PRE-LICENSING COURSE INSTRUCTOR’S MANUAL A Syllabus Prepared by the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles ATTITUDE HABITS FITNESS SKILLS EMOTIONAL KNOWLEDGE PHYSICAL MENTAL FITNESS FITNESS ARCH OF MV-277 (4/20) DRIVER SAFETY 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword ............................................................................................................ 3 Course Overview ............................................................................................................ 4 Manual Overview ............................................................................................................ 5 How to Use the Manual .................................................................................................. 6 Unit I Program Introduction ........................................................................... 7 Unit II The Task of Driving Within the Highway Transportation System ........ 18 Unit III Driver Habits and Skills ....................................................................... 25 Unit IV Feelings, Attitudes and Taking Risks .................................................. 69 Unit V Alcohol, Other Drugs and Driving ........................................................ 91 Unit VI Course Recap ..................................................................................... 128 Appendix A Recent Laws and Highway Safety Concerns ...................................... 129 Appendix B Course Guidelines ............................................................................... 141 Appendix C Administrative Duties for Pre-Licensing .............................................. 147 Appendix D Part 7 of the Commissioner’s Regulations of New York State ............ 149 Appendix E Section 502 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law ......................................... 150 Appendix F Common Drugs and Their Effects ....................................................... 157 2 FOREWORD The goals of New York State’s comprehensive statewide highway safety program are to prevent motor vehicle crashes, save lives, and reduce the severity of injuries suffered in crashes. Enforcement of the Vehicle and Traffic Law in conjunction with public information and education continue to be the cornerstones of New York’s highway safety program. The Department of Motor Vehicles uses the Pre-Licensing Course curriculum as one means to address these goals, and is committed to educating new drivers by providing them with information to help them drive safely. For many students, the DMV Pre-Licensing Course provides their only opportunity to be personally instructed about the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law, the basic “rules of the road”, safe driving principles, defensive driving techniques, and information about the effects of alcohol, drugs, and other current highway safety concerns. By actively participating in, and completing, this Pre-Licensing Course, students will learn safe driving skills and have the potential to improve their driving behavior by learning to share the road courteously and safely. This may reduce the higher incidence of traffic violations and crashes incurred by new drivers, thus decreasing the risks for all users of the state’s roadways. There are places in the manual where the instructor and participants are directed to other sources (including websites) for the most current information. It is strongly suggested that the instructor make use of these references as this will help provide the most up-to-date information to the participants. Much information about safety, forms, and licensing requirements can be found at the Department of Motor Vehicles website www.dmv.ny.gov and at the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee website www.safeny.ny.gov. Please visit both sites for additional information to enhance your lectures. As an instructor of the NYS DMV Pre-Licensing Course, you can have a significant positive impact on the driving habits of our state’s future drivers. 3 PRE-LICENSING COURSE OVERVIEW MISSION STATEMENT The Pre-Licensing Course educates New York State’s new drivers by promoting safe, courteous, defensive and alcohol/drug-free driving. OVERALL OBJECTIVES The objectives of the Pre-Licensing Course are to: Define and recognize driving as a mental, physical and social task that involves the interaction of the operator, the environment and the vehicles. Recognize the importance of protecting motor vehicle occupants from possible injury or death by using all occupant protection devices. Teach the rules-of-the-road, emphasizing those that promote safe driving. Identify factors such as fatigue, alcohol, and other drugs that can impair a driver’s ability to operate a motor vehicle. Recognize dangerous drivers and driving situations and learn how to react safely. Understand the influence a driver’s state of mind can have on their behavior, and how this affects their actions while driving. 4 MANUAL OVERVIEW The Pre-Licensing Course Instructor’s Manual represents a minimum of four hours of instruction. The information in Appendix A adds content which the instructor must include in the presentation. The Manual contains several appendices that may be helpful to the instructor: 1. Recent Laws and Highway Safety Concerns (Appendix A) contains information about new laws and safety concerns. This content must be included in the Instructor’s presentation of the course so that new motorists will be aware of the importance of these topics; 2. Tips to help instructors prepare for and conduct classes; 3. Procedures to use when filling out and maintaining required records; 4. NYS Vehicle and Traffic Law and Department of Motor Vehicles’ regulations which govern the Course; The Pre-Licensing Course is designed to provide information necessary for safe driving. It is not to help prospective drivers pass the road test. Using the Pre-Licensing Course to provide information on how to take a road test is prohibited, and deprives new motorists of critical information they need to develop as a safe driver. Students should be referred to DMV’s website at www.dmv.ny.gov/driver-license/prepare-your-road-test for more information, or consult with a driving school at a time other than when the Pre-Licensing Course is being conducted. This Instructor’s Manual is structured to ensure that the course is uniformly offered across the state while allowing each instructor flexibility in their individual presentations. It’s designed to provide instructors with va r i e d ways to achieve course objectives. We hope you find it helpful and easy to use. 5 HOW TO USE THE INSTRUCTOR’S MANUAL EACH OF THE SIX (6) UNITS OF THE MANUAL CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING SECTIONS TO ASSIST THE INSTRUCTOR THROUGH THE CURRICULUM: Overview The Overview is a brief synopsis, including objectives, of the unit. It is intended as a “guide” and not to be used word-for-word as your introduction to each unit. The instructor is required to develop their own lesson plan for delivering the course to ensure that all required content is covered. Instructor Objectives The Instructor’s Objectives are designed to help instructors plan their presentation. Instructors should attempt to meet all of them. Instructors should strive to have students meet these objectives regardless of the activities and exercises used by the instructor. Student Objectives Student Objectives are knowledge and behaviorally based. Instructors should encourage students to participate in the classroom discussions and activities as evidence of student involvement and learning. Session Content Background material (i.e., Unit Content) related to the objectives appears below the Student Objective. Instructors should include some, if not all, of this information in their lesson. Please read this section prior to planning or conducting a class. Activities The Activity, or Activities, included in each session relate to the Student Objective and Unit Content on the preceding page. Instructors may use these activities or choose their own that support the specific objective and unit content. To promote student participation in the class, instructors should continually ask questions. Instructors may use the questions listed or use their own that support the unit’s objectives and content. Media and Video Content Media, including video content, may be used when appropriate. It is up to the course provider to select, obtain, and utilize media content that supports the topic being discussed. Total media time must not exceed one hour. The course provider is responsible for selecting and obtaining appropriate media for use in their presentation of the Pre-Licensing Course. Note: References in this manual to using a chalkboard are intended as suggestions only. Instructors are permitted and encouraged to use alternate visual aids, such as magnetic boards and computer-generated displays. 6 UNIT I: INTRODUCTION TO THE PRE-LICENSING COURSE OVERVIEW The purpose of the Pre-Licensing Course is to help the new driver: - become aware of a driver’s responsibilities, - understand the “rules-of-the-road”, - use safe driving concepts and crash avoidance techniques, - understand why it’s necessary to use occupant protection devices to protect themselves and their passengers from possible injury, - recognize the risk of driving when sleepy (fatigued) or under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. - Learn about current safety concerns and laws (as identified in Appendix A) INSTRUCTOR OBJECTIVES The instructor shall: 1. Establish a positive learning environment, 2. Welcome students and