Suggestions for Improvement

Think about what tasks you do every time you get behind the wheel of a car. You must coordinate the actions of your hands, feet, eyes, ears, and body movements. At the same time, you must decide how to react to what you see, hear, and feel in relation to other cars and drivers, traffic signs and signals, conditions of the highway, and the performance of your car.

These decisions are usually made close to other vehicles and must be converted quickly into action - brake, steer, accelerate, or a combination of all - to maintain or adjust your position in traffic. And these decisions must be made frequently. About 20 major decisions are needed for each kilometre driven; drivers frequently have less than one-half second to act to avoid a collision.

The record of older drivers is good, when you consider the number of collisions per driver, but when you consider the number of collisions per kilometre driven, this record is surprisingly bad. Older drivers have fewer collisions, because they drive less and at less dangerous times. But when they are in a collision, it can be very serious because injuries that are seen as moderate to severe for most people are fatal to people aged 55 and older.

One of the purposes of this self-rating form is to help you become, if you are not already, an "activated driver". An activated driver is someone who assumes responsibility for his or her own driving skills and who self-examines and compares his or her ability with the requirements for safe driving. Through knowledge and self-awareness, you will understand what a safe driver is and will assume the responsibility to be a safe driver. On the other hand, you may decide that your driving poses a risk and decide to give up your driver's licence and seek other forms of transportation.

The questionnaire you have just completed has helped you to locate those areas where your physical and decision making abilities call for a change in your driving habits and skills. This section of the booklet offers suggestions to improve each driving skill highlighted in the questionnaire. Be sure to focus on those sections that correspond to the problem areas identified by the questionnaire.

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1. I signal and check to the rear when I change lanes.
   
   
2. I wear a seat belt.
   
   
3. I try to stay informed of changes in driving and highway regulations.
   
   
4. Intersections bother me: there is too much to watch for from all directions.
   
   
5. I find it difficult to decide when to join traffic on a busy highway.
   
   
6. I think I am slower than I used to be in reacting to dangerous driving situations.
   
   
7. When I am really upset, I show it in my driving.
   
   
8. My thoughts wander when I am driving.
   
   
9. Traffic situations make me angry.
   
   
10. I get regular eye checks to keep my vision at its sharpest.
    
    
11. I check with my doctor or pharmacist about the effects of my medications on my driving ability.
    
    
12. I try to stay abreast of current information on health practices and habits.
    
    
13. My children, other family members or friends are concerned about my driving ability.
    
    
14. How many traffic tickets, warnings, or discussions with officers have you had in the past two years?

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