Roadwise States Delaware Driving lessons Distracted & drowsy driving Delaware driving lesson · Alcohol, Drugs & Impaired Driving
Distracted & drowsy driving A 4-minute lesson from the Delaware course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Read time 4 minutes
Course unit Alcohol, Drugs & Impaired Driving
Checkpoint questions 6
Source pages 51, 52, 79, 114 Driving instructors estimate a driver makes about 200 decisions every mile. Anything else you do—texting, eating, a heated conversation—competes for that attention. Fatigue does the same thing, slowly and without warning.
200 Decisions a driver makes per mile of driving (instructors' estimate)
Handbook p. 52 ↗ Know the rule
Taking your eyes off the road for 3–4 seconds at 55 mph means traveling the length of an entire football field.
Handbook p. 52 ↗ 7% Drivers aged 15–19 in fatal crashes who were reported as distracted
Handbook p. 52 ↗ You may be doing more than you can manage safely if you are: Eating, drinking or smoking Changing the radio, CD or music on a device Shaving, putting on makeup or grooming Having intense or emotional conversations on the phone or with passengers Reading a map or newspaper, or taking notes Focusing on children or pets, or retrieving unsecured objects Talking, texting, emailing, or taking a selfie Driving an unfamiliar car before adjusting mirrors and seat and finding the controls Handbook p. 52 ↗ Know the rule
Delaware prohibits hand-held cell phone use and texting while driving. To talk, use a hands-free device. You may dial a number or turn wireless equipment on or off, then you must put the device down.
Handbook p. 79 ↗ Know the rule
Also banned while driving: pagers, PDAs, laptops, games, portable computers, two-way communication devices and any other hand-held electronic communication device.
Handbook p. 79 ↗ Know the rule
GDL drivers may not use any cell phone or electronic device while driving—including hands-free.
Handbook p. 79 ↗ Exempt from the hand-held ban: Police, firefighters, EMS and emergency vehicle operators performing official duties Anyone reporting an emergency Drivers of farm tractors, non-registered farm trucks or farm equipment HAM radio operators Business or government employees using a vehicle-mounted two-way radio to reach dispatch Handbook p. 79 ↗ Know the rule
Driving with headphones or earphones that cover or go in both ears is illegal in Delaware—they make it hard to hear horns and sirens.
Handbook p. 114 ↗ Know the rule
Don't rubberneck—slowing to look at a crash, a traffic stop or roadside activity can cause a crash and adds to congestion.
Handbook p. 114 ↗ Highway hypnosis Becoming unaware of your surroundings on long drives, caused by monotony—the sound of the wind, the tires and the steady hum of the engine.
Handbook p. 52 ↗ Signs you're too drowsy to drive: Your eyes close or go out of focus by themselves Trouble keeping your head up You can't stop yawning Wandering, disconnected thoughts You don't remember the last few miles You missed your exit You keep drifting out of your lane Your speed keeps changing Handbook p. 52 ↗ Know the rule
If you're tired while driving, the best choice is to rest or change drivers.
Handbook p. 52 ↗ Put it into practice
A text buzzes in while you're driving on Route 1. Picking up the phone to read or answer it is illegal. Pull off safely first. An adult could take a call hands-free; a GDL driver can't use the phone at all.
Check your understanding Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
Driving instructors estimate that a driver makes roughly how many decisions per mile of driving? 20 200 50 500 or more Answer: 200
Driving instructors estimate a driver makes about 200 decisions per mile, so any distraction adds to an already heavy workload.
Handbook p. 52 ↗ If you take your eyes off the road for 3 to 4 seconds at 55 mph, your vehicle travels about the length of a parking space a school bus a football field two city blocks Answer: a football field
At 55 mph, 3 to 4 seconds of inattention covers the length of an entire football field.
Handbook p. 52 ↗ Which of the following is a common sign of drowsy driving? Driving at an unusually steady speed Checking your mirrors more often Feeling more alert than usual Wandering, disconnected thoughts Answer: Wandering, disconnected thoughts
Signs of drowsy driving include wandering, disconnected thoughts, trouble keeping your head up, yawning and a speed that becomes variable.
Handbook p. 52 ↗ Headphones or earphones covering both ears while driving are illegal in Delaware legal as long as the volume is low legal only on the interstate legal for passengers but not drivers Answer: illegal in Delaware
Driving with head or earphones covering both ears is illegal because it makes it hard to hear emergency sirens.
Handbook p. 114 ↗ Which of the following counts as an exemption from Delaware's hand-held cell phone ban while driving? Checking social media at a red light Taking a photo of an accident Reporting an emergency Adjusting a video call camera angle Answer: Reporting an emergency
Anyone reporting an emergency is exempt from the hand-held device ban, along with law enforcement and certain other operators.
Handbook p. 79 ↗ Talking or texting on a hand-held cell phone while driving is prohibited under Delaware law. True False Answer: True
Delaware bans hand-held cell phone use and texting while driving; hands-free devices are required for calls.
Handbook p. 79 ↗ Previous lesson Ignition interlock (IID) program Next lesson The point system & Problem Driver Program More in Alcohol, Drugs & Impaired Driving About the source Roadwise’s Delaware course uses the driver handbook edition supplied with this study pack. This lesson cites source pages 51, 52, 79, 114. The linked PDF is a third-party mirror of the handbook, rather than a government-hosted page.
Open the handbook source PDF · View the source edition
For current application requirements, fees, appointments, and the format that applies to your age or license type, check Delaware’s DMV. Roadwise provides study material and does not issue permits or licenses.