Rahma Driving School

The Dangers and Costs of Driving with Mobile Phones

Driving Lessons

The Dangers and Costs of Driving with Mobile Phones

Driving and mobile phones: an unsafe mix

Every new and existing drivers should be aware of the changes to rules and regulations for the use of mobile phones in vehicles.

Changes to smart phone rules for probationary drivers and charges toughened for all mobile phone offenses.

Mobile Phone Usage: P1 and P2 vehicle drivers

You are not allowed to use any mobile phone or similar devices while you are driving a car. Even while stationary and the car is on you are still considered driving a car.

Young vehicle drivers are over-represented in severe road crashes.

Smart phone and other mobile gadgets (eg. DVD gamers or tablet computer systems) are major sources of distraction for young motorists, particularly as these motorists are still building driving experience and developing abilities.

From 25 November 2013:

P2 vehicle drivers, in addition to P1 and learner vehicle drivers, have to not make use of a smart phone (hand-held or hands-free) for any function while driving (including while fixed but not parked).

Please note that all probationary drivers who reach 5 demerit points could incur a licence suspension.

All vehicle drivers.

Tougher penalties for unlawful use of smart phones and other technologies that require the use of hands etc.

From 25 November 2013:

All motorists face tougher charges for prohibited use of a smart phone or interacting with other units that have visual displays while driving (e.g. DVD gamers or tablet computer systems) that are not vehicle driver’s aids.

The charges are:

– 4 demerit points.
– $433 fine.

These laws are brought in because it increases the risks of having a vehicle accident(s).

Making use of a mobile phone while driving can be distracting. Research shows that using a hands-free or hand-held mobile phone while driving that may involve manual or visual diversion boosts your chance of being involved in a crash or near crash.

The Law in Austrlia with regards to Smart Phone Usage

It is unlawful in all Australian states and territories to make use of a hand-held smart phone while driving.

This consists of:

  • Talking.
  • Texting.
  • Playing games.
  • Taking photos/video.
  • Making use of any other function on your phone.

Making use of a hand-held smart phone is likewise illegal when your vehicle is stationary but not parked e.g. when you’re stopped or at a stop light.

Motorists who break this law in Victoria deal with an on-the-spot fine and incur 4 demerit points.

Learners, P1 and P2 drivers are not permitted to make use of any hand-held or hands-free smart phone while driving.

Why it’s hazardous to make use of a mobile phone while driving.

Study reveals that dialing and speaking on a smart phone while driving can cause these:

Slower reactions.

You usually respond slower when making use of a smart phone, especially when you’re deep in discussion. You might take longer to respond to traffic signals or entirely miss them.

Riskier choice making.
Choosing when it is safe to turn into traffic is a complex job. Making use of a smart phone while driving affects judgement and concentration and you may fail to choose a safe space. When making a decision to turn across oncoming traffic, you also tend not to consider the environmental conditions such as, when it is raining or the roads are slippery. If you do not make safe turns you could crash.

Slower and less controlled braking.
Throughout a smart phone call your brake reaction time is slower, and you brake with even more force and less control which lead to shorter stopping ranges readily available between yourself and the automobile in front.

Wandering from your lane.
You’re most likely to roam from your lane when you’re utilizing a smart phone, even on a straight road with little traffic.

Not being alert to your environments.
When utilizing a smart phone, you have the tendency to spend less time inspecting your mirrors and what’s going on around you. This influences your ability to negotiate and check traffic securely.

Safe driving tips and the mobile phone.

  • Do not make calls in rush hour, bad road conditions or bad weather.
  • Never look up contact number.
  • When you know you’ll be driving, inform your household and close friends not to call.
  • Tell callers you are driving and may need to end the call.
  • Take strategy breaks in your trip for making and receiving calls.
  • Drive over securely and park to get a call or make one.
  • Never send out or review text.
  • An android app that’s smart and will help you from using your phone.
  • Use voicemail.

A mobile phone can be crucial in an emergency. Stop and park safely where you will not jeopardize other road users if you need to utilize your mobile phone to call for aid.

Driving School Melbourne Northern Suburbs

What is involved in The Hazard Perception Test?

Learn To Drive in Bundoora The hazard perception test is one of the components to acquiring one’s own Victorian driving licence. To make sure that you take the VicRoads driving test you should have passed the hazard perception test first. The main hazard perception test can be secured at any time and not immediately at the same time as you go for your driving test. When you’ve passed your own hazard perception test you then have 12 months to sit for your driving test.

How long is the Hazard Perception test

The entire hazard perception test runs for 45 minutes and throughout this time you are going to watch twenty-eight brief videos. Every single video clip would need your feedback via the mouse button. Simply put the entire hazard perception test is actually a online test to measure your personal observation skills and knowledge. You need to indicate whenever you understand that its safe to undertake the desired task.

Each of the videos require an action based on what one’s own reaction would be. You must presume you are the vehicle driver within the video recording and then have to decide what to do at the right moment.

Here are the attainable responses you’d make or perform:

  • Decelerate
  • Overtake
  • Begin to turn
  • Move away
  • Or simply no action needed.

Just about every single video will run for half a minute and needs an input of when you believe that it is safe and sound to carry out one of the above responses.

Hazard Perception Pass Mark

In order to pass the entire hazard perception test you will have to get at very least a good solid score of 54% or simply 15 perfect score out of 28. This assessment is a crucial component of acquiring one’s own probationary driver’s licence simply because hazard perception skills can’t be explained but really needs to be experienced. It takes some time to build up and become a professional at it and it’s not about how you could drive the car. It’s about simply being safer for everyone driving on the road.

Hazard Perception is all about scanning the road and recognising possible hazards that will possibly exist or even develop. The decisions that you take will help deter or maybe get rid of hazardous circumstances from forming.

Here are several of the more established hazards which you might encounter in your own daily driving:

– Vehicles stopping quickly ahead of you.
– Turning at intersections.
– Bends within the road that will turn out to be hazardous while in bad weather conditions.
– Bumps, road blocks plus holes on the road.
– Motorists who’ve neglected to either indicate or have kept their indicators on.
– Small vehicles and motor cycles could emerge rather suddenly.
– People on the road.
– School sites.
– Other vehicles merging or shifting lanes.

Superior perception skill-sets includes:

– Scanning the street in front of plus behind your car.
– The ability to recognise possible risks.
Foresee probable hazards and taking reactive actions to counteract any sort of road car accidents.
– Keeping your distance from other motor cars.
– Driving within a risk-free speed.
– Slowing down right before the traffic comes to an unanticipated stop.
– Handling multiple hazards at the same time and even taking precautions to avoid any kind of crashes.

Why the Hazard Perception Test?

The on road test focuses mostly on your ability to drive safely in traffic and your car handling skills. This test is limited to the drive conditions around the test center on the day of your test. That is one reason why a separate test is required to measure your skill level in different conditions. The videos represent possible hazards that can be measured based on your reaction. So make sure to learn these for a long lasting safe driving.

How to increase your Hazard Perception Skills?

Signing up with Rahma Driving School is one way of enforcing these real life hazard conditions while taking your driving lessons from our instructors. We’ll teach you these valuable lessons that will stick with you always while you’re taking your driving lessons. When the time comes to take your hazard perception test then you would have developed enough skills to pass your hazard perception test much more easily.