Page 31 - Georgia Commercial Drivers Manual 2020
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2SECTION : DRIVING SAFETY
services, e-mailing, instant messaging, a com- Be very careful when passing a driver who • Avoid gestures. Keep you hands on the wheel.
mand or request to access a World Wide Web seems to be distracted. The other driver may Avoid making any gestures that might anger
page, or engaging in any other form of electronic not be aware of your presence, and they may another driver, even seemingly harmless ex-
text retrieval or entry, for present or future com- drift in front of you. pressions of irritation like shaking your head.
munication.
2.10 – Aggressive Drivers/ • Be a cautious and courteous driver. If another
Electronic device includes, but is not limited Road Rage driver seems eager to get in front of you, say,
to, a cellular telephone; personal digital assis- “Be my guest.” This response will soon be-
tant; pager; computer; or any other device used 2.10.1 – What Is It? come a habit and you won’t be as offended
to enter, write, send, receive, or read text. Aggressive driving and road rage is not a by other drivers’ actions.
Your CDL will be disqualified after two or new problem. However, in today’s world, where 2.10.3 – What You Should Do
more convictions of any state law on texting heavy and slow-moving traffic and tight sched- When Confronted by an
while operating a CMV. Disqualifications is 60 ules are the norm, more and more drivers are Aggressive Driver
days for the second offense within 3 years and taking out their anger and frustration in their
120 days for three or more offenses within 3 vehicles. • First and foremost, make every attempt to
years. In addition, the first and each subsequent get out of their way.
violation of such a prohibition are subject to Crowded roads leave little room for error,
civil penalties imposed on such drivers, in an leading to suspicion and hostility among driv- • Put your pride in the back seat. Do not chal-
amount up to $2,750. No motor carrier shall ers and encouraging them to take personally lenge them by speeding up or attempting to
allow or require its drivers to engage in texting the mistakes of other drivers. hold-your-own in your travel lane.
while driving. There is an emergency exception
that allows you to text if necessary to commu- Aggressive driving is the act of operating a • Avoid eye contact.
nicate with law enforcement officials or other motor vehicle in a selfish, bold, or pushy manner, • Ignore gestures and refuse to react to them.
emergency services. without regard for the rights or safety of others. • Report aggressive drivers to the appropriate
Evidence shows that the odds of being in- Road rage is operating a motor vehicle with authorities by providing a vehicle descrip-
volved in a safety-critical event (e.g., crash, the intent of doing harm to others or physically tion, license number, location and, if possible,
near-crash, unintentional lane deviation) is 23.2 assaulting a driver or their vehicle. direction of travel.
times greater for CMV drivers who engage in • If you have a cell phone, and can do it safely,
textng while driving that for those who do not. 2.10.2 – Don’t Be an call the police.
Sending or receiving text takes your eyes from Aggressive Driver • If an aggressive driver is involved in a crash
the road for an average of 4.6 seconds. At 55 farther down the road, stop a safe distance
mph, you would travel 371 feet, or the length How you feel before you even start your ve- from the crash scene, wait for the police to
of an entire football field - without looking at hicle has a lot to do with how stress will affect arrive, and report the driving behavior that
the roadway. you while driving. you witnessed.
• Reduce your stress before and while you
2.9.4 – W atch Out for Other 2.11 – Driving at Night
Distracted Drivers drive. Listen to “easy listening” music.
• Give the drive your full attention. Don’t allow 2.11.1 – It’s More Dangerous
You need to be able to recognize other drivers You are at greater risk when you drive at
who are engaged in any form of driving distrac- yourself to become distracted by talking on
tion. Not recognizing other distracted drivers your cell phone, eating, etc. night. Drivers can’t see hazards as quickly as
can prevent you from perceiving or reacting • Be realistic about your travel time. Expect in daylight, so they have less time to respond.
correctly in time to prevent a crash. Watch for: delays because of traffic, construction, or bad Drivers caught by surprise are less able to avoid
• Vehicles that may drift over the lane divider weather and make allowances. a crash.
• If you’re going to be later than you expected
lines or within their own lane. – deal with it. Take a deep breath and accept The problems of night driving involve the
• Vehicles traveling at inconsistent speeds. the delay. driver, the roadway, and the vehicle.
• Drivers who are preoccupied with maps, • Give other drivers the benefit of the doubt.
Try to imagine why he or she is driving that 2.11.2 – Driver Factors
food, cigarettes, cell phones, or other objects. way. Whatever their reason, it has nothing Vision. People can’t see as sharply at night or
• Drivers who appear to be involved in con- to do with you. in dim light. Also, their eyes need time to adjust
• Slow down and keep your following distance to seeing in dim light. Most people have noticed
versations with their passengers. reasonable. this when walking into a dark movie theater.
Give a distracted driver plenty of room and • Don’t drive slowly in the left lane of traffic.
maintain your safe following distance. Good vision is critical for safe driving. Your
control of the brake, accelerator, and steering
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE wheel is based on what you see. If you cannot
see clearly, you will have trouble identifying
Subsections 2.9 and 2.10 traffic and roadway conditions, spotting po-
tential trouble or responding to problems in a
• What are some tips to follow so you won’t • What is the difference between timely manner.
become a distracted driver? aggressive driving and road rage?
Because seeing well is so critical to safe
• How do you use in-vehicle • What should you do when confronted driving, you should have your eyes checked
communications equipment cautiously? with an aggressive driver? regularly by an eye specialist. You may never
know you have poor vision unless your eyes
• How do you recognize a distracted • What are some things you can do to are tested. If you need to wear glasses or contact
driver? reduce your stress before and while you lenses for driving, remember to.
drive?
Always wear them when driving, even if
These questions may be on the test. If you can’t answer them all, re-read subsections 2.9 driving short distances. If your driver license
and 2.10. says corrective lenses are required, it is illegal to
move a vehicle without using corrective lenses.
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