Purpose

To emphasize the need for the driver to be in good condition and to be securely held behind the steering wheel.

It is suggested that, in light of the need to place considerable emphasis on issues associated with drinking and driving , instructors may wish to schedule additional class sessions beyond the 100 minutes suggested for Lessons 8 and 9 (Driver Condition), particularly if the Over-the-Line materials are utilized. In addition, circumstances in your community may require the instructor to reschedule some sessions to deal with a "teachable moment"; such as, a serious motor vehicle crash in the community or to accommodate a guest speaker. Flexibility is the key!

Duration: 120 minutes.

Learning Objectives

Performance Objectives

Actively participate in discussions and group work (PSVS).

Knowledge Objectives

Know:

• the chances of being involved in an accident;
• the physics of a collision, including the need for the driver to stay behind the wheel to avoid a second collision; (TL)
• how fatigue and stress will affect driving ,
• how passengers will affect driving;
• how alcohol will affect driving; and,
• how other drugs will affect driving (TL).

Teaching Points

1. Good drivers always wear their seat belts, properly adjusted, and insist that their passengers do likewise.
2. Good drivers do not drive after taking alcohol or drugs, or if they are fatigued or stressed. (CCT, PSVS)

Content

1. Chances of an accident.
2. Physics of a collision:
   • unless restrained in position behind the wheel, the driver will be thrown about and will be unable to control the vehicle after the first collision;
   • occupants continue to move at their previous speed until stopped by a seat belt or a part of the vehicle;
   • unrestrained occupants move towards the point of impact so that unbelted passengers crush the occupant nearest the crash even if he or she were belted; and,
   • seat belts permit wearers to "ride down" a collision by spreading the force on the wearer's body over a relatively extended period of time (TL).
3. Fatigue and stress reduce the driver's ability to be able to process information in an orderly manner. The driver tends to look straight ahead and not carry out a search pattern. Her eyes will tend to drop so she will not be looking as far ahead. She is unlikely to carry out the IPDE procedure and, because her eye use and scanning will have deteriorated, she will have less time in which to react. Because of these factors, she will simply "not see" things, not predict and decide until the very last second, and may not even execute an escape response .
4. Passengers can serve to distract the driver. Learn to put your driving first and have conversations as a second priority. As a passenger, learn not to interrupt the driver when conditions are difficult.
5. Alcohol has similar effects on the driving task as do fatigue and stress. However, the effect is compounded by the fact that alcohol affects the perception of one's ability and, while a fatigued driver may know he is not driving well, an alcohol-impaired driver will believe he is driving well when this is not true. Further, alcohol-impaired drivers tend to drive faster than normal, and wear their seat belts less, which gives rise to more serious, less survivable collisions (TL).
6. Over-the-counter, prescription and street drugs fall into three major categories - depressants, stimulants and hallucinogens. None improve driving; most impair driving. Their effects compound when combined with alcohol, and may be multiplied. A considerable problem results from the lack of recognition of the impairing effects on driving of over-the-counter and prescription drugs.
7. Review the four elements of IPDE (lesson 3). List and discuss the progressive impairing effects of alcohol on mental functions:
   • Reasoning
   • Inhibitions
   • Memory
   • Vision
   • Speech
   • Hearing
   • Muscular coordination
   • Consciousness
   • Automatic Processes (heart, lungs, etc) death

   Draw the attention of the class to the Driving Task Analysis list (IPDE) and, taking each concept in turn through questions leading to class discussion, examine the relationship between the two lists. For example, Identify from the driving task list requires the use of Reasoning, Memory, Vision and possibly Hearing from the above list. Predict and Decide require these same abilities plus inhibitions that contribute our personal values to the predictions and decisions we make.

   At the Execute phase of the driving task (Execute), the Muscular Coordination required to carry out this task is far down the list of progressive impairment. This provides a solid base from which to discuss the inaccuracy of society's long-held belief that an "impaired driver" is a person who has difficulty in steering, stopping, accelerating and braking a vehicle. From this point it becomes an easy task to involve the class in developing an awareness that most accidents and other problems resulting from impaired driving are really centred in poor identification, prediction and decision making. Thus, no longer can we consider tests of a drinker's motor skill function; e.g., walking a line, touching one's nose with eyes closed, etc. as valid indications for safe vehicle operation. This is why the breathalyser and Alert instruments have been developed and play a significant role in the attempt to control the impaired driver problem.

   More and more research demonstrates the inconsistency of the degree of impairment at various blood alcohol concentrations even in the same person at different times, let alone between different people. Also, interactions between alcohol and other drugs, be they prescription, non-prescription, licit, or illicit, become increasingly apparent, frequently surfacing in accident investigations where the victim's complete ignorance of the possible consequences of the mix becomes very obvious.

   It should be the goal of this segment of this lesson to seek a commitment from all the students to subscribe to the concept of a complete separation of the two acts of drinking and driving .

8. During the process of learning to drive, the learned material takes a number of years before it is "stamped in". In the first five to seven years of driving, the "habits" developed are highly susceptible to disruption by alcohol and other drugs.

Assignments

• To be set by the instructor/teacher.

Instructional Approaches

• Examine case studies of impaired driving results .
• Because this lesson is primarily attitudinal, good opportunities for "acting out" situations present themselves. Use role play and simulation (COM, PSVS).
• Make use of already existing audiovisual materials.
• Set up activity centres to learn about impaired drivers/driving.

Support Requirements

Materials

• Appropriate audio visual material.

Equipment

• Film projector.