Kentucky · Handbook chapter 3 · 3 min read

Vision, hearing, fatigue, the three kinds of distraction, texting, emotions, aggressive driving and road rage, and warning signs for aging drivers, from the Kentucky Driver Manual.

Why this chapter matters

Driving is one of the riskiest things you will ever do, and your health and state of mind decide how well you do it. Expect questions on fatigue, distraction and road rage, with figures such as 7 to 9 hours, 100 miles or 2 hours and 4.6 seconds.

Vision and hearing

• Have your eyes checked regularly. If your license requires corrective lenses, always wear them when you drive.
• Do not wear dark or tinted lenses at night.
• Side vision lets you notice vehicles creeping up beside you, and judging distance tells you where you are among other traffic.
• Many people who see well by day struggle at night or with glare from oncoming headlights.
• Hearing warns you of horns, sirens and screeching tires. Drivers with hearing loss can rely more on their eyes, but an undiagnosed problem is a hidden risk.

Fatigue

Tiredness slows your decisions and affects your vision.

• Get enough sleep: most people need 7 to 9 hours.
• On long trips, stop about every 100 miles or 2 hours.
• Travel with a companion who can share the watch.
• Check medicine labels for drowsiness warnings.
• If you get sleepy, leave at the next exit or rest area and take a 15 to 20 minute nap. Caffeine before a short nap helps.
• The best cure is plenty of rest. Avoid driving late at night.

Distractions

A distraction is anything that pulls your attention from driving. NHTSA sorts distractions into three kinds:

Texting combines all three. Reading or sending a text takes your eyes off the road for about 4.6 seconds; at 55 mph you cover the length of a football field blind. Reaching for, dialing or texting on a phone about triples crash risk.

While driving: do not talk or text on a phone, avoid arguments and emotional conversations, avoid eating, buckle children properly, and put pets in a carrier.

Emotions, aggressive driving and road rage

Strong feelings such as anger, worry, fear or excitement interfere with your thinking and attention.

• If you are upset, cool off first; take a walk or a nap, or let someone else drive.
• Leave early so delays do not wind you up.
• Do not take other drivers' mistakes personally, and never vent with your vehicle.

Aggressive driving means deliberately driving in ways that endanger others: tailgating, abrupt lane changes, speeding, unsafe signaling and ignoring signs or signals. Road rage is uncontrolled anger that leads to violence or threats, and it is a crime.

If an enraged driver targets you, do not retaliate or argue. Pull off safely in a well-lit, public place and call the police.

Aging drivers

Consider a driving evaluation if more than one of these has happened: friends or family are worried about your driving, you get lost on familiar routes, police have warned you about your driving, you have had several violations, near misses or crashes in the past one to three years, or a doctor has advised you to limit or stop driving.