personal strategies 7 In the previous chapter, you learned how to share the road  safely with other road users. This chapter gives strategies you  can use to handle situations that can have a negative influence  on you and your driving. You wake up with a cold and feel awful, but you have  to go to work. You take some cold medication before  getting into your car. As you’re driving, you notice that  you feel light-headed and tired. Turning right at the first  intersection, you narrowly miss a cyclist.  What should you do?  To be in control while driving, you need to be able to rely on  the information your eyes and ears pick up. You need to be  healthy, rested and focused to be a safe driver. Experts estimate that about 80 per cent of all driving  information comes to drivers through their eyes. You need to  take a vision screening test before you can be licensed to drive.  Your sense of hearing also helps you gather information about  the driving scene. Listen for important warning signals such as  horns, sirens, train whistles and unusual noises in your engine.  To see and hear effectively while driving:  99 • Use glasses or contact lenses if you need them.  • Scan systematically as you drive.  • Repair or replace a noisy engine muffler.  • Don’t play your stereo too loudly.  • Don’t use a cellphone or headphones while driving. • Fitness to drive – seeing and  hearing – assessing your  health  – staying awake  – keeping focused • Dangerous  emotions • Impairment – facts about  alcohol – facts about drugs  • Taking risks • Peer pressure  • Unsafe passengers  • Unsafe drivers  • Aggression on the road – preventing  aggression  • Organ Donor  Registry Strategies: seeing and hearing effectively Seeing and hearing  Fitness to drive You in the driver’s seat in this chapter