New York 5-hour Online Pre-Licensing Course Study Guide

Lesson 1

In Lesson 1, we learned about the licensing process, including:

The Pre-Licensing Course educates New York State’s new drivers by promoting safe, courteous, defensive and alcohol/drug-free driving.
All driver’s licenses, including those obtained after a revocation, are considered probationary for six months following the date of issuance.
Driving is a social task that requires trust between roadway users. Driving is a lifelong learning experience.
The Highway Transportation System is comprised of the environment, the vehicle, and the driver.
Characteristics of a safe driver include: physical fitness, mental fitness, driving skills, knowledge, good driving habits, emotional fitness, and courteous attitude.

Lesson 2

In Lesson 2, we focused on driver habits and skills. Here’s what we learned:

Defensive driving is driving to prevent crashes, driving carefully, making allowances for other drivers, and allowing for changes in the HTS environment.
Perceiving a risk means to understand the implications of what is seen.
A potential risk is a risk or hazard that exists in possibility. It is not certain and can be prevented by your response. You can act to minimize or remove many potential risks on the roadway.
An immediate risk, or real risk, is a risk or hazard happening now (or in the current moment while driving). These risks usually occur directly in your path of travel, in the zones around your vehicle, or within your vehicle.
The Space Cushion System includes five key strategies for defensive driving: look far ahead and be alert to potential hazards; get the big picture; keep your eyes moving; leave yourself a way out; and make sure others see you.
Right-of-way is the right of one vehicle, vessel, or person to take precedence over another.
While all roadway users must follow the rules of the road, you may need to interact differently with each type of roadway user.
In New York, all passengers must be properly restrained, either in an appropriate child restraint system or with a seat belt. Children under age 4 must ride in federally-approved child safety seats. If the child weighs over 40 pounds, they can ride in a booster seat with a lap shoulder belt. Children who are age 4 and older, but under age 8, have to ride in a child restraint system appropriate for their height and weight.
Technology and safety features are a great way to help you be a safer driver, but they can’t replace the driver. It’s still up to you to be alert and drive defensively at all times.

Lesson 3

In Lesson 3, we continued our discussion about driver habits and skills. We covered the following:

When choosing your following distance (e.g., two seconds, four seconds, or more), keep your reaction time and stopping distance in mind. Cover the brake and don’t speed.
Stay alert at intersections and use proper right-of-way and turning procedures to avoid collisions.
Traffic control devices help us all know what to do and when to do it, so memorize what signs and signals mean.
Be extra alert in a work safety zone and follow the posted speed limit.
Anything that takes your eyes off the road, your mind off the driving task, and/or your hands off the wheel is a distraction. It’s illegal to use hand-held cell phones while driving, but hands-free devices are also distracting.
If your vehicle hydroplanes or skids, don’t panic and slam on the brakes.
Avoid drowsy driving however you can.
Actively look out for motorcycles and adjust your driving to keep them safe.

Lesson 4

Lesson 4 was all about feelings, attitude, and risk-taking. Here’s what we covered:

When a driver experiences high emotions, they have slower reaction times, impaired observations, and an inability to predict or determine what other roadway users are doing.
Our attitudes are part of our belief system and values, and they influence how we act.
Impulsive risks are when a driver acts without thinking of the consequences.
Calculated risks are when a driver reacts after properly evaluating a situation. Calculated risks are safer than impulsive risks.
The GDL program helps give junior drivers (i.e., those age 16 and 17) time to gain experience while driving under supervision and certain restrictions. This helps reduce the number of collisions involving junior drivers.
Road rage is an emotional state of anger or hostility, resulting from an incident involving the use of a motor vehicle, which escalates into violent criminal acts, or threats or attempts of violent acts.
Penalties for road rage depend on the severity of the crime and can include fines and a prison sentence.
Fatigue, drowsiness, alcohol, and other drugs can affect our feelings and attitudes behind the wheel, so it’s best not to drive when we’re drowsy or under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.

Lesson 5

In Lesson 5 we discussed how alcohol and other drugs affect our driving skills. We learned:

Alcohol is an odorless, colorless depressant, which means it slows down activity in the brain and the central nervous system. This affects motor coordination. When people are intoxicated, they may have difficulty walking or moving, and their ability to speak may be so impaired that they slur their words.
Broadly speaking, a drug is any substance that alters normal bodily function when it’s absorbed in the body. Alcohol, therefore, is a drug. Drugs can be liquid, powder, or tablets, and have various strengths for many purposes.
Alcohol and other drugs affect us physically and psychologically, impairing our ability to make appropriate decisions and quickly respond to hazards on the road.
In New York, you can be arrested for driving with a BAC of .08 or higher. A BAC of more than .05 is evidence that you’re impaired, and a BAC of .08% or higher is evidence of intoxication. A BAC of .18% or more is evidence of aggravated driving while intoxicated.
Zero tolerance while driving is defined as any measurable amount (i.e., .02% and higher) of alcohol in the blood, breath, or urine of the driver.
There’s no quick way to sober up. It takes time for drugs and alcohol to leave your bloodstream, and things like coffee or a cold shower will not speed up that process.
When you earn your driver’s license, you’re automatically agreeing to take a chemical test if a police officer requests one in the event you’re stopped by police while driving. Chemical tests use blood, breath, urine, or saliva to measure the amount of alcohol or other drugs in someone’s blood. This law is called Implied Consent.
It’s a crime to drive while intoxicated with a child age 15 or younger in the vehicle, and there are strict penalties associated with this crime. This is known as Leandra’s Law.
If you kill or injure someone because of an alcohol or other drug-related violation, you can be convicted of criminally negligent homicide, vehicular manslaughter, or assault. These charges can come with thousands of dollars in fines and a maximum jail sentence of 15 years.
Drivers under age 21 will have their license revoked for one year when convicted of any alcohol-related offense that occurs in any state or a province in Canada, not just in NYS.
Stimulants, depressants, hallucinogens, and narcotics have side effects that make driving extremely dangerous when using them. Combining different drugs, or drugs with alcohol, has a synergistic effect. This means that when two or more drugs are combined, the combined effect is greater than the sum of the effects seen when each drug is given alone.
A low-risk person who is in a low-risk situation may make the decision to drink in moderation. A high-risk person in a high-risk situation, on the other hand, should recognize that it’s not safe for them to drink.

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Our New York 5-hour Online Pre-Licensing Course price is only $49!