Understanding and managing driving risk Risk in life in general

Driving a car is up to 5x more risky (of fatality) than catching bus/train But driving a car is more convenient and faster (in some cases)

Labour in the household: - loss of ability to do normal housework Notice how funeral costs are the cheapest relative to other costs For all crashes reported to police, 1/50 involves a fatality in the NSW

Driver crash risks by age, experience and gender

Transition from P1 P2, risks are reduced First 6 months of solo driving is the most dangerous period of driving Male drivers at greater risk than females mainly because they drive almost twice as many Km than females and are willing to take more risks

KEY POINTS SUMMARY: consequences of road crashes

Road crashes cost the community a lot of money Most crash victims dont die only about 1 in 50 in NSW many live with the physical and mental consequences for the rest of their lives Most costs goes into long term care of injured people at 24% Loss of quality of life is the next biggest cost at 21%

Understanding and managing driving risk

You have a responsibility to yourself and other road users to become a low risk driver

Risk management Who are you as a driver and a person

Some driving risk results from: Who you are What you think How you look at the world The rest comes from external sources (eg. road conditions, weather and action/inaction of other road users)

KEY POINTS SUMMARY: understanding risk

Almost all activities in life carry some risk of death or injury Driving a car is one of the riskiest things people do everyday Male drivers generally have a higher risk than female drivers as males drive more and may take more risks Younger, less experienced drivers carry more risk than older, more experienced ones Drivers can manage their risk

Confidence and Overconfidence

Overconfidence feeling that you are a better driver than you really are Contributes to many crashes in first 5 yrs of driving Underestimation of the risks of negative outcomes Boosted every time you speed w/o getting caught ~20 provisional drivers and 1 in 50 NSW full license drivers are involved in an injury crash reported to police each year Risk of being booked is 2000 times greater than being killed in a crash So if you drive in an unsafe manner, u might not crash/die/injure urself, but you are very likely to get booked/pay fine/get demerits/lose your license, etc.

The consequences of road crashes

Road crashes in Australia cost the community on average (per year): Fatal crash: $1.7 million

Serious injury crash (requiring hospital treatment):

$408,000 Minority injury crash: $14,000

Property damage only crash: $6,000

Most costs relate to the cost of long-term care for you or other injured people (24%):

How good a driver do you think you are?

Findings from research: Male drivers think theyre better than other drivers of the same age and experience (ie. most males, esp <25yo, are overconfident in driving) Women are less cocky (ie. theyre not as overconfident as males)

KEY POINTS SUMMARY: RISK MANAGEMENT

Confidence is OK, but overconfidence can make u believe u are a better driver than you really are Overconfidence makes u underestimate the risk of negative outcomes such as crashes or being injured/killed Male drivers are more likely to rate themselves better than others this may encourage overconfidence and increased crash risk Risk of getting booked for a traffic offence is >2000 times greater than being killed in a crash

Long term care: - for you or other injured people Quality of life: - not being able to do the things you want to do/could do before the crash Labour in the workplase: - loss of ability to work (and earn money)

Causes of crashes and acceptance of mistakes

Drivers tend to attribute all or most of the blame for a crash to the other driver, the road, the weather, etc. but little to themselves. Eg.

Many drivers involved in crashes dont want to admit that they might have done the wrong thing External attribution = you blame other things/people for what happens Internal attribution = you accept blame or the reason that things happen to yourself The best situation is where you can accept the things that are down to you

Motivation and Driving behaviour

Motivation varies depending on your mood and how important or attractive something is to you. Motivation affects how you drive Due to the damage to my care I think it was going quite fast. I reckon he could have missed me anyway, if hes an experienced rider Driver of car A When people make insurance claims, they tend to avoid taking the blame External attribution: - attribution of blame to things outside of yourself Internal attribution: - assigning blame to yourself Research suggests: safe drivers are people who can honestly recognise what is their fault and what is others fault

Eg. you might be running late, and you decide to speed and take a few risks. But wouldnt necessarily be the case if u had plenty of time to spare to get somewhere

Research shows: drivers who feel pressured by time/deadlines are more likely to speed and take risks. Such drivers will often justify their reasons for speeding by such pressures for time Research also shows: Young male drivers are more likely than women to let their emotions dictate how they drive (eg. will be more likely to jump in a car and drive around aggressively when upset) People who are motivated to speed for the thrill of it are more likely to get booked by police Most people are not primarily motivated by safety when they drive They just want to get from A to B as quickly as possible

Drivers are people and people make mistakes

Most crashes are due to human error: eg. Failing to see another car at an intersection Changing lanes without looking More than 90% of crashes are due to some sort of human involvement:

KEY POINTS SUMMARY: Motivation and Driving Motivation varies across people and across tasks incl.
driving Drivers who feel pressured by time or deadlines are more likely to speed and take risks to get from A to B quickly even people who normally drive more carefully may do things that are dangerous Young male drivers are more likely than women to let their emotions dictate how they drive Some people are motivated to drive fast and take deliberate risks to get a thrill or a buzz or just relieve boredom. Their crash risk is much higher than other drivers and they are more likely to get booked by police Driving is motivated mainly by the desire to get from A to B as quickly as possible, but no one wants to die, get hurt, or get booked in the process You need to recognise that motivation affects how you drive

Crash Research shows: - all drivers can and will make mistakes It is estimated that drivers make a mistake that: Could lead to a crash about every 3km Leads to a near crash about every 800km Leads to a crash about every 980,000 km Understanding that you will make a mistake is important in recognising the risks associated with driving without being conscious of it

Risk taking and driving Risk and sensation seeking

Risks are a part of everyday life. Some you can avoid; others you can minimise. To see what kind of risk taker you are, do to www.rta.nsw.gov.au/dqt/htm and click on sensation seeking scale (SSS) for a quiz to see how much of a thrill seeker you are. Men under 26 yrs generally have the highest scores

KEY POINTS SUMMARY: Causes of crashes and acceptance of mistakes

Risk taking, sensation seeking and driving

Research shows: High scores on SSS (ie. need for thrills and sensation) are associated with: Males Greater risk taking when driving Higher risk of crashing Higher risk of getting booked for unsafe driving (eg. speeding) Driving aggressively Speeding Not wearing seat belts Drink driving Overconfidence and thinking they wont get caught by police

Everyone is different Everyone requires different amount of drinks to reach the legal BAC limit of 0.05 Factors involve weight, gender, and how much alcohol youve consumed Women, Lower weight have higher chance of exceeding BAC limit

High risk driving behaviour

Some common risky driving behaviour: Exceeding the speed limit Tailgating Running red lights Negligent driving: imprisonment for up to 18 months Dangerous driving: imprisonment for 7-10 years

Hard to determine exactly how many drinks u can tolerate .: advised that drivers do not drink prior to driving and vice versa Research shows: most P drivers do not suddenly start drinking and driving when they move to full licence they can still drink, but continue to separate drinking from driving

Aggressive driving behaviour

Road rage: - retaliation at another driver who they think did wrong to them Includes: Assault and threatening other people and is an offence in NSW

KEY POINTS SUMMARY: Risk taking and driving

People vary in their willingness/need to take risks when they drive Drivers with high sensation seeking scale (SSS) scores are mostly male and may be more willing to take risks when driving and be at greater crash risk Risk taking may be OK in other activities but not when driving on the road Risk taking on the road is irresponsible All drivers make mistakes at some time, most of them unintentional Aggressive driving, including retaliating to the bad driving of others, is dangerous and increases the chance of a crash it may also get you into trouble with the police Negligent driving causing injury/death carries a prison term of ~18 months Dangerous driving causing injury or death carries a prison term of ~10 years

Alcohol reduces your ability to concentration Alcohol reduces your ability to look for and respond to hazards when driving Alcohol slows your reflexes when you need to take action eg. braking Alcohol increases likelihood of speeding and not noticing traffic signs/signals Alcohol makes driving in a straight line difficult Males more likely to drink and drive and be involved in alcoholrelated crashes than females Lots of women also drink and drive in NSW and many are involved in crashes that lead to death and injury

Alcohol and Driving

Alcohol is a major contributor to road crashes in NSW Alcohol contributes to: ~18% of fatal accidents and ~ 6% of injury causing accidents Drivers caught with positive BAC, half of those killed had BAC >0.15 Legal BAC limit for: Full license holder = 0.05 P2 driver = 0.00 (ie. strictly NO alcohol when driving)

Most crashes involving alcohol happen in high alcohol hours High alcohol hours: mostly weeknights (esp Thursday, Friday, Saturday nights) and weekends; 30% of fatal accidents during these hours are alcohol related

Low alcohol hours: <10% of fatal crashes are alcohol related Thus driving during weekends is more dangerous as other drivers are more likely to be affected by alcohol Drivers with alcohol in their blood are more likely to crash and also more likely to die if severely injured in a crash Treatment of injuries with alcohol within the blood is much harder

If police suspect you have been driving under the influence of a drug, they will check you for drugs. They may arrest you and take you to hospital so that you can give samples of your blood and urine. If you refuse to give blood and urine samples, you may be incurred the same pentalties as a high drink driving charge including: Heavy fines Loss of licence Prison terms

KEY POINTS SUMMARY: other drugs and driving

Drugs other than alcohol, including legal medicines and illegal drugs, can affect your ability to drive safely Your doctor or pharmacist (chemist) can advise on which medicines affect your ability to drive Illegal drugs carry no warnings and may affect your driving Penalties for driving under the influence of drugs include heavy fines, loss of licence and even prison

KEY POINTS SUMMARY: Alcohol and Driving Alcohol is a contributing factor in about 18% if fatal accidents
in 6% of those causing injury More than half the drivers killed have a BAC of 0.15 or more 3x the legal limit of 0.05 for full licence holders Staying below 0.05 is hard as not everyone takes the same number of alcoholic drinks to reach this limit Women and people of both sexes who dont weigh a lot get to higher BACs faster Men are more likely to drink and drive and more likely to be involved in alcohol related crashes Alcohol reduces your ability to concentrate and to look for and respond to hazards when driving Alcohol slows your reflexes when you need to take action such as braking Alcohol increases the risk of a crash. Even at a 0.05, crash risk is about twice what it is at zero The safest BAC for driving is zero About 30% of fatal accidents in high alcohol hours are alcohol related High alcohol hours are mostly weeknights (particularly Thursday and Friday nights) and weekends Drivers with alcohol in their blood are not only more likely to crash, but more likely to die if severely injured in a crash Staying with a zero BAC when driving gives you an edge. It is the safest BAC for driving regardless of your license type

Fatigue and Driving

Major contributor to road crashes Involved in ~20% of fatal accidents in NSW Major cost to NSW road toll Fatigue: experience of being sleepy Has a physiological and psychological effect on your ability to drive safely

Effects and signs of fatigue

Loss of concentration Drowsiness Yawning Slow reactions Sore or tired eyes Boredom Feeling irritable and restless Making fewer and larger steering corrections Missing road signs Having difficulty staying in the lane Unintentionally falling asleep for a few seconds or more and suddenly waking up (microsleeps) Microsleeps: - Unintentionally falling asleep for a few seconds or more and suddenly waking up; you may not even know youve been asleep and your eyes may not have closed

Other drugs and driving

Drugs other than alcohol can also affect your ability to drive safely: Pain killers Medicines for controlling BP, nausea, allergies, inflammations, and fungal infections Tranquilisers, sedatives, sleeping pills Some diet pills and cold and flu medicines Legal drugs that may affect your driving will be clearly labelled with warnings:

Fatigue and Crashes

Most fatigue related crashes occur on country roads in NSW (~75%) Remainder of fatigue related crashes occur in NSW metropolitan areas (~25%) High risk fatigue crash times: - early morning between 48am - afternoon between 12 noon 2pm These times are associated with dips in bodys natural rhythms

Driving distractions and crash risk

Distractions: divert attention from driving; increases risk of crash Research shows: 14% of all crashes involve driver being distracted by something inside/outside vehicle In 1/3rd of these where one vehicle needed to be towed away, the driver was distracted, asleep, or not attentive to driving task

79% of fatigue related crashes are associated with male driving. May be due to: Men driving more km per year than women Being in jobs that involve more driving Social patterns where men are more likely to do the driving when couples, families or groups are travelling by road Fatigue related crashes more likely during public holidays (10% per year) Drivers want to drive further and dont have enough time to rest before/during trips

Fatigue and sleep debt

Average amount of sleep a person needs is 8hrs. Reducing the number of hours of sleep accumulates a sleep debt Sleep debt = hours you need to sleep hours you actually DO sleep Accumulated sleep debt means tendency to fall asleep the next day Sleeping is the only way to reduce your sleep debt

Reducing the risk of fatigue related crashes

Get plenty of sleep avoid sleep debt Get a good nights sleep before a long trip Do not drive at times when you would normally sleep Avoid long drives after work Take regular breaks from driving Share the driving Pull over and stop when drowsiness, discomfort, or loss of concentration occurs Check if any meds are affecting your driving Avoid alcohol can make u sleepy Look out for early signs of fatigue Dont be too proud to break, or to let someone else drive

KEY POINTS SUMMARY: fatigue and driving

Fatigue refers to the experience of being sleepy, tired or exhausted Fatigue can severely impair your judgement when driving Fatigue is involved in about 20% of fatal accidents in NSW Fatigue operates a bit like alcohol in the way it increases the risk of being in a crash High risk times for fatigue-related crashes are early morning (4am~8am) and afternoon (12 noon ~ 2pm) Most drivers involved in fatigue related crashes are ale Fatigue related crashes are more likely to occur during public/school holidays Only effective way to avoid fatigue is to get plenty of sleep. Fresh air, coffee and loud music wont work

Sources of distractions
Some distracting activities that led to crashes

At least 14% of all crashes involve the driver being distracted by something Distractions that happen outside the vehicle account for about 30% of crash related distractions Distractions that happen inside the vehicle add up to about 36% of crash related distractions Distractions carry the highest risk when you are trying to do something complicated Reducing distractions inside the vehicle reduces your crash risk

Managing risk in the driving environment

Human factors ~60% of crashes Human error and environmental factors ~26% of all crashes Important to deal with changes and challenges in the road environment

Distractions from outside the vehicle ~30% Distractions from within the vehicle (~36%) 2 biggest distractions inside the vehicle are other passengers and adjusting the sound system

Passengers and crash risk

Adverse conditions (eg. bad roads, bad weather) ~3% Snow, ice, floods are obvious risks Most crashes are due to inability to adjust to changed environment

Night driving
Young drivers have higher crash risk when travelling with passengers of similar age than when travelling alone Very much the case with young males but risk is reduced when they drive with either a very older female passenger (eg. their mum) or their gf Darkness masks many of the visual cues to speed and traffic may also be lighter (ie. you might not notice that youre speeding when its dark) Night driving associated with: Recreational purposes (eg. going out to the pub with friends) Driving to unfamiliar places for recreation Lots of passengers in the car Combinations of such leads to higher risk of crash due to distractions and unfamiliarity

Driving to Distraction
When you are distracted or your attention is divided, you are more likely to make mistakes.

Reducing distractions means reducing crash risk

Turning off radio/stereo (esp. in new challenging traffic) Not using mobile phone when driving Remember: non-hands free while driving is illegal! Using hands fee mobile can be dangerous in complex traffic situations Collecting loose items inside vehicle and putting them in a bag/box/boot Asking passengers to keep quiet and not distract you Not attempting to adjust the radio or load CDs, particularly in complex traffic situations

Coping with adverse driving conditions

You cant control: Bad weather such as fog and rain Natural disasters such as snow storms and floods You can control: Your speed The space between your vehicle and others (increase the gap) Your visibility at night by turning on your headlights and by not using high been on other cars (ie. keep your lights on low beam)

KEY POINTS SUMMARY: Driving distractions and crash risk

Distractions divert attention from the driving task and increase the risk of crashing

KEY POINTS SUMMARY: managing risk in the driving environment

The combined contribution of human error and environmental factors accounts for ~26% of crashes Adverse conditions like bad roads and bad weather rarely cause crashes on their onw (~3% of all crashes) Speeding, drink driving and aggressive/risky driving behaviour are more common at night Controlling your speed and space around your vehicle are the main things that you can do to manage risk Driving with your headlights on low beam in daytime makes your vehicles easier to see and reduces your crash risk

This is worse at night/dull/overcast/raining weather Some pedestrians may be affected by alcohol behave unpredictably

Cyclists
Give all cyclists plenty of room when approaching or passing them Slow down/stop if you must They will be slow at negotiating intersections and making turns than motor vehicles They do not follow road rules so may make them more unexpected and harder to deal with as a driver

Expectancies and the unexpected: Revision

All drivers rely on expectancies (what they expect to happen) when they drive Full licence drivers are better at dealing with unexpected situations than novice drivers Unexpected events can lead to crashes when the driver relies on expectancies alone rather than other safe driving skills and hazard perception

Motorcyclists
Much smaller than cars Fit through most gaps in traffic and can accelerate faster than most cars Blend in well with traffic, masked by larger vehicles Can fit into blind spots to the left and right of your car The most common motorcycle collision are where another vehicle turns across the path of an oncoming motorcycle or where a turning motorcycle is struck by a vehicle going straight through Research shows: collisions involving car/motorcycle., the other driver claims not to have seen the motorcyclist Riders of motorcycles up to 27x higher risk of being killed than other types of vehicle reduce this risk by doing a head check

Coping with the unexpected

Scan well ahead of your car keep your eyes moving to the front, left and right Look for indicators on other vehicles Observe the head and eye movements of other drivers (eg. where are they looking?) Look for pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists that may be hidden or by other vehicles or objects check your blindspots Give yourself plenty of time to detect and cope with hazards and give space to take some action to avoid a crash Be cautious in situations that are new or different (eg. road works and crash scenes) Make your vehicle easier to see if it is dull, overcast or raining turn on your headlights, even during the day Slowing down is a good precaution as it gives you both time and space to cope with a hazard

Heavy vehicles
Usually easier to see than other vehicles due to their size Slower, take up more road space, need more room to make turns Other drivers often get in the way of trucks and buses (cut in front of them, drive head on into oncoming trucks when overtaking on highways) Car crashes with a truck that is 10~40x heavier than the car has high risk of death and injury most likely the death will be the driver of the car, and not the truck.

KEY POINTS SUMMARY: expectancies and the unexpected

Drivers often rely on expectancies when they drive Other drivers will make mistakes and do things that you dont expect To cope with the unexpected, use a scanning routine and keep a safe distance from other road users Give yourself plenty of time and space to cope Make your vehicle easier to see drive with your headlights on

Reducing the risk around trucks and buses

Avoid driving in blind spots of trucks and buses heavy vehicle drivers rely on their outside mirrors so they may not see vehicles travelling close behind them Avoid travelling close to trucks and buses as this blocks your view of the road and may help hide other road users from you Dont try to compete with them for the same piece of road. Give them plenty of room particularly when they are making a turn or braking When passing or overtaking a truck or bus, remember that it may be many times longer than a car and will, therefore, take longer to overtake or pass

Looking out for yourself and others

Vulnerable road users pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists Heavy vehicles trucks and buses

Vulnerable road users

Eg. pedestrian, cyclists, motorcyclists They have little protection in the event of a collision with a vehicle A crash that would normally just leave a scratch on your car could potentially kill vulnerable road users

Pedestrians
They are a lot smaller than vehicles and are harder to see