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By
Ana Paula Sanchez Garcia
Muttulingam Thambirajah
Beginners Driver Education Curriculum
August 23rd, 2014
LESSONS
I. Road User Behavior Observation
II. Vehicle Behavior Observation
III. Tires, Their Purpose and Behavior
IV. Automobile Lights, Their History, Purpose and Behavior
V. Traffic Lights, Their History, Purpose and Behavior
VI. Vehicle Ergonomics
VII. Auto$mart A New Point of View
intersection is sign busy, making observation distracting. I would deal with the
information presented to me by scanning carefully, and looking slightly upwards to
increase my view. The buildings and business are not distracting.
performance. Furthermore, high-performance tires have lower tread profiles for increased
stability and steering response. Mud-terrain tires provide improved handling on mud, dirt
and snow. They come with large tread blocks that grip the terrain and increase the
vehicles traction. Because of their design, these tires work best for off-road driving since
they create unwanted noise and an uncomfortable ride on the highway. Winter tires
provide increased traction and control in low-temperature driving conditions. These tires
typically feature soft rubber that heats up during operation and improves the vehicles
grip on both snow and ice. Winter tires also have numerous circumferential and lateral
sipes to assist with wet and snow traction. In addition, tire manufacturers produce winter
tires with biting edges for greater handling on ice and snow.
Proper tire maintenance play a key factor in safety. Without proper maintenance,
tires can become dangerous. Damaged tires can cause uncontrollable movements (unable
to turn, stop, etc.), or the inability to perform movements (ex. Flat tires cannot move the
vehicle).
continuously display a flashing red, or the main street shows flashing yellow while others
show flashing red. Pedestrian heads are dark. When the volume of vehicles at an
intersection no longer warrants the signal to be active, the signal can switch to FLASH
mode. When volume picks up again the signal switches back into either FREE or
COORD operation. For example, the daily operation of a signal may involve it being in
FLASH mode early in the morning, COORD during the day, FREE in the evening, and
back to FLASH late at night.
Some countries (for example, Romania) have refused to grant driving licenses to
individuals with color blindness. In Romania, there is an ongoing campaign to remove
the legal restrictions that prohibit colorblind citizens from getting drivers' licenses. The
usual justification for such restrictions is that drivers of motor vehicles must be able to
recognize color-coded signals, such as traffic lights or warning lights.
rearview mirror is fairly obvious; you should be able to see out of the rear window from
the driver's seat. Be sure the day/night switch found on most rearview mirrors is in the
day position during daytime operation. Exterior rearview mirrors must be adjusted to just
beyond the point where you could see the side of the car on the inside edge of the mirror.
For the driver's side mirror: Place the side of your head against the window, then adjust
the mirror until the side of your vehicle comes into view. For the passenger's side mirror:
While sitting in the driver's seat, lean to the right so that your head is in the car's
centerline. Adjust the mirror until the side of your vehicle comes into view.
Various controls are placed in a vehicle, are often within arms length of the
driver to minimize distraction and for comfort. This image displays where various
controls are placed in a vehicle.
Items located on the dashboard at first included the steering wheel and the
instrument cluster. The instrument cluster pictured to the right contains gauges such as a
speedometer, tachometer, odometer and fuel gauge, and indicators such as gearshift
position, seat belt warning light, parking-brake-engagement warning light and an engine-
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malfunction light. There may also be indicators for low fuel, low oil pressure, low tire
pressure and faults in the airbag (SRS) system. Heating and ventilation controls and
vents, lighting controls, audio equipment and automotive navigation systems are also
mounted on the dashboard. The top of a dashboard may contain vents for the heating and
air conditioning system and speakers for an audio system. A glove compartment is
commonly located on the passenger's side. There may also be an ashtray and a cigarette
lighter which can provide a power outlet for other low-voltage appliances. The following
image is an example of an instrument cluster.
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For information on a vehicles fuel efficiency, the car label (new cars only), and
Natural Resources Canada website are excellent sources. Hybrid vehicles are available
today as an alternative to high emission vehicles. Currently, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles
are being developed that create zero-emission (excluding water). When purchasing a
vehicle, questions like; what do I need, what am I going to use the vehicle for, new or
used, what kind of drive, what engine size, do I upgrade for air conditioning, power seats,
or four wheel drive, do I get manual or automatic transmition, what kind of fuel
efficiency do I need, etc.
Knowing the vehicles maintenance schedule, avoid using air conditioning, cut
highway cruising speed by 10km/h, avoid idling for longer than 10 seconds, and avoiding
aggressive driving are all key to fuel efficiency. Personal benefits of being a fuel-efficient
driver means; better safety, saving money, and being healthier as a result of less
environmental pollution. The environmental benefits include; less greenhouse gas
emissions, slowing down climate change and other dangers (air pollution, floods, crop
and water damage, etc.).
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WORKS CITED
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_design
http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/driving.html
http://www.smartmotorist.com/car-accessories-fuel-and-maintenance/adjustingyour-mirrors-correctly.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dashboard
http://www.autoevolution.com/news/automotive-wiki-why-are-traffic-lights-redyellow-and-green-42557.html
http://www.richmond.ca/services/ttp/signals/how.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_blindness#Driving_motor_vehicles
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signal_timing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic-light_signalling_and_operation
http://www.ehow.com/about_4610403_automobile-lights.html
http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tire
http://www.under-the-hood.ca/the-different-types-of-tires-and-their-purposes/
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