What Is Involved In Driving?

To control the movement of your car, you must be skilled in using the steering wheel, gas pedal, and brakes. You must also be able to change gears, to signal, and to use the various safety devices. All of these skills will require good coordination between your feet, hands, eyes, and ears. This coordination must become so well developed that it is almost automatic. Then, your mind is freed to attend to the many traffic events taking place around your automobile.

Safe control of a motor vehicle requires adequate space, adequate traction, and adequate visibility. Such conditions of the roadway will need to be identified well in advance of your vehicle. In addition to these roadway conditions, you must identify the actions of other drivers and pedestrians. The real problem you face is that all these conditions of the roadway and traffic are changing. And, it is the changes in these conditions that must be spotted well in advance and responded to. Once you see the changes coming up, then you must decide what to do about them.

All of these mental and physical requirements make driving a complicated and demanding activity. Therefore, in a moving car with lives at stake, you will need to have habits and skills that pay off. Your mind must be trained to think correctly and responsibly for any traffic situation you will face. The test of the safe driver comes in that split second when a tight situation comes up. It is then that drivers will need well established habit patterns to see them through. If these mental habit patterns are not strong enough, then the result may be a near miss or a collision.

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