Vehicle CodeInstallment 1

Driving is an ordinary activity these days. Traffic rules are quite complicated, though. It is important to learn and respect the rules in order to stay safe and not put anyone else in danger, either.

You have to be aware constantly of the situation of the road and of your vehicle. You have to be able to make split-second decisions, and to be prepared for the other drivers to NOT do what they are supposed to do.

What does driving involve?

Driving is to adapt constantly to different situations, which continually evolve. We can simplify it:

1. The driver receives information from inside and outside of the car (horn, engine-warning lights, signs, lights, etc.
2. The driver analyzes the situation, anticipates, and decides what to do.
3. He acts/uses the controls of the car.

The purpose of driver training is to learn how to receive, analyze, anticipate, decide, and act.

Taking Information

Driving requires good physical capacities, but also some knowledge and strategies for what to do in certain circumstances.

Sight

The driver needs to collect all the useful information. Where, when, and how to look? What information is the most important? Good sight is not enough. You have to learn to look for and choose the essential clues, signs, and indications.

Hearing

Another important piece of information is sound: the horns, the noise of the engine, the approach of a motorbike, accelerations, decelerations. You have to avoid everything that can drown out these sound indications (radio too loud, headphones, earplugs, etc.).

From all the information the driver receives, he must be able to select the one(s) which allows him to drive safely.

Analysis and Decisions

From what he perceives, the driver must anticipate what can happen and decide what to do. He must:

• Know and understand the rules of the highway code.
• Have some notion of his car.
• Take into account the behavior of the other drivers.
• Know the risks, and know how and when to avoid them.

This analysis becomes easier with experience. The decisions are taken faster and are better adapted. There are certain circumstances which make the driver less able to choose the right move. These include strain, stress, sickness, alcohol, certain medications or drugs, fatigue, etc.

The law forbids driving while drunk or with more than a certain level of alcohol in the blood.

The driver's capacities to analyze situations and to make safety decisions and react quickly can be perturbed by his psychological state, drugs, alcohol, etc.

Actions

To act, the driver uses the controls of his car. The driver has only three choices:

1. Warn the other drivers. The indicators, shop lights, and warning lights allow the driver to indicate/signal his presence and to inform the others of one's intentions.
2. Change one's speed. The driver can only accelerate or slow down in the limits of the laws of physics.
3. Change one's trajectory.

To act the right way, you have to have the capacity.

Drivers who are sick can only drive under certain conditions - under medical follow-up care, in a fixed-up or fitted-out/converted car, as appropriate.

The exam for the Code de la Route aims to test that the candidate has reached an understanding of all that is expected of him.

Driving is a social activity, which implies a sense of civic responsibility. Every driver is legally and morally responsible. Only his legal responsibility can be insured by an insurance company. When you become a driver, you must become security-minded.

Installment 2 - Car