**Driving Skills:**
– Driving in traffic requires knowledge of road rules
– Effective drivers understand vehicle handling
– Bicycles and animals are legally considered drivers
– Long-distance driving is called a road trip
– Driving tests assess knowledge of road rules
**Physical Skills:**
– Control direction, acceleration, and deceleration
– Proper hand placement and gear shifting
– Steering and braking techniques
– Operating ancillary devices
– Speed and skid control
**Mental Skills:**
– Observing the environment and road signs
– Making quick decisions based on conditions
– Evasive maneuvering in emergencies
– Understanding vehicle dynamics
– Avoiding distracted driving
**Safety Concerns:**
– Driving in poor road conditions and low visibility
– Risks of texting, speeding, and impaired driving
– Dangers of distracted and reckless driving
– Impairment due to sleep deprivation or medical conditions
– High rates of injury and death among teenage drivers
**Regulations and Ownership:**
– Spanish driving licenses use a point system
– Road rules, driver licensing, and vehicle registration vary between jurisdictions
– Laws differ on criminal responsibility for negligent driving and vehicle safety inspections
– Countries have laws against driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
– Car ownership does not always require a driver’s license
– In the USA, a significant percentage of drivers in fatal crashes had no license
– Some countries require vehicle safety certificates and minimum insurance
– Even with a withdrawn license, individuals can legally own a car
– Laws on car ownership and insurance vary globally
Driving is the controlled operation and movement of a land vehicle, including cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses. Permission to drive on public highways is granted based on a set of conditions being met and drivers are required to follow the established road and traffic laws in the location they are driving. The word driving, has etymology dating back to the 15th century and has developed as what driving has encompassed has changed from working animals in the 15th to automobiles in the 1800s. Driving skills have also developed since the 15th century with physical, mental and safety skills being required to drive. This evolution of the skills required to drive have been accompanied by the introduction of driving laws which relate to not only the driver but the driveability of a car.
The term "driver" originated in the 15th century, referring to the occupation of driving working animals like pack or draft horses. It later applied to electric railway drivers in 1889 and motor-car drivers in 1896. The world's first long-distance road trip by automobile occurred in 1888 when Bertha Benz drove a Benz Patent-Motorwagen from Mannheim to Pforzheim, Germany. Driving requires both physical and mental skills, as well as an understanding of the rules of the road.
In many countries, drivers must pass practical and theoretical driving tests to obtain a driving license. Physical skills required for driving include proper hand placement, gear shifting, pedal operation, steering, braking, and operation of ancillary devices. Mental skills involve hazard awareness, decision-making, evasive maneuvering, and understanding vehicle dynamics. Distractions, altered states of consciousness, and certain medical conditions can impair a driver's mental skills.
Safety concerns in driving include poor road conditions, low visibility, texting while driving, speeding, impaired driving, sleep-deprived driving, and reckless driving. Laws regarding driving, driver licensing, and vehicle registration vary between jurisdictions. Most countries have laws against driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. Some countries impose annual renewals or point systems for driver's licenses to maintain road safety.
The World Health Organization estimates that 1.35 million people are killed each year in road traffic; it is the leading cause of death for people age 5 to 29.