1. Driving with Distraction
Welcome drivers to the refresher and let them know that you have some breaking news to share with them about driving distractions.
In our training we often refer to this inside mirror as the “most dangerous piece of equipment on the bus” because our distraction from passengers is often the most challenging part of being a school bus driver.
New York State Education Department Driver and Attendant Refresher

2. “Driver distraction is a diversion of attention away from activities critical for safe driving towards a competing activity.”
Have 2 or 3 drivers get up and start talking loudly enough to be a distraction to the entire group. Talking over them, read the definition for Driver Distraction and flip to the next slide which is blank.

3. Ask the drivers to sit down because they are “distracting” and ask the class to write down the definition of Driver Distraction on the worksheet blank. Most folks will have not been able to pay attention to you because of the distraction. Now that you have made your point and move on to the next slide – the distraction definition again.

4. “Driver distraction is a diversion of attention away from activities critical for safe driving towards a competing activity.”
Take a minute and read through this definition a few times. Make sure the drivers and attendants grasp how all-encompassing this definition really is. Also note that there is no value judgment here, distractions are just anything that pulls attention away from the most vital activity. They are not bad intrinsically, they are only dangerous to the degree they pull one’s attention from the driving task.

5. Today’s key points Understanding distraction Attendant role
NHTSA study
Brain overload
Defensive Driving Formula
Distractions outside and inside the bus
Distractions inside us
Briefly provide an overview of the topics and concepts you will be covering.
The graphic includes a HYPERLINK to a TV news story about distracted drivers. The clip is about 4 minutes long but you get the flavor of it in just a minute or two. Just make the point that not only is distraction a danger to our driving, it is also a negative for our public relations.

6. Attendant Role
Don’t distract the driver with distracting or unnecessary conversation or problems
Reduce on-bus student noise
Deal with unanticipated on-bus events
Help watching outside, especially at intersections and bus stops
Tell the driver what you see -- never TMI
For the safety of “your” (together) bus
Discussion: This refresher might seem like it is for “drivers only,” so lead a discussion of how bus attendants can help reduce driver distraction.
Too often the driver says it is his or her bus. For this refresher to be meaningful, it needs to be clear that it is our bus. While the basic roles might be different, the goal is shared. Children must be transported safely to and from school.
TMI = Too much information

7. 78% NHTSA 100-car naturalistic driving study
241 drivers, 5 channels of video in/outside
Drivers perform regular driving for one year
2,000,000 miles of travel
43,000 hours of data
82 crashes
78% of crashes were preceded by inattention
Activity: Have the class complete the blanks on their worksheet as you cover the information on this slide.
This is an amazing study. The 10-page overview is in the PDS manual. Previous NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) studies had estimated distraction as a cause in 25% of accidents. These previous studies were based on driver self-reporting, i.e. “I was talking on my cell phone, adjusting the radio, applying mascara” just before the crash.
This raises the issue of distraction to the top of the driver education priority list.
The 42 drivers were videotaped in their own cars during the regular course of driving for a year so any effect of “performing” for the cameras wore off pretty quickly, hence the term “naturalistic.” This project studied drivers in their “natural” environment. Historically, driver studies have placed drivers in simulated circumstances and then extrapolated the data towards understanding the real world.
78%

8. Key new understandings
Driving-related inattention to the forward roadway
Non-specific eye-glance away from the forward roadway
Over 2 seconds away from roadway is dangerous
NHTSA identified two types of distraction that had not previously been a part of the distracted driver discussion:
Driving related inattention, that is, drivers being distracted from the roadway ahead of them by checking their mirrors or speed or fuel gauge. As long as the inattention was less that 2 seconds, it did not appear to hinder safe driving. Longer distractions like looking in the side mirrors for 5 seconds to figure out if that is your brother-in-law at the gas station are more dangerous.
The second action that they identified is a non-specific eye-glance. This might be a driver who scans not just the road, but the woods or shops or pedestrians along the sides of the road. Again, if these glances were less that 2 seconds safety was not diminished.
In fact, drivers who performed these two newly identified actions, as long as they remained under 2 seconds, were safer than the overall average driving performance because their eyes were active even if they were not focused straight down the road at all times.
We will talk more about specific driving related distractions towards the end of the session.
The article “How to Drive Distraction Free” in your PDS manual has an excellent analysis of types of distraction.

9. An Alphabet of Distractions
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Activity: Put up this slide and get groups of 3-5 drivers and attendants together. In large groups you will have multiple groups with the same assignment. Assign each group one of the columns of letters, i.e. A-E, F-J, etc. and have them write a distraction that begins with each assigned letter on their handout. After they have had 2-3 minutes or so, ask for distractions from the whole group and ask a scribe to write them on a flip chart. If you have multiple groups for each column give other groups an opportunity to respond, but don’t take forever on this task.
Watch out for the “quixotic choristers” and other strange distraction you might get for the hard letters. Let the group enjoy this activity. Don’t worry if they can’t get a few letters.

10. Sources of Distraction
Inside
Generic
School Bus
Outside
Use this graphic to talk about the similarities and differences of driving a school bus and a generic personal vehicle.
Discussion: Ask for a few examples of each category to get them a little more focused than they were on the previous brainstorming activity.

11. It’s all about TIME and SPACE
Defensive Driving
Recognize the Hazard
Understand the Defense
Act correctly in TIME
It’s all about TIME and SPACE
This is the basic defensive driving formula. School bus driver classroom and behind-the- wheel training, as well as annual and biennial DDRs and BTWs, prepare drivers to understand the proper defense in driving situations. The bottom line in dealing with distractions is having enough time and space to respond to the distraction safely. Time and space are directly connected. The amount of space available for you to maneuver in response to the distraction establishes how much time is enough time.
If you have lots of space, then you will likely be able to act correctly in time. If you have allowed yourself to get boxed in to a tight space, the same distraction could lead to a crash. This concept of space cushion driving is coming up soon.

12. Needed for Success Recognize Hazard See Know Anticipate
Activity: As you work through the these three slides have the class fill in the blanks on their worksheet, completing each section of the Defensive Driving formula.
Take a moment to help drivers and attendants to understand the sub-steps to each part of the Defensive Driving formula. Without the whole package the formula fails.
Recognizing the hazard includes first seeing the hazard. Our whole distraction discussion is about seeing the things we need to see and not having our attention drawn to unnecessary distractions.
The next step is knowing that we are seeing a hazard and knowing the characteristics of this particular hazard.
Finally, we need to understand this type of hazard and anticipate what behavior or characteristics to expect.
WARNING: If we see what we think might be a hazard, but we can’t categorize it because we are not familiar with it, we really need to slow and take extreme caution until we are past the situation or have gotten enough information to categorize it as a known hazard.

13. Needed for Success Recognize Hazard Understand Defense See Know
Anticipate
Understand Defense
Training
Planning
Vehicle position
Take a moment to help drivers and attendants to understand the sub-steps to each part of the Defensive Driving formula. Without the whole package the formula fails.
Once we have recognized and categorized the hazard, we need to know the defense. Knowing the defense involves learning the defense. We learn defenses in part from our driving experience, but we can’t depend on experience because experience doesn’t always give us the right answer and experience in a personal vehicle doesn’t always translate to a school bus. We may also have learned some unreliable defenses from our Uncle Charlie or other non-authoritative source that need to be discarded.
We gain a knowledge of correct defenses in our school bus classroom and behind the wheel training. This training takes into account two important issues, the large size and relative nimbleness of the vehicle and the incredibly important cargo. These two issues lead us to drive cautiously and to leave enough space to maneuver this large vehicle and to protect our precious cargo.
Our training tells us that the key to understanding the defense is leaving ourselves enough room to perform what ever other action is necessary, either braking or steering By planning ahead and positioning our vehicle with sufficient space all around, we are able to implement the defenses we have learned.

14. Needed for Success Recognize Hazard Understand Defense Act in Time See
Know
Anticipate
Understand Defense
Training
Planning
Vehicle position
Take a moment to help drivers and attendants to understand the sub-steps to each part of the Defensive Driving formula. Without the whole package the formula fails.
If the first two steps are complete, there are only two variables left. Are you, mentally and physically able to perform the necessary defense? This means getting to work ready to do the job.
The second piece that must be in place is your vehicle. If you need to steer or brake, is your vehicle physically ready to perform as it is designed to perform?
TIME and SPACE are really the key issues. If you leave yourself enough time and space, you will likely have enough time to Recognize the Hazard, Understand the Defense, and Act Correctly in Time.
Act in Time
Your body/mind
The vehicle

15. Space Cushion Space extends time
4 seconds
4 seconds
3-4 times more for ice
This slide helps to visualize the issue of space which is our protector from sudden distraction and reminds us of the 4 second rule (for good weather) as well as the idea of the braking reaction time. While drivers may be able to hit the brake in .4 to .5 seconds on the brake reaction timer, in the real world where distractions are unanticipated, and especially in air brake vehicles with a lag time between brake application and commencement of braking, the 1.5 second figure is more reasonable, and in fact, may be unrealistically low.
Discussion: Ask drivers to talk about what kind of accidents can be controlled by managing space.
Embedded video clip: If you are projecting the PowerPoint and have strong enough audio for your class size, the yellow bus is hyperlinked to a multi-vehicle crash news story from Minnesota.
Space extends time
4 seconds at 45 mph = 264 feet 5 sec above 40
Reaction time 1.5 seconds + Braking distance
Ice and snow can triple stopping distance

16. Distraction effect
Senses are bombarded with input to brain while driving.
All input must be weighed before action is taken.
Drivers must decide what is crucial information for decisions to change speed, change position on the road, or communicate.
Too much information – driver panics, shuts down decision-making or reacts abruptly without planning.
Our brains can only do so much. What is key to this concept is that when the brain hits overload it doesn’t slow its performance, it crashes just like a computer.

17. Key to time…Available memory
Humans can handle 5-7 activities and keep mental control.
Excess visual input fills up the working memory, the process in which information is temporarily stored in the brain. The amount of free working memory affects the level of concentration, so as the memory fills up it becomes more difficult to ignore distractions.
More distractions make it harder to ignore distractions!
This is some recent visual distraction research that reinforces the process of our brains crashing when they hit their maximum activity. Once a driver is overloaded they are apt to do some really uncharacteristic poor driving choices.
Pretty scary -- More distractions make distractions more distracting!

18. Distraction -- Reaction Test
Get in pairs
Hold paper above finger and thumb ½” apart.
Full concentration
Dropper talks
Now with eye contact and talking
Activity: Get class in pairs. You will use the Reaction Timer on the edge of the class handout.
Explain the test. (The test is from the Basic Course Chapter 13) The tester holds the handout with the test markings toward the testee just above the ½” open finger and thumb of their partner. The directions are also printed on the handout.
Tester releases paper and the reaction time is based on where the paper is caught.
Do the test three times and then switch.
The first time the tester allows full concentration.
The second time the tester engages their partner in conversation before dropping the paper.
The third time the conversation continues and the partner must make eye contact with the tester so that the paper is not the main focus of their attention.
Discussion: The reaction time should be increasingly poor. Ask drivers and attendants to think about how the bus environment mimics these kind of distractions.
Rumor has it that if you replace the paper strip with a $20 bill people’s reaction time will improve. The money prioritizes our attention. Shouldn’t the safety of school children do as much?

19. Biggest Danger Situations
Brain capacity is already maxed w/o distractions
Blind curves, hills, driveways
Intersections
Pedestrians
Bus Stops
Large Vehicles
Backing
These obviously dangerous situations are dangerous precisely because of the brain activity discussion we have been having. These situations create additional distractions to the normal drive down the road distractions. Because our brains are already maxed entering the intersection, an unexpected distraction like a pedestrian crossing the street in a downpour, might be missed.
For drivers who have a monitor or attendant on board, a second set of eyes can be a real help at a time like this.

20. Solution…control distractions
Forseeability: Events or objects cease being a distraction when we can fore-know their presence and influence.
The best way to control distractions is to move them from the category of “distraction” to the category of expected, understood, anticipated event. We should especially be able to do this on our daily routes where we can identify all the danger spots. Knowing the danger spots reduces the time necessary for Recognizing the hazard and Identifying the Response so there is significantly bigger window for Acting Correctly in Time.
This penguin, on the other hand does not get the hang of forseeability, and keeps getting dumped into the water. Reminds me of Charlie Brown and the football.
PRINTED OVERHEADS: If you are using printed overheads, this slide will not make obvious sense. In the animation the penguin in the middle of the screen walks towards the right and the second penguin knocks the first penguin into the water. What makes this animation appropriate for our discussion is that the animation plays over and over again showing the first penguin not learning from its previous experience – hence foreseeability.

21. Strategies Control curiosity, ignore what’s passed
Steel ourselves to student actions
Turn off radio, quiet students
Know and anticipate the distractions on our routes
Memorize bus controls
Learn bus sounds/rattles
Focus on the road ahead
Scan seconds ahead to reduce surprise
These are some strategies we can use to prepare ourselves to deal with distractions. One thing that is dangerous and hard to avoid is looking back at something that caught your attention as you passed it. Unless you clearly know that it is a threat, if you have to look back at something, it is no longer a danger to you – look forward where the next threat is coming. The main foci to these suggestions is to prepare yourself to not be rattled and to plan ahead. A suggestion like turning off the radio and asking for students to be quiet might just be on an icy day or a particularly difficult traffic situation suggestion. Studying your bus route and the location of controls on your bus are just one more tool to use to keep your eyes focused on the road and specific identified dangers.
Focus on the road ahead – Driving must be our primary activity – not secondary – maintaining path of travel and line of sight

22. Top 10 food offenders driving:
Coffee
Hot soup
Tacos
Chili
Hamburgers
Barbecued food
Fried chicken
Jelly or cream-filled donuts
Soft drinks
Chocolate
It is important to note that 4 of the most common distractions are illegal for school bus drivers in New York State. Smoking and cell phone use are both prohibited at all times. Eating and drinking are both prohibited with children on board, but many districts and companies have expanded that policy to cover deadhead driving as well. The point is, we still have drivers who do not follow these regulations so they have been left on lists of distractions to re- emphasize the importance of these regulations and policies. Run through this list quickly, and a little humorously, but be sure to make the point about prohibited behaviors.
The top 10 food offenders in a car are:
Coffee — It always finds a way out of the cup.
Hot soup — Many people drink it like coffee and run the same risks.
Tacos — A food that can disassemble itself without much help, leaving your car looking like a salad bar.
Chili — The potential for drips and slops down the front of clothing is significant.
Hamburgers — From the grease of the burger to ketchup and mustard, it could all end up on your hands, your clothes, and the steering wheel.
Barbecued food — The same issue arises for barbecued foods as for hamburgers. The sauce may be great, but if you lick your fingers, the sauce will end up on whatever you touch.
Fried chicken — Another food that leaves you with greasy hands, which means constantly wiping them on something, even if it's your shirt. It also makes the steering wheel greasy.
Jelly or cream-filled donuts — Has anyone eaten a jelly donut without some of the center oozing out?
Soft drinks — Not only are they subject to spills, but also the carbonated kind can fizz as you're drinking if you make sudden movements.
Chocolate — Like greasy foods, chocolate coats the fingers as it melts against the warmth of your skin, and leaves its mark anywhere you touch. As you try to clean it off the steering wheel you're likely to end up swerving.

23. Outside the bus Distractions
Rubbernecking
Bumper stickers/license plates
Billboards/signs
Pedestrians
Animals
Sounds
Glare – sunrise/sunset
Precipitation/fog
Discussion: Ask drivers and attendants (assuming they drive their own vehicle) to estimate how many seconds they would spend with each of these distractions.
For the last two ask them to describe how weather can distract them. Talk about whiteouts, dark, rainy dark afternoons and mornings, and glare.

24. Other vehicle action Distractions
Vehicle swerved into lane
Vehicle encroached lane
Traffic slowed or stopped
Road Rage
Tailgating
Emergency vehicle
Police chase
Remind them of the Defensive Driving Formula:
Recognize the hazard,
Understand the defense, and
Act correctly in time.
Discussion: Ask drivers and attendants what defenses would they use in each of these cases?

25. 2 Seconds or Less Reaching for anything -- Adjusting controls
Turning knobs turns 6x worse than looking at speedometer
Reading map/directions/ route sheets
Using mirrors
Reading gauges
Disciplining children
Sudden movement inside the vehicle
Realize that we are now telling them that some of their carefully taught driving tasks, scanning mirrors, checking gauges, switching on loading lights, etc. are in fact, a distraction.
Anything that takes longer than 2 seconds becomes especially dangerous, so reading the route sheet is definitely out.
Bus drivers and attendants need to develop nerves of steel so sudden student outbursts or thrown objects do not take their attention from the task at hand. If necessary stop the vehicle at a place of safety and deal with the bus issues. DO NOT remove you eyes from the road for more than 2 seconds.
Ask drivers and attendants what kind of sight or sound might pull their eyes from the road. Have they learned to turn off the natural reaction of turning and looking without planning?

26. This is a test!
On your handout, draw the locations of switches for fans, loading lights, heaters, and wipers, entry door, radio, parking or air brake, and any other controls or equipment you regularly reach for.
Activity: Ask drivers and attendants to close their eyes for a second and visualize the driving space in their vehicle. Have them draw in the locations of the listed vehicle controls on their worksheet. Bus attendants do not have to know where all the controls are, but they should know where the radio and spring/parking brake are located.
Give them a few minutes to complete the task and ask for some reactions about how hard or easy it was to do.

27. Personal readiness to drive
Illness
Driver electronics
Fatigue
Personal problems
Drugs or alcohol
Hair, makeup, mascara, shaving
Medications causing drowsiness
Driving must be our primary activity – not secondary – maintain path of travel and line of sight
This final content slide gets at the point that we need to prepare ourselves to be able to handle those 7 driving activities (2 slides previous) we talked about before. If we are not at our top form, and can only handle 5 or even 3, we have put our bus, our children, and our bus operation at risk.
Observe that we have just reviewed distractions outside the bus, both vehicular and non- vehicular, distractions inside the vehicle, and distractions caused by our personal life situation.
Activity: Have the class, in groups of 3-4, identify the distraction that is toughest for them – and then brainstorm solutions among themselves. After they have had a few minutes to chat, bring the attention back to the whole class and ask if anyone is willing to share their tough distraction and their proposed solution.

28. Today’s key points Understanding distraction Attendant role
NHTSA study
Brain overload
Defensive Driving Formula
Distractions outside and inside the bus
Distractions inside us
Review where you have been and ask for any questions or comments about this topic.

29. What now?
“What if” driving -- Take the time to analyze the little things that didn’t go wrong so you will be ready for the one that does.
Planning, anticipation and personal readiness are your best defenses.
Our cargo is the most valuable, so it makes all the sense in the world.
The first point refers to “as if” driving. As incidents come and go during daily driving, play out the worst case scenario – What if he hadn’t stopped for the stop sign?, What if the ice had been worse at that intersection?, What would I do on that big hill if my brakes failed? As you play these scenarios out in your head every day, you are preparing you brain to react quickly in a real emergency.
Wrap up with this slide to encourage and motivate driver and attendants to put this knowledge to good use for a good cause.

30. THANKS
For all you do