SAY DEZ
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
Ana Paula Sanchez Garcia Muttulingam Thambirajah Beginners Driver Education Curriculum August 23rd, 2014 ROAD USER BEHAVIOR OBSERVATION Intersection: Woodroffe / Baseline. The light is amber for 5 seconds and the duration of the red light was 75 seconds. The purpose of this sequencing was to encourage drivers to slow down and stop instead by keeping the amber light held, leaving less time for drivers to pass the intersection. The light turn arrow lights is green for 40 seconds, then it switches to the regular lights, because there are no coloured (amber or red) left turn lights. 2 drivers run yellow lights, no drivers run red lights, and no drivers make improper right turns on a protected left turn. Dealing with this intersection, while executing a left turn, I would; use the left lane, signal, wait for the left turn arrow lights, see if the path is clear, and then turn. The pedestrian lights used at the intersection is a combination of hand in stop position, and countdown crossing timer. An advantage of the countdown crossing timer is knowing the amount of time left until it is no longer safe to cross, a disadvantage is that it may stress a pedestrian if they think they are no longer safe because the timer says so. A disadvantage of the pictograph walking and hand in stop position is that it does not include a countdown timer, leaving the pedestrian guessing their walking speed and how much time they have left to cross. This intersection would not benefit from a scrambled intersection because it is too busy, and there are too many pedestrians. 6 pedestrians disobey traffic lights, though if I were to deal with them driving I would simply yield and be courteous because I pose a greater risk to them by simply driving a vehicle. The signs shown in the intersection include; yield, hazard, median ahead, and speed limit. It is moderate difficulty to recognize the signs because the 1
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.
2
Ana Paula Sanchez Garcia Muttulingam Thambirajah Beginners Driver Education Curriculum August 23rd, 2014 VEHICLE BEHAVIOR OBSERVATION With the right foot on the service brake, engaging in “D” (drive), without touching the pedal the care begins to move in a forward direction. The vehicle is going straight because the last position the front tires were in, was straight facing forward. By doing a tight left hand turn in drive without touching the gas pedal the vehicle drives in counter-clockwise circles because the wheels are pointed to the left. Letting go of the steering wheel the vehicle continues to move in a forward straight direction because the wheels are straightening themselves. A left reverse turn in drive without touching the gas pedal leads the vehicle to back up and turn clockwise because of the wheel’s position, letting go of the steering wheel make the vehicle pointing left.
3
Ana Paula Sanchez Garcia Muttulingam Thambirajah Beginners Driver Education Curriculum August 23rd, 2014 TIRES, THEIR PURPOSE AND BEHAVIOR Tire plants are traditionally divided into five departments that perform special operations; 1. Compounding and mixing (bringing together all the ingredients required to mix a batch of rubber compound), 2. Component preparation (caldendering, extrusion, and bead building), 3. Tire building (process of assembling all the components onto a tire building drum), 4. Curing (process of applying pressure to the green tire in a mold in order to give it its final shape, and applying heat energy to stimulate the chemical reaction between the rubber and other materials), and 5. Final finish (tires are inspected by human eyes for numerous visual defects, and tire uniformity measurement tests occur). These usually act as independent factories within a factory. Large tire makers may set up independent factories on a single site, or cluster the factories locally across a region. Tires come in many variations for different weather conditions and driving purposes. Generally, there are four types of tires; all-season, high performance, mudterrain, and snow/winter tires. All-season tires provide balanced performance for every driving condition, from dry highways in summer to snow-covered streets in winter. Many of these tires have circumferential sipes for wet traction, reinforced sidewalls for durability, centre ribs for greater road contact and either symmetrical or asymmetrical tread for dry grip. In addition, they offer reduced in-vehicle noise and greater mileage. High-performance tires feature aggressive styling to enhance the look of sports coupes, sedans and trucks. These tires also have soft rubber for improving traction and cornering 4
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 vehicle’s 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 vehicle’s 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).
5
Ana Paula Sanchez Garcia Muttulingam Thambirajah Beginners Driver Education Curriculum August 23rd, 2014 AUTOMOBILE LIGHTS, THEIR HISTORY, PURPOSE AND BEHAVIOR Automobile lights reinforce on of the six conditions of driving, the ability to see. Automobile lights offer safety to the driver and to those with whom the road is shared, and are an effective means of communication with other drivers. Early in the development of the automobile, the only lighting available were headlamps. Gas and oil lanterns soon gave way to incandescent electrical lights, which in turn lost favor to halogen bulbs, high-intensity discharge Xenon bulbs, and most recently, Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). As people began to drive more during the hours of darkness, the need for tail lights became evident. Brake lights were added as a safety feature, as were turn signal lights, and eventually side marker lights and daytime running lights. Interior lights and dashboard lights were also originally developed as safety features. Automobile lighting is still primarily a function of safety and communication with other drivers. The headlamps provide the driver of the vehicle the ability to see the road and any obstructions ahead of him, and to alert oncoming traffic to his presence. The rear and side lights alert drivers behind the vehicle to its presence. Turn signals and brake lights provide drivers both behind and in front of the vehicle with information regarding the speed, location, and intention of the vehicle's driver. Interior lighting allows the driver to see his operating gages in order to operate the vehicle safely.
6
Ana Paula Sanchez Garcia Muttulingam Thambirajah Beginners Driver Education Curriculum August 23rd, 2014 TRAFFIC LIGHTS, THEIR HISTORY, PURPOSE AND BEHAVIOR In 1912 in the United States thanks to Lester Farnsworth Wire, in charge of the traffic division of the Salt Lake City Police Department. Operated manually, the first automotive traffic light had just two colors, red and green, and was installed in Salt Lake City at the intersection of Main Street and Second South. It is believed that the first time traffic lights have been used in the railroad system they relied on a different trio, red for stop, green for caution and white or clear for go. While the two might have a more or less obvious meaning, the white light was the one giving headaches to authorities. The surrounding white lights, be they stars or simply lights on the street, made train engineers believe they can pass freely, which led to multiple fatal collisions. Modern traffic lights are controlled by “The Controller”, a specialized computer that controls the selection and duration of displays for conflicting traffic movements by continuously analyzing intersection traffic registered by vehicle detectors and pedestrian pushbuttons. There are three general ways for a traffic signal to operate, FREE, COORD, and FLASH operation. In FREE operation, the signal is running based on its own demand and timing parameters based on the information provided by its detectors. It is not operating under any background cycle length. In COORD operation, short for coordination, the signal is running a background cycle length. Non-major street movements are usually still actuated, and the controller will rest on the major street until the background cycle length is fulfilled. The final mode is FLASH operation in which all vehicle signal heads 7
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.
8
Ana Paula Sanchez Garcia Muttulingam Thambirajah Beginners Driver Education Curriculum August 23rd, 2014 VEHICLE ERGONOMICS It is important that the vehicle fits to the driver and not the driver the vehicle. The first step to adjusting the vehicle to fit the driver is the seat height. It must be raised the seat as high as you can but still be comfortable (one should be able to see at least 76 mm (3 in) over the top of the steering wheel). Secondly, adjust seat cushion length, if possible - adjust the seat length so that the back of the driver’s knees is about 3 - 6 cm (about 11/4 to 2-3/8 in) from the front on the seat. Afterwards, seat forward/back position must be adjusted. The seat must be moved forward until the driver easily push the pedals through their full range with your whole foot. Then, seat cushion angle - tilt the seat cushion until your thighs are supported along the full length of the cushion without there being pressure at the back of your knees. After, seat back rest - adjust the back rest until it supports the full length of your back when you are stilling upright. The next adjustment is lumbar support - adjust the lumbar support up-and-down and in-and-out until you feel an even pressure along your back from the hips to shoulder height. Finally, the centre of the steering wheel should be about 25 - 30 cm (10 - 12 in) from the driver's breast bone. If the steering wheel can be tilted up-and-down, it must be tilted so the air bag behind the centre of the steering wheel is pointing to your chest, not your head and neck or your stomach. In addition, your arms should be in a comfortable position (not too high or too low). Mirrors must be adjusted to the driver’s physique to avoid collisions with other citizens. First the interior rearview mirror must be adjusted. The positioning for the inside 9
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 arm’s 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-
10
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.
11
Ana Paula Sanchez Garcia Muttulingam Thambirajah Beginners Driver Education Curriculum August 23rd, 2014 AUTO$MART – A NEW POINT OF VIEW Carbon Dioxide is called a greenhouse gas because is traps heat near the surface of the Earth. Greenhouse gasses are the main cause of climate change. The potential consequences of climate change are an increase in temperature. This can subsequently lead to floods, droughts, and damage to crops, plants and the water supply. Easy ways of improving fuel efficiency by driving are; avoid driving aggressively (i.e. hard braking, peeling away from a light or stop sign), cutting highway cruising speed by 10km/h, stopping one’s engine after idling for more than 10 seconds (excluding at a stop or in traffic), and turning of the air conditioning. The environmental benefits of fuelefficient driving means less fuel being used and carbon dioxide being emitted (causing a decrease in the production of harmful greenhouse gasses). The financial benefits include saving money on gas, and keeping one’s engine running properly. Another personal benefit is safety, and environmental responsibility. The occurrence of how many times one’s vehicle should be serviced depends on the vehicle. It can vary from 4,000 km to 8,000 km, it is recommended to check the owner’s manual of the vehicle to see how often it needs to be serviced. For correct information on proper inflation pressure, the owner’s manual is the most helpful. Important maintenance items include; change the oil, change the oil filter, air filter, fuel filter, and the brakes. Steps to prepare a vehicle for winter driving include getting it serviced, and changing the tires to winter tires.
12
For information on a vehicle’s fuel efficiency, the car label (new cars only), and Natural Resource’s 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 vehicle’s 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.).
13
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/
14
