Driving

'Driving' is the controlled operation of a vehicle, usually a motor vehicle such as a truck, bus, motorcycle, or car (for bicycles and mounted animals and— at least in the U.K., the U.S. and Canada, —motorcycles, the corresponding activity is called riding).

Driving consists of 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, but especially how to do so safely.

Road transport

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 ignition 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

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 on the road. The skill of safe driving is necessary to avoid collisions, which kill many thousands of people annually (see also Car accident).

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.

In most countries, the use of public roads is heavily governed by law. Laws cover 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 conferred upon drivers (and also on manufacturers) of vehicles to make them as safe in practice as they feasibly can 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.

In addition, new drivers may have additional restrictions in some countries; for example, in Australia, novice motorists are required to carry "P" ("probationary") plates and have lower speed limits, alcohol limits, and other restrictions imposed for two years following a successful driving test.

Driving laws are usually enforced by the police. Many countries have separate authorities with powers to enforce driving laws; for example, in the Australian state of New South Wales, the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) is responsible for driver licensing, but also for highway maintenance and patrol, among other things. 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 licence; however, some municipalities may require a permit for the bicycle.

Rail transport

In rail transport, steering is done by controlling the switch points; this can be done:

• by other personnel than the driver, often remotely from a traffic control point.
• by the driver from his or her position.
• by the driver getting out and operating the switch manually.

See also

• Chauffeur
• Drunk driving
• Highway Code (official road safety manual for the United Kingdom)
• Highway patrol
• Institute of Advanced Motorists
• Manual transmission driving technique
• Pedal
• Performance driving techniques
• Road safety
• Road construction
• Road racing
• Road sign
• Steering