Quebec handbook · chapter 2 · 12 min read

Basic Instructions: Observe–Evaluate–Act

BASIC INSTRUCTIONS: OBSERVE– EVALUATE–ACT To properly control a vehicle, you must take into account the technical aspects involved in driving. Among other things, special attention must be paid to the pedals, the steering wheel, the different controls, signals, direction and speed. However, in order to drive, you need more than just technical knowledge. You also need to be able to see and to anticipate. The Observe–Evaluate–Act sequence found in this chapter offers an effective method to visually explore or scan the road. Observing your surroundings helps you better evaluate the situation and, as a result, respond appropriately. That is why it is essential to see well and, more importantly, to anticipate well.

OBSERVE–EVALUATE–ACT The Observe–Evaluate–Act sequence allows you to see and quickly evaluate what is happening around you. It therefore allows you to: ▶ Move into the appropriate place; ▶ Drive at a speed that suits road and weather conditions; ▶ Anticipate dangerous situations and react accordingly.

To observe means you know how to “read the road”. Reading the road effectively requires good vision and proper attention. You also need to know how to anticipate what is in front of you and look well ahead. Looking ahead enables you to foresee a dangerous situation and respond early enough to avoid danger. To do this, you can rely on indicators like signs, traffic and parked cars.

Importance of Vision

Driving a vehicle largely involves gathering information provided by the eyes. To ensure your safety and that of other road users, you must have vision that allows you to: ▶ Clearly distinguish far-away objects; ▶ Evaluate distances, which is very important when you encounter certain dangerous situations such as: ▷ An oncoming vehicle preparing to turn left; ▷ A pedestrian wanting to cross the street without having the right-of-way; ▷ A cyclist suddenly appearing on the right and turning at the next intersection at the same time as you;

▶ Have a field of vision of at least of 120° so you can see what is happening to the side; ▶ Distinguish colours or, for colour-blind people, recognize signal elements such as sign size, traffic light order or the form reserved for each colour. R Driving over a long period causes fatigue. Visual acuity declines and it becomes much more difficult to evaluate distances, which increases the risk of a collision.

As a driver, you should have a good knowledge of your physical ­abilities and limits, which will help you drive safely. For example, you can: ▶ Choose when to drive if your visual perception is affected by fatigue; ▶ Get a good pair of tinted glasses and avoid driving in the evening if you are sensitive to glare; ▶ Increase the distance between yourself and other vehicles by using different points of reference if you have trouble perceiving distances.

Keep Your Eyes Moving

A good driver must learn how to read the road. Using a scanning technique, you must: ▶ Look from side to side: left-front-right and then right-front-left; ▶ Check in the rearview mirror often to see what is happening behind you; ▶ Do not focus on a single point or object; ▶ Move your eyes regularly so you can select and retain the ­pertinent information you need for driving.

The faster you drive, the more you need to keep your eyes moving to compensate for the loss of peripheral vision. Scanning makes it possible to rapidly detect dan­gerous situations or poor road conditions such as: an animal crossing the street, potholes, a road in bad repair, puddles, etc. To have an overview of your surroundings, also check the sides of the road and keep your eyes open for pedestrians on the sidewalk. C Get into the habit of moving your eyes. It will help you stay alert to what is happening on the road.

Look Far Ahead

According to a basic driving rule, a vehicle inevitably moves in the direction in which the driver fixes the eyes. To maintain your vehicle in a straight line and more easily detect traffic movement ahead of the vehicle in front of you, it is important to look far ahead toward the horizon. This is particularly important when traffic movements are difficult to predict. This occurs when you drive on a narrow road lined with obstacles and parked vehicles or on a road with several lanes where traffic is heavy.

You should also look out for obstacles such as trees or trucks that could obstruct your vision. It is preferable to slow down to give yourself the time and distance you need to react to unforeseen events.

• Point you fix

• Horizon line

To look far ahead, choose a fixed point in front of you. On a highway, that could be a hill, a bridge or a turn.

Approaching a Curve As shown in the illustration below, when you approach a curve, look into the centre of the curve (point A). Once into the curve, move your eyes toward the furthest point of the curve (point B).

Increase Your Field of Vision

To increase your field of vision, you should not only look out for what is happening in front of you, but also to the rear and on either side of the vehicle. Don’t forget to look at what is on either side of the road. Paying special attention to a driver or cyclist attempting to enter the traffic is also very important. R As you accelerate, your field of vision is reduced by 20° for every increase in speed of 15 km/h. You therefore have less time to foresee danger.

Approaching an Intersection As you approach an intersection, scan the sides of the road paying special attention to the blind spot created by the windshield pillars, also known as the A-pillars, since there may be pedestrians or cyclists wishing to cross.

In an Urban Area In an urban area, the observation method is the same as the one used when driving on a two- or multi-lane highway. First, look far ahead and then bring your eyes back in front of the vehicle, also checking from left to right to gather information about the surroundings. Pay special attention to: ▶ Traffic flow; ▶ Traffic lights and their synchronization; ▶ Roadwork; ▶ Anything that could obstruct traffic; ▶ Vehicles ahead that could slow down, change lanes, turn at an intersection or stop. ▶ Blind spots created by the windshield pillars (A-pillars)

Ahead and to the Sides The field of vision includes central vision and peripheral vision. Central vision makes it possible to distinguish details and colours. Peripheral vision makes it possible to detect movements, shapes and masses.

Peripheral vision can cover 180°. It acts like radar that scans its surroundings and draws your atten- tion to what has been detected. The images sent to the brain are then processed and make it possi- ble to judge distances and evaluate a vehicle’s speed. Central vision

• Peripheral vision Once you have acquired the habit of scanning your surroundings, you must learn to use your vision selectively, to avoid information overload. You must hone in on what is important for driving. Look out especially for: ▶ Vehicles; ▶ Obstacles; ▶ Types of intersections; ▶ The roadway’s direction; ▶ Road signs; ▶ Road conditions; ▶ Behaviour of others on the road.

The information provided by central and peripheral vision gives you more time to react to anything that may affect your driving.

Pay special attention to certain indicators that may help you better anticipate the manoeuvres of other drivers so you can take the neces- sary means to prevent any dangerous situation from deteriorating.

Behind You Along with looking ahead and to the sides, you must regularly check what is happening behind you in the rearview mirrors.

Rearview Mirrors Rearview mirrors are the only accessories that let you see what is happening behind the vehicle. For maximum vision, they should be adjusted before you set out, according to the position you will use when driving.

Traffic changes quickly. You should therefore look into the rearview mirrors often and regularly, for example every 10 to 12 seconds. You should do this while driving straight ahead, but especially before: ▶ Slowing down; ▶ Stopping; ▶ Changing lanes; ▶ Turning at an intersection; ▶ Entering traffic; ▶ Exiting traffic.

You should also check the rearview mirrors while you are waiting at a stop sign. R Avoid using the right rearview mirror to evaluate the distance between your vehicle and the one following you. It gives the illusion that what is behind you is further away than it really is.

Blind Spots The inside rearview mirror used in conjunction with the left- or right- side rearview mirror provides only a partial view of the surroundings. Despite proper adjustment of these rearview mirrors, certain areas located behind, in front, and on either side of the vehicle remain invisible to the driver. Those areas, not perceived in the field of vision or by the rearview mirror, are called blind spots. When a driver changes lanes or makes a turn, special attention should be paid to those spots since they present a higher risk of collision.

Adjusting the rearview mirrors makes it possible to reduce blind spots but cannot eliminate them completely. To make sure you see everything required to change lanes or make a turn, you must check the blind spot in question.

To check blind spots, maintain your speed, do not brake or speed up. Do this every time you change direction or there is a risk of collision. For example before: ▶ Entering traffic; ▶ Exiting traffic; ▶ Changing lanes; ▶ Turning at an intersection; ▶ Backing up; ▶ Leaving a parking space.

To check a blind spot, quickly turn your head in the direction you want to turn so you can look over your shoulder without moving your body. Glancing quickly, you should be able to see if a vehicle or pedestrian is in your blind spot. This glance is an essential comple- ment to checking the rearview mirrors and ensures you have seen all around you before changing Blind spot direction. It should be done very quickly so you do not lose sight of what is happening in front of the vehicle. R Avoid driving in other people’s blind spot so you won’t be surprised by a sudden change in direction on their part.

The A-pillars on either side of the windshield create serious blind spots that can block the driver’s view of pedestrians, cyclists, moped or scooter riders, motorcyclists, or even other vehicles. Drivers need to be vigilant and double check these blind spots when entering an intersection, especially in urban areas.

Drivers need to be aware of these blind spots and develop the habit of moving slightly forward in their seat to look beyond the A-pillars.

• C To accurately evaluate the situation and react appropriately, take in the most information possible.

Due to their sheer size, heavy vehicles have even larger blind spots both in front and behind. To prevent a dangerous situation, avoid driving in any of a heavy vehicle’s blind spots.

OBSERVE–EVALUATE–ACT

Evaluating a Real or Potential Risk

Vigilance, attention and detection are indispensable to becoming a skilled and cautious driver. You must develop an ability to detect anything that may constitute a risk or danger for yourself or another road user, such as a cyclist’s reaction. H Inattention and lack of experience are not a winning combination!

To know how to react in a given situation, you must take into account: ▶ Your speed; ▶ Distance that separates you from other vehicles; ▶ Possibility of changing lanes; ▶ Possibility of passing; ▶ Possibility of braking in normal conditions; ▶ Possibility of accelerating.

When evaluating the risk, you must also take into account the reaction of other road users, especially pedestrians and cyclists.

A driver faced with several dangers at a time must choose between them by evaluating the degree of risk and severity of each. For example, choosing between a child crossing in front of you and hitting a pothole.

To properly evaluate the degree of risk and severity of the danger, take into consideration the: ▶ Risk of collision with another vehicle or road user; ▶ Risk of injury to yourself or other road user; ▶ Risk of material damage to the vehicle or public property. In the event of a collision, you should be aware that a danger’s severity depends on the place of impact on the vehicle. You should therefore choose the least resistant object. If this is not possible, attempt to make impact at an angle likely to deviate rather than project the vehicle toward a resistant object.

For example, if there were a collision, an impact on the door of the driver’s side rather than on the back fender would increase the driver’s risk of being injured.

To sum up, when faced with danger, you must know what your options are, such as honking the horn, slowing down, emergency braking or changing lanes. You must then evaluate the consequences of each option to determine which one is best considering the situation.

Choosing the Appropriate Solution

One you have effectively evaluated the risk, choose the most appropri- ate and safest solution. Evaluating the consequences of a manoeuvre is a key step in the decision-making process.

Make the manoeuvre and, then, evaluate how good the decision was. Among other things, consider the following elements: ▶ Anticipate the behaviour of other road users; ▶ Cooperate with them; ▶ Share the road in a safe manner; ▶ Anticipate dangerous situations.

Your evaluation will help you learn from experience and adjust your driving if a similar situation occurs.

OBSERVE–EVALUATE–ACT To act means to undertake the action by applying the appropri- ate solutions at the right time. That requires know-how, i.e. both technical knowledge and skills. How fast you react and how well you coordinate your movements are key factors, regardless of the manoeuvre to be made.

SELF-EVALUATION EXERCISES K Practical Exercises

• Exercises on the road must only be done after having obtained your learner’s licence. You must also be accompanied by a person who has held a driver’s licence for at least two years.

1. On your route, determine the type of information provided by road signage (signs, lights, symbols, etc.).

Practise your ability to quickly detect signs of danger. Upon return, make a list of the dangers that you think you ­detected too late. Indicate, for each of them, what you should have done to detect them earlier. Ask your accompanying driver if your decision was the safest one to make considering the driving techniques and skills you have already acquired through practice.

2. On your route, practise your ability to keep your vehicle stable as you look over your shoulder to check your blind spot.

• S Theoretical Exercises

Multiple-Choice Questions

1. What is the scanning method that all drivers should know?

• a) Evaluate–Act–Observe b) Observe–Act–Evaluate c) Observe–Evaluate–Act

2. To what extent is the information transmitted to you by your eyes useful in making a decision?

• a) To a great extent b) Equal to that transmitted by your hearing c) To hardly any extent

3. What is meant by scanning selectively?

• a) Getting as much information as possible b) Retaining only the information pertinent to driving your vehicle c) Seeing everything that is going on

True or False

4. Indicate whether the following statements are true or false.

• True a) Your eyesight is the only sense you can count on to observe your surroundings. b) Blind spots are not visible in the field of vision, but are visible in the rearview mirrors. c) The blind spot is a safe place to drive.

5. You are the driver of the blue vehicle. INDICATE 6 POSSIBLE DANGERS. False 6. Draw a vehicle in the blind spot of the blue vehicle.