On roads, that have more than one lane and a speed limit of 80km/h, drivers are to keep on the left lane and can only go on the right lane in certain conditions, such as:
Overtaking
Turning right
Making a U-turn from the centre of the road
Traffic in every lane is congested
Traffic sign requiring driver to be in right lane.
Tailgating:
Tailgating is where the front rear of a car is too close to the car in front of it. This is where the risks of crashing are increased, as there is less chance for the car to suddenly stop without damage if in need to. In NSW the most common cause for serious crashes are due to tailgating, this is as there is a constant speed happening by the driver in front and then when they stop, the driver behind who is coming too close to the driver in front can not brake fast enough and so they result in hitting the back of the car.
Question 2
Drugs and alcohol:
Drugs and alcohol can affect the behaviour of a driver as it affects the brain and the central nervous system. This is due to alcohol being a depressant drug, which is a drug that slows down the messages between the brain and the body. Like any drug or substance taken, the amounts in which you have will vary in the effect.
Alcohol affects a drivers driving by resulting in:
Impaired vision
Slower than usual reaction time
Minimum concentration and awareness
Feeling of drowsiness
No care for obeying the rules on the road
Over confidence, leading to risk taking by the driver.
Staying in one lane (the right lane) is difficult for the driver
Driving whilst intoxicated can greatly determine your fate. It is when drunk driving that there is a higher risk of crashing causing damage to not only the driver, but also the passengers.
Fatigue:
This is when a driver is most at risk of an accident, because the body and mind has not had enough time to recuperate and re energize itself.
Fatigue affects a driver as:
Reduced performance when driving
Loss of concentration
Slower reaction time
Weakened judgement of situations on the road
Bigger probability of falling asleep
Feelings of drowsiness
Things contributing to the fatigue are:
Long periods awake
Poor sleeping quality
Out of order schedule
Stress
Lifestyle/ eating habits
Not enough rest in the day
20-30% of all fatal accidents on the road are due to fatigue driving. It is said that a driver who has been awake for 17 hours has the driving ability of one who is under the influence of alcohol.
Mobile phones being in use:
Due to the increase of accidents happening because of mobile phones, the laws have been placed to reduce the fatal accidents. The main age group, who suffer from using their phones whilst driving, is from 17-39 years. In the last 5 years research shows that in result of having their phone in use, at least 216 crashes have occurred, 100 of them resulting in someone being killed.
By using mobile phones on the road, it can:
Lower your ability to stay in the correct lane
Reduce your ability to maintain the correct speed.
Distraction for traffic signals
Distract your mind from what it is meant to be concentrating on
Impair your awareness of what’s happening around you
Speeding:
Speeding is the action of going past a set speed limit. When driving on the road, if a driver’s car speed increases so does the drivers reaction time, and the ability to stop the car if in need to is lessened.
The most important ability when driving a car is the reaction time and braking distance. The reaction time is where the driver has time to stop what he/she is doing and look for either hazard signs or pedestrians. It is the responding time, to what is happening around them, ad assess what’s there. The braking distance is the right amount of distance that is needed for a car to come to a safe stop, without crashing into the car in front or anything around.
