Driving
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Driving
Driving is the controlled operation of a
vehicle, which is usually a motor vehicle such as a truck, bus, or
car.
For bicycles and mounted animals and — at least in the United Kingdom,
the United States and Canada — motorcycles, the corresponding activity
is called riding, unless a chariot is being used.
Driving includes knowing how to operate the mechanisms which control the
speed and direction (which in technical terminology are both components of the
velocity), and the braking of the vehicle, and especially includes knowing how
to do both safely. An experienced driver usually has an intuitive understanding
of the basics of car handling.
Driving as a physical skill
In terms of the basic physical tasks required, driving a motor vehicle
generally involves:
- Starting the vehicle's engine with the
starting system
- Setting the
transmission to the correct gear
- Depressing the
pedals with
one's feet to accelerate and slow the vehicle (and, if necessary, to change
gears)
- Steering the vehicle's direction with the
steering wheel
- Operating other important ancillary devices like the
headlights and windshield wipers
- Watching the road conditions in all directions around the vehicle
(including frequent checks behind the vehicle using
mirrors) to
monitor the relative location of other vehicles, bicyclists, and
pedestrians.
Driving as a survival skill
Of course, driving is far more complicated than simply pressing pedals and
turning the steering wheel; it also involves looking out for everyone else (and
everything) on the road. The skill of safe driving is necessary to avoid
collisions, which kill many thousands of people annually.
And safe driving is much more than following the legally prescribed
rules of the road. It goes beyond that into the cultivation of good habits,
maintaining attention, and a thoughtful, cooperative attitude that avoids and
prevents accidents. This is often described as
defensive driving.
Laws covering driving
In most countries, the use of public
roads is heavily governed by law. Laws cover the construction and maintenance of
roads, the construction and use of vehicles, the rules of the road, the
requirements for driver and vehicle licensing
(see
Driver's license and
License plate), vehicle
taxation,
safety inspections and compulsory
insurance.
These laws reflect the high degree of responsibility which is imposed upon both
the drivers and manufacturers of vehicles to make them as safe in use as they
can possibly be.
Motorists are almost universally required to take lessons with an approved
instructor and pass a
driving test before being granted a license. The trend has been towards
increasingly tougher tests in recent decades. Almost all countries allow all
adults with good vision to apply to take a driving test and, if successful, to
drive on public roads. Saudi Arabia, however, bans women from driving vehicles (and riding
bicycles) on public roads. Saudi women have periodically staged driving protests
against these restrictions.
In many countries, even after passing one's driving test, new drivers may be
initially subject to special restrictions. For example, in
Australia,
novice motorists are required to carry "P" ("provisional") plates, and are
subject to lower speed limits, alcohol limits, and other restrictions for their
first two years of driving. This varies between states.
Minimum driving ages
The minimum age required for driving varies depending on the country. The
most common age is 18. Here are the ages required in some countries (in
alphabetical order), note that some regions of the countries may start at a
different age than other regions, this is just the minimum age requirement to
drive:
- Albania: 18
Argentina: 17
Australia
- New South Wales: 17
South Australia: 16
Victoria: 18
Queensland: 17
Northern Territory: 17
Tasmania: 16
Western Australia: 17
- Austria: 17
Belgium: 18
Brazil: 18
Canada: 16
China: 18
Czech Republic: 18
Denmark: 18
Egypt: 18
Ethiopia: 14
Finland: 18
France: 18
Germany: 18
Greece: Varies from 16 to 18 years of age, depending on Vehicle Category.
Usually minimum of 17.
Hong Kong: 18
Indonesia:17
Iceland: 17
Iran: 18
Ireland: 17
India: 18
Isle of Man: 16
Israel: 17
Italy: 18
Japan: 18
Luxembourg: 18
Malaysia: 17
Malta: 18
Mauritius: 18
Mexico: 16
Morocco: 18
Netherlands: 18
New Zealand: 15
Norway: 18
Oman: 18
Pakistan: 18
Peru: 18
Philippines: 17
Poland: 18
Portugal: 18
Puerto Rico: 16
Romania: 18
Russia: 18
South Africa: 18
Singapore: 18
Spain: 18
Sweden: 18
Switzerland: 18
Taiwan: 18
Tanzania: 18
United States: Varies from 14 to 18 by state, 16 is most common.
United Kingdom: 17
Uruguay: 18
Venezuela: 18
Enforcement of driving-related laws
Each country has its own unique way of dividing up the responsibility for
enforcing all the laws mentioned above. In nearly all countries, though, the
laws controlling driving in practice (like
speed
limits) are enforced by the
police, who are in the best position to identify violations as they occur and to
issue citations or make arrests.
Some countries, like
Australia,
prefer to put everything road-related into a single agency at the
state level. Thus, in the Australian state of
New South Wales, the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) is responsible for driver
licensing; highway
construction, maintenance, and patrol; and many other things. Policing on
Australian roads is provided by the relevant state police.
In contrast, in the
United States, many U.S. state governments have a Department of Transportation
that handles road construction and maintenance (subject to some guidance from
the federal Department of Transportation), and a separate Department of Motor
Vehicles that handles driver licensing and vehicle
registration. There is usually a state police agency (called the Highway Patrol
or Department of Public Safety) which enforces driving laws on state highways.
On local roads, driving laws are enforced by county sheriff's departments or
city police departments.
In many jurisdictions, bicycles are legally considered to be vehicles and
cyclists are legally classified as drivers. The riding of bicycles is rarely
subject to licensing. However, some municipalities permit for the bicycle.
See also
External links
References
Home | Up | Traffic code | Driving | Driving on the left or right | Speed limit | Traffic lights | Car safety | Traffic signs
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