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Driving
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Driving is the controlled operation of a land vehicle, usually a motor vehicle such as a truck, boat, or car. Although direct operation of a bicycle, a mounted animal (not including chariot operation) or a motorcycle (at least in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada) is commonly called riding, such operators are usually considered to be drivers in a legal sense and required to obey those rules of the road which apply to all drivers.
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Driving in traffic is more than just knowing how to operate the mechanisms which control the vehicle; it requires knowing how to apply the rules of the road (which govern safe and efficient sharing with other users). An effective driver also has an intuitive understanding of the basics of vehicle handling.
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This article does not cite any references or sources. (October 2007) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
In terms of the basic physical tasks required, a driver must be able to control direction, acceleration, and deceleration. For motor vehicles, the detailed tasks include:
- Starting the vehicle's engine with the starting system
- Setting the transmission to the correct gear
- Depressing the pedals with one's feet to accelerate, slow, and stop the vehicle, and if the vehicle is equipped with a manual transmission, to modulate the clutch
- Steering the vehicle's direction with the steering wheel
- Operating other important ancillary devices such as the indicators, headlights, windshield wipers, and operating the stick shift in some cases when the vehicle is not an automatic
- Watching the road conditions in all directions around the vehicle (including frequent checks behind the vehicle using mirrors) to monitor the relative location of other vehicles (including bicycles), and pedestrians
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This article does not cite any references or sources. (October 2007) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
Driver error is an important factor in collisions, which result in the death of many thousands of people annually (see also car accident). Preventing collisions involves more than just fong the rules of the road literally; defensive driving also involves the cultivation of good habits, maintaining attention, and a thoughtful, cooperative attitude. One of the latest researches showed that music could also affect the driver's attention on the road: classic music leads to clamness, while hard-rock makes the driver accelerate. Both could lead to car accidents, since both make the driver lose concentration.[1]
Avoiding or successfully handling an emergency driving situation can involve any of the following skills:
- Reversing
- Decision Making
- Evasive maneuvers
- Inflating the tires properly
- Pursuit driving
- Proper hand placement and seating position
- Skid control
- Steering and braking techniques
- Understanding vehicle dynamics
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This article does not cite any references or sources. (October 2007) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
In most countries, the use of public roads is heavily governed by law. Laws cover the construction and maintenance of roads, the construction and use of vehicles, the rules of the road, the requirements for motorist licensing (see Driver's license), vehicle registration (see License plate), vehicle taxation, safety inspections and compulsory insurance for heavy motor vehicles. These laws reflect the high degree of responsibility which is imposed upon both the drivers and manufacturers of vehicles (especially heavy motor vehicles) to make them as safe in use as they can possibly be.
Motorists are almost universally required to take lessons with an approved instructor and pass a driving test before being granted a license. The trend has been towards increasingly tougher tests in recent decades. Almost all countries allow all adults with good vision to apply to take a driving test and, if successful, to drive on public roads. Saudi Arabia, however, bans women from driving vehicles (whether pedal or motor powered) on public roads. Saudi women have periodically staged driving protests against these restrictions.
In many countries, even after passing one's driving test, new motorists may be initially subject to special restrictions. For example, in Australia, novice drivers are required to carry "P" ("provisional") plates, and are subject to lower speed limits, alcohol limits, and other restrictions for their first two years of driving. This varies between states.
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This article does not cite any references or sources. (October 2007) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
The minimum age required to be a motorist varies depending on the country. The most common age is 18. Here are the ages required in some countries (in alphabetical order), note that some regions of the countries may start at a different age than other regions, this is just the minimum age requirement to drive.
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