ptl. craig wilson traffic safety unit (609)525-9137...

Ptl. Craig Wilson

Traffic Safety Unit

(609)525-9137

cwilson@ocnj.us

Ocean City Employee

Defensive Driving Class

Define Defensive Driving

• Driving to save lives, time, and money, in spite of the conditions around you and the actions of others."[1] This definition is taken from the National Safety Council's Defensive Driving Course. It is a form of training for motor vehicle drivers that goes beyond mastery of the rules of the road and the basic mechanics of driving. Its aim is to reduce the risk of collision by anticipating dangerous situations, despite adverse conditions or the mistakes of others. This can be achieved through adherence to a variety of general rules, as well as the practice of specific driving techniques.

BACKING • The number 1 cause of accidents that Involve city employees

• Your rearview mirror only covers 25% of view

• Turn your head completely around

• When backing trailers or large vehicles it is best practice to have another person stand outside and guide the driver

• Drivers should not put themselves into unnecessary backing situations

• Walking around a vehicle gives a driver firsthand view of the backing area and any limitations. They can check for children, soft or muddy areas, potholes, tire hazards, and other dangers.

STOP SIGNS

STOP SIGNS

• USE THE S.T.O.P METHOD TO ENSURE COMPLETE STOP AND TURN HEAD AT EVERY LETTER • ENSURES VEHICLE IS AT FULL STOP

• ENHANCES VISION OF TRAFFIC

• TWO WAY STOP SIGN INTERSECTIONS • THE DRIVER WHO IS GOING STRAIGHT ALWAYS HAS THE RIGHT OF WAY NO MATTER

WHO ARRIVES FIRST

• FOUR WAY STOP SIGN INTERSECTIONS • THE DRIVER WHO ARRIVES FIRST AT THE INTERSECTION HAS THE RIGHT OF WAY

• WHEN TWO VEHICLES ARRIVE AT THE SAME TIME THE ONE ON THE RIGHT HAS THE RIGHT OF WAY.

STOP SIGN RESPONSIBILITIES

• ACCORDING TO N.J.S.A 39:4-144 THERE ARE TWO RESPONIBILITIES REGARDING STOP SIGNS

• (1) THE DRIVER MUST COME TO A FULL COMPLETE STOP

• (2) THE DRIVER MUST YIELD TO TRAFFIC BEFORE PROCEEDING INTO THE INTERSECTION

• EMERGENCY VEHICLES ARE NOT EXCEPT FROM ABOVE RESPONSIBILITIES

STOP SIGN TRAGETY THAT HAPPENED IN UPPER TOWNSHIP IN 2006 WITH A PUBLIC EMPLOYEE

LANE CHANGES

• USE THE THREE POINT METHOD AFTER SIGNALING • (1) REARVIEW

• (2) SIDEVIEW MIRROR

• (3) TURN HEAD

• MIRRORS SHOULD BE ADJUSTED SO YOU CAN SEE THE EDGE OF YOUR DOOR

• Before changing lanes, scanning the road ahead and checking what other drivers are doing is vitally important and become familiar with, your life may depend on it!

LANE CHANGES CONT.

• When it comes to defensive driving, lane change techniques and signaling correctly are important skills to learn and implement into your daily driving. Make sure these are skills YOU learn

•

FOLLOWING TOO CLOSE

• ONE OF THE LEADING CONTRIBUTING FACTORS FOR ACCIDENTS

• SERIOUS OFFENSE IN NEW JERSEY • 5 POINT VIOLATION

• POSSIBLE LICENSE SUSPENSION

• USE THE 3 SECOND RULE WHEN FOLLOWING VEHICLES

ACCIDENTS

WHEN USING CITY OWNED VEHICLES IMMEDIATELY REPORT EVERY ACCIDENT TO YOUR SUPERVISOR NO MATTER HOW MINOR

ALWAYS CHECK FOR INJURIES AND ASSIT WITH FIRST AID UNTIL EMERGENCY PERSONNEL ARRIVE

ASK WITNESSES TO REMAIN ON SCENE UNTIL POLICE ARRIVE

WHEN MINOR IN NATURE PULL VEHICLE OFF THE ROADWAY

INTERSECTIONS

• 39:4-90 STATES THAT VEHICLES GOING STRAIGHT WITHIN AN INTERSECTION HAS THE RIGHT OF WAY

A.B.S

• LOCK ON AND OFF 1000 TIMES PER MINUTE WHICH ALLOWS DRIVER TO STEER

• CAUSES VIBRATION IN BRAKE PEDAL • KEEP STEADY PRESSURE ON PEDAL

With A.B.S you can steer your vehicle

AIRBAGS

• Designed to only inflate in moderate to severe crashes

• Airbags are normally designed with the intention of supplementing the protection of an occupant who is correctly restrained with a seatbelt

• Newer side impact airbag modules consist of compressed air cylinders that are triggered in the event of a side impact vehicle impact.

• SHOULD KEEP HANDS ON STEERING WHEEL AT THE 3 AND 9 POSITIONS

• Drivers should be at least 10 inches from the steering wheel

AIRBAGS

SEATBELTS

• Protect you by absorbing the crash force and keeping you in the vehicle

• The most effective means of reducing deaths and serious injuries in traffic crashes

• Never place a seat belt behind your back or under your arm

• On January 18, 2010, legislation was signed into law requiring all occupants to buckle up, regardless of their seating position in a vehicle

• FOUR TIMES MORE LIKELY TO RECEIVE PERMINET NECK AND BACK INJURIES IF UNRESTRAINED IN SEVERE MVA

EQUIPMENT

• POOR MAINTANINED EQUIPMENT MAY CAUSE ACCIDENTS

• BALD TIRES

• BRAKE FAILURE

• LAMPS,HEADLIGHTS,BRAKE LIGHTS

• DISFUNCTIONAL WINDSHIELD WIPERS

• REPORT ALL VEHICLE EQUIPMENT HAZARDS SO REPAIRS CAN BE MADE

Efficiently Driving

• Aggressive driving • Speeding, rapid acceleration and braking wastes fuel • Can lower your gas mileage by 33% at highway speeds and by 5% around

town.

• Speeding • Gas mileage rapidly decreases for speeds over 50 MPH • Each 5 MPH you drive over 50 MPH is like paying an additional $0.19 per

gallon of gas.

• Remove excess weight

an extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your mpg by 1%

Driving Efficiently

• Avoid excessive idling • Idling can use a quarter to a half gallon of fuel per hour.

• Turn your engine off when your vehicle is parked • It only takes about ten seconds of fuel to restart your vehicle

• How to improve hot weather fuel economy • Don’t use the AC more than need or set the temperature lower than needed

• Park in the shade or use sunshade so that the cabin doesn’t get hot

• Drive with the windows open for a short time before using AC

• Don’t idle with AC running before driving

SPEEDING

• CREATES BAD IMPRESSION TO PUBLIC WHEN CITY VEHICLES SPEED • Speeding is a factor in 31 percent of all fatal crashes, killing an average of

1,000 Americans every month • According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA),

which estimates the cost to society of speed-related crashes to be more than $40 billion each year.

• INCREASES STOPPING DISTANCE OF YOUR VEHICLE • MAY BE CHARGED WITH 2C:11-5 DEATH BY AUTO IF SPEED IS

CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO FATAL ACCIDENT OR ASSAULT BY AUTO IF SEVERE INJURY SUSTAINED

• KINETIC ENERGY IS THE MAIN FORCE THAT KILLS

TRAFFIC SIGNALS

• EVERY DRIVER MUST BRING VEHICLE TO A STOP WHEN A RED SIGNAL IS PRESENT

• IF TRAFFIC SIGNAL IS NOT OPERATING THE DRIVER MUST OBSERVE THE REQUIREMENT AS IF A FOUR WAY STOP SIGN INTERSECTION

• WHEN YELLOW/AMBER WHEN SHOWN ALONE MEANS TRAFFIC MUST STOP BEFORE ENTERING THE INTERSECTION UNLESS WHEN THE AMBER APPEARS THE VEHICLE IS SO CLOSE TO THE INTERSECTION THAT IT CANNOT BE STOPPED IN SAFETY. (39:4-105)

• NO TURN ON RED: 3 POINT DMV VIOLATION

BICYCLES

• MOST PEDALCYCLISTS ASSUME THAT THEY ARE PEDESTRIANS

• 39:4-14.1 STATES • EVERY PERSON RIDING A BICYCLE UPON A ROADWAY SHALL BE SUBJECT TO

ALL OF THE DUTIES APPLICABLE TO THE DRIVER OF A VEHICLE BY CHAPTER FOUR OF TITLE 39. MUST REMAIN TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROADWAY.

• BICYCLES ALSO MUST BE EQUIPED WITH LIGHTS AND REFLECTORS AT NIGHT

• Anyone under the age of seventeen (17) riding a bike, even a passenger, must be wearing a properly fitted and fastened bicycle helmet

BICYCLES CONT.

3900 block of West Avenue

PEDESTRIANS

• 39:4-34 PEDESTRIANS SHALL CROSS THE ROADWAY WITHIN A CROSSWALK. DOES NOT HAVE TO BE MARKED CROSSWALK. • SOME PEDESTRIANS BELIEVE THAT THEY ALWAYS HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY.

• 39:4-36 STATES THAT EVERY DRIVER SHALL YIELD THE RIGHT OF WAY TO A PEDESTRIAN CROSSING THE ROADWAY WITHIN ANY UNMARKED CROSSWALK AT AN INTERSECTION AND SHALL REMAINED STOPPED UNTIL PEDESTRIAN HAS CROSSED. $200 FINE PLUS 2 DMV POINTS

• ALSO STATES THAT PEDESTRIANS MUST USE DUE CARE FOR HIS/HER SAFETY

PARKING

• BLOCKING STOP SIGNS AND PARKING TOO CLOSE TO INTERSECTIONS COULD CASUE SEVERE ACCIDENTS

• IMPROPER PARKING OF CITY VEHICLES GIVES BAD IMPRESSION TO THE PUBLIC

CELL PHONES

• DO NOT USE WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION

• CURRENTLY $130 FINE • LEGISLATOR IS CONSIDERING ISSUING POINTS AND RAISING FINES TO $200

FOR FIRST OFFENSE AND $400 FOR 2ND

• IF A FATALITY OCCURS THE DRIVER MAY BE CHARGED WITH 2C:11-5 DEATH BY AUTO • 2ND DEGREE CRIME

• 5 TO 10 YEARS IN PRISON

RECENT CELL PHONE LAWS

• THE NEW JERSEY LEGISLATOR RECENTLY UPGRADED THE FINES FOR CELL PHONE VIOLATION • 1ST OFFENSE: $200.00

• 2ND OFFENSE: $400.00

• 3RD OFFENSE: UP TO $600.00 FINE PLUS 3 M.V.C POINTS

DISTRACTED DRIVING

• Toni Bolis and her unborn son were killed only two days before she was to give birth. The driver, a 21 year old, admitted to looking down at his GPS before crashing. In a plea deal, the driver was fined $257.00, lost his driving license for 1 year and has a 15 day suspended prison sentence if he speaks at 3 anti-distracted driving presentations with Toni’s sister, Angela Donato.

• 1983 - 2011

Distracted Driving

FATAL ACCIDENTS

• Most people assume that we die in car accidents from the crush of the car.

• Fact: Kinetic energy is what kills humans in motor vehicle crashes • Delta V: sudden chance in Velocity

• A car traveling at 50 M.P.H that weighs 3000 pounds creates 250,000 pounds of Kinetic energy while moving forward

• When the car strikes a large object (large Tree) Delta V occurs and the energy is reversed into the passenger compartment of the vehicle.

• A Delta V at 29 M.P.H creates enough force to kill a human instantly