"Safe and Responsible Driving" Flashcards
What is the major cause of collisions?
Breaking the rules of the road. (Traffic laws and driving practices)
Who are traffic laws made by?
Federal, provincial, and municipal goverments
What happens if you break a traffic law?
You can be fined, sent to jail, or lose your driver’s licence.
If you get caught driving while your license is suspended, your vehicle may be impounded.
What is defensive or strategic driving?
Seeing dangerous situations before they happen.
Responding to them quickly and efficiently in order to prevent them.
What is defensive driving based on? (3 things)
Visibility, space and communication
What is visibility?
*Visibility is about seeing and being seen.
*Being aware of traffic in front, behind and beside you. Eyes are constantly moving, scanning the road ahead and to the side.
*Make sure drivers can see you by using your signal lights as required.
How often should you check your mirrors?
~ every 5 seconds or so
Why is it important to manage the space around you?
Managing the space around your vehicle
*lets you see and be seen
*gives you time and space to avoid a collision
Why is it important to communicate with other road users?
Communicating with other road users means that they see you and know what you are doing/going to do.
(So, signal whenever you can, make eye contact, use your horn)
What must you be comfortable with before you drive? (3 things)
*Physical, mental and emotional state
*Your vehicle
*Conditions in which you’ll be driving
What is the proper driving position?
*Sit high enough in the driver’s seat to see over the steering wheel and hood
*See the ground 4 metres in front of the vehicle.
*Sitting upright in the seat, elbows slightly bent.
*Feet t reach the pedals easily. (Feet should be able to sit flat on the floor without stretching)
*Back of your head should be directly in front the middle of the headrest.
What does keeping a clear view mean?
Do not put anything in your windows that will block your view. The windows of your vehicle must not be coated with any material that keeps you from seeing out in any direction. Neither should the windshield or front-door windows be coated to keep someone from seeing inside.
What can you do to prevent or make your blind spots as small as possible?
Adjust your mirrors.
*Position the interior mirror so that the centre of the mirror shows the centre of the rear window.
*Position the right outside mirror by leaning to the centre of the vehicle and moving the mirror so that you can again just see the rear of your car.
*Avoid overlap in what you can see in your mirrors.
*Turn your head to do shoulder checks
Where are your blind spots?
Back left and back right of the vehicle.
What is the fine for not wearing a seatbelt?
Up to $1000, and 2 demerit points. Drivers may also be fined and receive demerit points if they fail to ensure passengers under 16 are not properly buckled in. Drivers who do not ensure there is a working seatbelt for every passenger can lose their license for at least 30 days.
When must you wear a seatbelt?
Always. You must use your seatbelt every time you travel in any vehicle equipped with seatbelts. All passengers must be buckled up in their own seatbelt, child car seat or booster seat.
What are the safety precautions for infants who weigh less than 9kg (20lbs)?
Must be buckled into a rear-facing child car seat attached to the vehicle by a seatbelt or the UAS strap. It must always be installed in the back seat.
What are the safety precautions for toddlers 9-18kg (20-40lbs)?
*Must be buckled into a child car seat attached to the vehible by a seatbelt or UAS strap; the seat’s tether strap must also be attached to the vehicle’s tether anchor.
*Children weighing more than 9kgs (20lbs) may remain in a rear-facing child car seat if it is designed to accomodate the child’s height and weight.
*Booster seats provide 60% more protection than seatbelts alone. These may be used by pre-school and primary-grade children who have outgrown their forward-facing child car seat, are under the age of 8 and weigh 18kg (40lbs) or more, but less than 36kg (80lbs) and who are less than 145cm (4’9”) tall.
What are the requirements of a booster seat?
*Booster seats provide 60% more protection than seatbelts alone.
*May be used by pre-school and primary-grade children who have outgrown their forward-facing child car seat
*Under the age of 8 and are 18kg (40lbs) +, but < than 36kg (80lbs) and who are < than 145cm (4’9”) tall.
*Must use with a lap/shoulder belt
*Never use a lap belt alone with a booster seat (just use a lap belt if there is no shoulder belt)
When can a child begin wearing just a seatbelt?
*When they are able to wear it properly
And if any one of the following criteria is met:
*Child turns 8 years old
*Weighs 36kgs (80lbs) or more
*Is 145cm (4’9”) tall or taller
(The safest place for a child under 13 is in the back seat)
How far must your headlights shine?
150 metres in front (strong enough to light up objects 110 metres away).
Your red rear lights should be seen from 150 metres away.
When should you switch to low beams?
Switch from high to low within 150 metres of an oncoming vehicle. Use low beams when you are less than 60 metres behind another vehicle (unless you are passing it)
What time must your headlights be on?
Between half-hour before sunset, and half-hour after sunrise, and any other time of poor light conditions (fog, snow or rain), which keeps you seeing people or vehicles less than 150 m away.
