motorist n : someone who drives (or travels in) an automobile [syn: automobilist]

English

Noun

1. one who drives a motor vehicle

Synonyms

• driver

Driving is the controlled operation of a land vehicle, usually a motor vehicle such as a truck or a car. Although direct operation of a bicycle, a mounted animal (not including chariot operation) or a motorcycle (at least in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada) is commonly called riding, such operators are usually legally considered to be drivers and are required to obey those rules of the road which apply to all drivers.

Driving skills

Driving in traffic is more than just knowing how to operate the mechanisms which control the vehicle; it requires knowing how to apply the rules of the road (which govern safe and efficient sharing with other users). An effective driver also has an intuitive understanding of the basics of vehicle handling.

Driving as a physical skill

In terms of the basic physical tasks required, a driver must be able to control direction, acceleration, and deceleration. For motor vehicles, the detailed tasks include:

• 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, slow, and stop the vehicle, and if the vehicle is equipped with a manual transmission, to modulate the clutch
• Steering the vehicle's direction with the steering wheel
• Operating other important ancillary devices such as the indicators, headlights, and windshield wipers

Driving as a mental skill

Driver error is an important factor in driving accidents, a primary factor in the deaths of over a million people every year. Avoiding such error involves more than just following the rules of the road literally; defensive driving also involves the cultivation of good habits, maintaining attention and a thoughtful, cooperative attitude.

Avoiding or successfully handling an emergency driving situation can involve the following skills:

• Making good decisions based on factors such as road and traffic conditions
• Evasive maneuvering
• Proper hand placement and seating position
• Skid control
• Steering and braking techniques
• Understanding vehicle dynamics

Distractions can compromise a driver's mental skills. One study on the subject of mobile phones and driving safety concluded that, after controlling for driving difficulty and time on task, drivers talking on a phone exhibited greater impairment than drivers who were suffering from alcohol intoxication.

Another survey indicated that music could affect a driver's concentration.

Driving laws

Almost every jurisdiction has rules of the road, driver licensing and vehicle registration that apply when driving heavy motor vehicles on public roads. Some also have criminal law for negligent operation, vehicle safety inspections and compulsory insurance. The high degree of responsibility imposed by these laws is based on the extraordinary danger of driving heavy motor vehicles.

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 (whether pedal or motor powered) on public roads. Saudi women have periodically staged driving protests against these restrictions.

In many countries, even after passing one's driving test, new motorists may be initially subject to special restrictions. For example, in Australia, novice drivers 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.

See also

• Automobile
• Back seat driver
• Chauffeur
• Clutch control
• Defensive driving
• Drifting (motorsport)
• Driver's license
• Driverless car
• Driving pleasure
• Driving under the influence
• Global warming
• Graduated driver licensing
• Greenhouse gas
• Heel-and-Toe
• Highway Code (official road safety manual for the United Kingdom)
• Highway patrol
• Institute of Advanced Motorists
• Mobile phones and driving safety
• Railroad engineer
• Road safety
• Road racing
• Road rage
• Sleep Deprived Driving
• Traffic directionality
• Traffic jam
• Traffic sign
• Vehicle dynamics

References

External links

• How Cars Work - also How to Drive.
• Tips For Winter Driving by David Maillie

Sunday driver, backseat driver, bus driver, busman, cabby, cabdriver, chauffeur, driver, hack, hackdriver, hackman, hacky, hit-and-run driver, jitney driver, joyrider, operator, road hog, speeder, taxidriver, teamster, truck driver, trucker, truckman