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Hawaii driving lesson · Rules of the Road & Right-of-Way

You, your attitude and crash risk

A 3-minute lesson from the Hawaii course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.

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Read time
3 minutes
Course unit
Rules of the Road & Right-of-Way
Checkpoint questions
5
Source pages
24, 25

Every driving situation has three parts: the environment (road and traffic), the vehicle, and you. Only you can gather information, apply judgment and act. Good judgment can make up for limited skill, but poor judgment can cancel out any expertise.

Know the rule

Your judgment is primarily influenced by your attitude when you drive.

Handbook p. 24 ↗

Things that can make you temporarily crash-prone:

  • Troubles from home, quarrels or misunderstandings
  • Financial worries
  • Serious illness in the family
  • Personal fears
  • Overconfidence
  • Strong emotions such as anger or grief
Handbook p. 24 ↗

Know the rule

After a violent argument, or when angry or grieving, take time to cool off before driving.

Handbook p. 24 ↗

Know the rule

If you are worried, ill, nervous, frightened, angry or depressed, let someone else drive.

Handbook p. 24 ↗

Know the rule

Alcohol, drugs, illness or disability may cause or contribute to a traffic crash.

Handbook p. 24 ↗

Driver age and crashes

Driver age and crashes
Age groupCrash pattern
Under 20About twice as many crashes as expected
50 to 54Fewest crashes of any age group
55 and upCrashes more frequent as age increases
Over 75More crashes, but fewer than drivers under 25
Handbook p. 24 ↗

Young drivers avoid the 'show-off' trap by:

  • Resisting the desire to exhibit and compete
  • Declining all challenges to prove your or your vehicle's capabilities
Handbook p. 25 ↗

Aging eventually brings:

  • Reduced hearing and eyesight
  • Less physical dexterity and slower reaction time
  • Longer decision time
  • Shorter attention span and less concentration
Handbook p. 25 ↗

All drivers, including experienced ones, should:

  • Keep physically fit
  • Have annual physical examinations
  • Know how medication affects their driving
  • Recognize and drive within their limitations
  • Seek and follow a physician's advice about their driving
Handbook p. 25 ↗

Put it into practice

Your boss chews you out right before quitting time and you're furious. Don't blast the radio or speed on the freeway to 'let off steam.' Take a few minutes to cool off before driving home.

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.

Which age group has about twice as many crashes as expected for their numbers on the road?
  1. Drivers under age 20
  2. Drivers aged 25 to 34
  3. Drivers aged 35 to 44
  4. Drivers aged 45 to 49

Answer: Drivers under age 20

Drivers under 20 have roughly twice as many crashes as their share of drivers would predict.

Handbook p. 24 ↗
According to crash statistics cited in the handbook, drivers have the fewest crashes at about what age range?
  1. 35-44
  2. 50-54
  3. 65-74
  4. 18-24

Answer: 50-54

Drivers aged 50-54 have the least number of crashes of any age group.

Handbook p. 24 ↗
After about age 55, crash involvement tends to:
  1. decrease steadily every year
  2. keep decreasing until about age 75
  3. increase again as you get older
  4. stay about the same

Answer: increase again as you get older

Crash rates rise again as drivers age past 55.

Handbook p. 24 ↗
If you've just had a serious argument and are angry, the safest choice before driving is to:
  1. take a few minutes to cool off first
  2. drive home right away to beat traffic
  3. play the radio loud to forget about it
  4. drive, but stay under the speed limit

Answer: take a few minutes to cool off first

Strong emotions require a cooling-off period before it is safe to drive.

Handbook p. 24 ↗
Drivers under age 20 have about half as many crashes as expected for their numbers on the road.
  1. True
  2. False

Answer: False

Drivers under 20 have about twice as many crashes as expected, not half.

Handbook p. 24 ↗
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