPMENT

DRIVER CONDITIONSWHAT AFFECTS YOUR DRIVING?

• Distraction

• Inattention

• Impairment

• Fatigue

• Stress/Emotions

• Age

Mirror Adjustment

Traditional mirroradjustment

New mirror adjustment

Source: Society of Automotive Engineers

SCANNING BE AWARE, PREPARED AND IN CONTROL

Distracted Driving

REAL LIFE DISTRACTED DRIVING CRASH CAUSES

Drivers were reported doing these things while driving:

•Watching television •Reading a book•Applying makeup•Eating•Tending to passengers

While

dialing a ce

llular p

hone

Other c

ellular p

hone related

By other o

ccupant(s

), Sm

oking re

lated

Distra

cted by outsi

de person, o

bject, or…

Distra

ction/In

attentio

n

Distra

ction/In

attentio

n, Details

…

Inatte

ntive O

r Lost

in Thought

Other D

istra

ction

While

talkin

g or list

ening to

cellu

lar…

Eating or D

rinkin

g, Sm

oking R

elated0

5

10

15

20

25

6 5

2

15

3

11

21

4

13

Fatal Accidents caused by Distracted Driving 2010-2014, Maine

Types of Distraction

MULTI-TASKING FOR THE BRAIN IS A MYTH

Our brains do not perform two tasks at same time.

The brain switches between one task and another.

Source: National Safety Council

INATTENTION BLINDNESS

A driver can be “looking” at the road, but isn’t “seeing” what’s in front of them.

Where drivers not using a hands-free cell phone looked.

Where drivers using a hands-free cell phone looked.

Source: Transport Canada

MAINE LAW

MAINE SEAT BELT LAW

Maine has a primary seat belt law that was enacted in September of 2007.What does this means for you? Law

enforcement can stop you for not wearing a seat belt.

•Prevent ejection

•Protects your head, neck, & spinal cord

•Reduce the risk of fatal injury

•Car crashes are the leading cause of death ages 1 to 44

WHY SHOULD PEOPLE CHOOSE TO WEAR SEAT BELTS?

MAINE SEATBELT USAGE RATE

2011 2012 2013 2014 201579

80

81

82

83

84

85

86

DO YOU KNOW HOW TO WEAR YOUR SEAT BELT?

Wear both lap and shoulder belts:

Adults Pregnant Woman Child

CHILD SAFETY BELT LAWAge 8-12

Age 7

Age 6

Age 5

Age 4

Age 3

Age 2

Age 1

Birth to Age 1

Weight(lbs)

0-20

21-30

31-40

41-50

51-60

61-70

71-80

81-100

Safety Seat Belts

Booster Seat/Harness

System

Forward Facing Seat

Rear Facing Infant Seat

ALCOHOL

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Maine Impaired Driving Fatalities (BAC .08+)

45 39 58 26 26

5152535455565

Im-paired Driv-ing

Fatali-ties

Source: *MeBHS Highway Safety Plan and FARS DATA 2014

OPERATING UNDER THE INFLUENCE:BAC=.08% OR MORE

As your BACIncreases:

Your chance of being in a collision increases by:

BAC .05% 2 times

BAC .10% 6 times

BAC .16% 25 times

How long does impairment last?

IF YOU GO TO BED WITH A BAC OF .25% AT 2:00AM…..

DRUGS AND DRIVING

•Illegal drugs•Prescription drugs•Over-the-counter drugs

WHAT'S BEING DONE TO PREVENT DRINKING AND DRIVING???

IT’S 30 FOR A

REASON..

The Math is

Really Simple

ROAD RAGE VERSUS AGGRESSIVE DRIVING.

WHATS THE DIFFERENCE?

TEEN DRIVERS

•Teens are involved in 3X as many fatal crashes

•New, inexperienced drivers, are more often involved in crashes due to driver error and where excessive speed was a factor

•Fatal crashes involving 16 year olds are more likely to occur when other teens are in the car

•Most teens who are killed in crashes are not using their safety belts

MAINE LAW

•Novice Drivers are banned from use of all cell phones, handheld

or hands free, while driving

•Banned from texting and driving

Fatalities 2013Maine Young Drivers 16-24

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Young Drivers 16-24

1 4 2 1 6 1 4 2 0 2 2 1

0.51.52.53.54.55.56.5

Young Drive Fa-talities

SENIOR DRIVERS

MOVE OVER MAINE!

MOTORCYCLES

NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE FATALITIES

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Fatalities 4028 4576 4837 5174 5312 4469 4518 4612 4957 4381

500

1,500

2,500

3,500

4,500

5,500

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Motorcycle Fatali-ties

24 19 15 24 11 10

2.5

7.5

12.5

17.5

22.5

27.5

Maine Motor-cycle Fatalities

Source: BHS FARS DATA

BICYCLES

PEDESTRIANS

• Trucks have blind spots or no zones

• Don’t hang out or drive in these no-zones or blind spots for extended periods of time

• Don’t tailgate large trucks

• When a large truck is making any type of turning movement stay either in the front of it or behind it, not alongside of it.

Large commercial vehicles

STOPPING DISTANCE TRUCK VERSUS CAR

Source: Study conducted by Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and National Safety Council

BUSES AND SCHOOL ZONES

TRAINSRAIL ROADCR

OSS

ING

Maine animal traffic

Animal Crashes

Driver fatigue

You’re getting sleepy..

Very Sleepy…

At the count of three, you will not wake up.

Slow reaction time ~ Decreased awareness ~ Impaired judgment

ARE YOU AT RISK FOR SLEEP DEPRIVATION?

TRUE OR FALSE

1. Opening the car window keeps me awake while driving.

2. Drinking coffee keeps me awake.

3. Turning up the stereo

4. Chewing gum

5. I can stop myself from falling asleep.

FALSE

COLLISIONS

What are your defenses?

How many collisions are there in a crash?

UNSECURED ITEMS

Remove any items that are not necessary

Secure Items Put items in

trunk if available

TRAFFIC BEHAVIORS

YIELDS, MERGES AND INTERSECTIONS

Bridges

Intersections

Railroad Crossing

Curves and Hills

Hazards

Extreme Weather

School buses

PASSINGBEFORE PASSING ASK YOURSELF….

•Why do we pass other vehicles?

•Why is a pass dangerous?

•What should you consider before executing a pass?

LEFT-HAND TURNS

HOW DO

YOU STOP?

TRAFFIC CIRCLES

RULES OF SAFE BACKING

HANDICAPPED PARKING

Prevention Choice Personal responsibility Know the risk♦ ♦ ♦

Plan your route Maintain your vehicle Focus your attention♦ ♦

♦Minimize your distractions Know your surroundings♦

♦ Share your space Watch your speed Keep your distance Signal ♦ ♦ ♦

your intentions ♦

Always wear your seat belt

Adjust Adjust Adjust♦ ♦

What can you control?

•Maine Bureau of Highway Safety •http://www.maine.gov/dps/bhs/•National Highway Traffic Administration •http://www.nhtsa.gov/•Maine State Legislature• http://www.maine.gov/legis/•AAA Northern New England •http://www.nne.aaa.com/en-nne/driving-resources/Pages/index.aspx•National Safety Council•http://www.nsc.org/Pages/Home.aspx

•Maine Department of Transportation •http://www.maine.gov/mdot/•Maine Transportation Safety Coalition•http://www.themtsc.org/•Governors Highway Safety Administration• www.ghsa.org•Distraction.gov•www.distraction.gov•Ford Driving Skills For Life•https://www.drivingskillsforlife.com

RESOURCES