Porter's Competitive Forces Model-Information Systems Research Paper

Porter's Competitive Forces Model-Information Systems - Research Paper Example Thus the competitive forces model helps one to understand the different strategies that the firm can take to counter the competition posed by the different external entities as reflected. Porter’s Five Forces Model of Business Competitiveness can be reflected as follows. Figure 1 (Source: Laudon, 2010, p.96) The business gains competitive advantage in its pursuits of governing the competitive threat imposed by these different parameters that can be analyzed as follows. Firstly the company would have potential competitors existing at the market place that can work on product or brand development and thereby gain on its existing market share. This product or brand development can work in encouraging the consumers to switch over to gain the benefits of the products and services delivered. Secondly the business company in question also needs to effectively compete in regards to new entrants in the industry. Owing to lower economic and trade barriers it is found that companies focu sing on the opening up of small retail arms and food joints tend to face lesser trade and economic constraints than companies in other industries where investment required is huge. In larger investment sectors it is hard for the companies to retrieve potential returns on the amount invested and thus are deterred from entering. Again in the third case the business company operational for a longer period happens to create a more popular understanding of the type of the attributes of the products and services developed. Thus this fact encourages the emergence of substitute products in the marketplace with both the prevalence of more innovative products and also of lesser value and price. Fourthly the company needs to counter the bargaining power of consumers in meeting the requirements both in regards to quality and pricing conditions. The number of companies in the industry being large enables the consumers to switch over to different concerns at the cost of the initial company holdin g the consumer. Finally in the fifth case the company needs to hold on to its suppliers from switching over to another company in the same industry rendering more leverage. Henceforth the business companies need to work on a greater network of suppliers where the company can tend to exert influence over the supplier groups in regards to pricing, quality and timely and effective delivery management guidelines (Laudon, 2010, p.94-97; Rainer and Cegielski, 2009, p.45-48). Thus the Porter’s Five Forces model effectively presents the situational analysis of a company’s external environment based on which the firm is required to develop its potential strategies required for market growth and business development. Utility of Information Systems in Porter’s Competitive Forces Model The analysis of the above model reflects the various competitive forces that a company is required to counter to successfully exist in the competitive business market. Herein the modern busin ess companies tend to put into use information technology applications that would help the company to effectively counter the different competitive forces. Firstly it is found that business companies in order to largely reduce the price structure of its products and services and at the same time work to generate profitability can largely integrate information systems in its applications. Retail organizations through the use of effective information systems can help reduce the amount of working capital that would be kept locked in regards to

Sodium thiosulphate investigation Essay Example for Free

Sodium thiosulphate investigation Essay What is the middle of the atom called? The nucleus. 2 What two types of particle are found here? Protons and neutrons. 3 The electrons are arranged in shells (also called energy levels). How many can be held in the first shell? Two. 4 How many can be held in the second shell? Eight. 5 How many can be held in the third shell? Eight. 6 Where are the non-metals located in the periodic table? In the top right-hand corner. 7 What are the horizontal rows in the periodic table called? Periods. 8 What are the vertical columns called? Groups. 9 What is the name of Group 1? The Alkali Metals. 10 What is the name of Group 7? The Halogens. 11 What is the name of Group 0? The Noble Gases. 12 Elements in the same group have the same number of what? The same number of outer electrons. 13 Do elements in the same group have similar chemical or similar physical properties? Similar chemical properties. 14 Elements in the periodic table are arranged in order of what? Increasing atomic number. 15 Which of these elements has the greatest atomic number? Element B. 16 What is the electron arrangement of element C? 2. 8. 7 17 What is the electron arrangement of element E? 2. 8. 1 18 Which of the elements are very reactive metal and why? Elements D E they are in Group 1 (The alkali metals). 19 Which of the elements is a very unreactive non-metal and why? Element F it is in Group 0 (The noble gases). 20 Name the first four halogens. 1. Fluorine 2. Chlorine 3. Bromine 4. Iodine 21 What happens to the reactivity of the halogens as you go down the group (increasing atomic number)? They become less reactive. 22 What happens to the colour of these elements down the group? They become darker in colour. 23 What happens to the boiling point of these elements down the group? Their boiling points increase. 24 What does fluorine look like? A pale yellow gas. 25 What does chlorine look like? A green gas. 26 Name two uses for chlorine. 1. Killing bacteria in water. 2. Making bleaches. 27 What does bromine look like? A red -brown liquid (which evaporates easily to make an orange-brown gas). 28 What colour is bromine dissolved in water? Orange-brown. 29 What is the name of the compound formed when potassium reacts with bromine? Potassium bromide. 30 What colour is this compound when dissolved in water? Colourless. 31 What does iodine look like? A shiny grey-black solid (which produces a purple gas when gently heated). 32 What colour is iodine dissolved in water? Brown. 33 What is this iodine solution used for? An antiseptic. 34 What is the name of the compound formed when sodium reacts with iodine? Sodium iodide. 35 What colour is this compound when dissolved in water? Colourless. 36 What is the name of compounds of the halogens? Halides. 37 List two observations when sodium reacts with chlorine. 1. The metal burns with a yellow flame. 2. A white solid is produced. 38 What is the name of the product of this reaction? Sodium chloride. 39 What is its chemical formula? NaCl 40 List two observations when iron wool reacts with chlorine. 1. The metal glows red. 2. A brown solid is produced. 41 What is the name (and chemical formula) of the product this time? Iron chloride (FeCl3). 42 What is formed in this reaction: bromine + potassium iodide? potassium bromide + iodine 43 Which of these compounds will NOT react with chlorine: a) sodium fluoride; b) potassium bromide? sodium fluoride (Chlorine is less reactive than fluorine and so cannot displace it from fluorides. ) 44 What is a compound? A substance made by chemically joining two or more elements together. 45 Compounds have similar properties to the elements they are made from. Is this true or false? False they have completely different properties, eg sodium chloride is nothing like either sodium or chlorine. 46 What is the name for the substances on the left of a chemical equation? The reactants (or starting materials). 47 What is the name for the substances on the right? The products. 48 What do the symbols (s), (l) and (g) stand for in chemical equations? Solid, liquid and gas 49 What does the symbol (aq) stand for in chemical equations? Aqueous (which means dissolved in water). 50 What is meant by reaction rate? How fast a reaction goes. 51 List four ways of increasing the rate of a reaction. 1. Increasing the temperature. 2. Increasing the concentration of a reactant. 3. Increasing the surface area of a solid. 4. Adding a catalyst. 52 What is a catalyst? A chemical which speeds up a reaction but which does not get used up. 53 Does the catalyst appear in the chemical equation for the reaction? No (because it does not get used up). 54 What are enzymes? Catalysts produced by living things. 55 Why dont enzymes work if the temperature is too high? They become denatured (damaged) by the heat. 56 What two things about line A show that it represents a faster reaction? 1. It starts more steeply. 2. It levels off sooner. 57 How can you tell that both lines A and B were obtained using the same amounts of the reactants? They both produced the same amount of product in the end. 58 Increasing the temperature makes the particles move around more quickly. Give two reasons why this makes the reaction faster. 1. The collisions occur more often. 2. More of the collisions have enough energy to lead to a reaction Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Patterns of Behaviour section.

Management By Objectives MBO Commerce Essay

Management By Objectives MBO Commerce Essay According to George Odiome, MBO is a process whereby superior and subordinate managers of an Organization jointly define its common goals, define each individuals major areas of responsibility in terms of results expected of him and use these measures as guides for operating the unit and assessing the contribution of each of its members. Management by objectives was first popularized by Peter Drucker in 1954 book The Practice of Management. Drucker drafted MBOs as an approach to get the management and employees to jointly set goals to achieve known as objectives. The main purpose for setting objectives was to give both the managers and employees a clear understanding of what they were expected to do in the organization in order to achieve the objectives set. The objectives were set during certain time periods which at the end of the period two evaluative performances are carried out to determine the extent to which the set objectives had been achieved. An example of an objective includes attaining a sales or profit target by the end of a financial year. In the modern world of business where gaining competitive over competitors has became one of the main goals by organization, Management by Objective has become one of the most widely accepted philosophy of management as stated by Gaurav Akrani 2010. One of the factors that has made MBO the most acceptable management approach is its demanding and rewarding styles of management. MBO further received recognition when it becomes an integral part of The HP way. Hewlett-Packard incorporated this management technique at every level within the company; managers had to develop objectives and integrate them with those of other mangers and of the company as a whole. (The Economist, 2009) This approach focuses attention on the achievement of objectives through involvement of the concerned parties. For example trough building strong team spirit as MBO is mainly based on the assumption that people achieve more when they know what is expected of them and can relate their personal goals to organizat ional objectives. Other features of MBO include good subordinate participation, joint goal setting, support and encouragement from top level manager to subordinates. MBO is a democratic style of management approach where every subordinate is involved and encouraged to participate towards achieving organizational objectives. MBO is an approach to planning that aims to overcome barriers that might stop an organization from achieving its objectives. It involves the setting up of goals by managers and their subordinate working together by specifying responsibilities and assigning authority for achieving the goals. The final step involves constant monitoring of performance so as to initiate continuous improvement. Features of Management of Objectives The following are the prominent characteristics of MBO All activities are goal oriented. The first important feature of the MBO is that under it all the activities happen to be goal-oriented (Dr.R.Singla 2010-11). This means that MBO concentrates on the determination of unit and individual goals in with organizational goals. These goals set state responsibilities of different parts of the organization and help to coordinate the organization with its parts and its environment. Integration among Organizational, Departmental and Objectives: the basis of the MBO is setting of Objectives jointly by the supervisors and subordinates and their effective realization (Dr.R.Singla 2010-11) With the MBO approach the objectives are decide in the following order Figure 1 Organizational Objectives Department Objectives Personal Objectives The above figure shows that first of all the objectives of the organization are set. Then the departmental objectives are decided which must be in line with the objective of the organization. The third sub step is personal objectives which involves individual objectives being determined first before departmental objectives can be achieved. To sum it up this process is followed to minimize clashes or oppositions at any level regarding the determined objectives. MBO views organization as Dynamic Entity: this feature considers the organization as a dynamic entity. This means that every organization is affected by various external and internal factors therefore the organization is considered to be a dynamic unit. The dynamic nature affects the objectives which as a result make it possible that the objectives set today may not be realized. In such an event the organization might be forced act swiftly to change its objectives MBO is a Participative Attempt: the MBO process is characterized by high level of participation of the concerned people in goal setting and performance appraisal (Kuldeep 2010). Increased participation provides the opportunity to influence decisions and make clear job relationship with managers and their subordinates. MBO Matches the Objectives and Resources: The objectives set when the MBO approach is adopted by organization are based on the resources available so as to avoid having incomplete tasks or activities because of the lack of resources. Dr.R.Singla. (2010-11). MBO is a Philosophy and not a Technique: MBO is not a technique of management but its a philosophy, because a technique can only be applied or used in a one department and its effects will only be felt on the particular department. For example an inventory technique can only be used in relation to stock control and it cannot be used in another department like HRM. MBO gives more emphasis to Review and Performance Appraisal: regular appraisal of the work performance of employees form one the important characteristics of MBO. This Philosophy helps observe whether all the employees are performing at the expected level and also identify if there is any impediments in their work performance. MBO provides more freedom to Subordinates: with MBO Philosophy the subordinates are not only associated with the task of coming up with the objectives but they also get complete freedom in the performance of their work. This philosophy gives them the right to make decisions related to their designation and as a result this increases their importance which improves their interest and job satisfaction. MBO gives more emphasis to results and not to work: with the MBO philosophy more focus is given to results. The subordinates have the freedom to choose which technique to adopt to achieve the final result. This means that the subordinates are expected to give the best possible results regardless of the technique used. Steps in Management by Objectives Planning Peter Drucker identified fives steps for MBO as shown in figure 1 http://www.mindtools.com/media/MBO.jpg Source (http://www.mindtools.com) The five steps explained Set of organizational Objectives: this is the first step which involves setting of the organizational objectives. Objective setting begins with the conducting of an internal and external analysis to determine the level of efficiency, threats and opportunities. Cascading Objective Down to Employees: This second stages involves communicating of the set goals and objectives from the top level management to subordinates till they reach everyone. Drucker used the SMART acronym to make as a tool to make the make MBO objective setting more effective so as to set goals that were attainable and to which workers felt accountable to For example the founder of Microsoft corporation Bill Gates adopted a MBO approach to keep every employee informed the about the companys objectives by following the guidelines below Eliminate politics, by giving everybody the same message. Keep a flat organization in which all issues are discussed openly. Insist on clear and direct communication Prevent competing Missions or objectives Eliminate rivalry between different parts of the organization Empower teams to do their own things Source (www.1000advices.com) Encourage Participation in Goal Setting: step three aims to get everyone to understand how their personal goals fit in with the objective of the organization. This is done when goals and objectives at all levels are shared and discussed so as to get everyone understand how things are conducted and then sets their own goals that are in line with the organization objectives. Monitor: this stage involves developing actions plans after setting objectives, it is important to establish a proper monitoring system which keeps track of the progress made towards achieving the set goals, the monitoring system helps the organization identify deviations or barriers that could slow down the organization from achieving its goals. If any barriers are identified then the corrective actions are taken to set the organization on the right course Evaluate and Reward Performance. This last step involves rewarding the desired performance. MBOs main focus is to improve performance at all levels so as to achieve higher efficiency. In order to ensure this happen a good evaluation system has to be put in place to evaluate employees performance and in turn motivate employees as they strive to achieve the set objectives. Advantages of Management by Objectives Over the years since Peter Drucker popularized this philosophy it has become one of the widely adopted by organizations because of the various advantages One of the advantages of MBO is that it improves resource and activity management (Rahman 2009). This leads to better utilization of available of resources and this can be beneficial to the organization in many ways. One is the increase in efficiency which reduces wastage and improves productivity which as a result would lead to increased profits for the organization. The second advantage is that MBO keeps every employee informed. Since all the employees in the organizations are encouraged to participate in setting the objectives, all of them know their responsibilities. This guides employees to work better as their responsibilities are clearly outlined and reduce the possibility of them going off track The third advantage is that MBO improves employees motivation. Involving all employees in decision making make employees feel valued by the organization and due to this employee commitment is improved. This can good for the organization because a motivated and committed workforce will strive to do their best and in turn help the organization achieve its desired results. The forth advantage of MBO is that it facilitates effective control. Due to the continuous monitoring approach employed by MBO this can be useful in guiding the organization to achieve better results. The Monitoring system can be used to by the organization to gauge the performance against the laid down standard and undesired deviations are corrected in time. The fifth advantage of MBO is that it encourages innovations. (Drucker, P. (1986). The MBO philosophy puts more focus on the results in order to achieve the objectives rather than procedure to achieve the objectives. This gives subordinates freedom on how, which method to employ in order to achieve the required results. This can be beneficial to the organization as innovation help an organization gain competitive advantage trough new ideas and products. Disadvantages of Management by Objectives However as much Management by Objective may be beneficial to organizations there some limitations or disadvantages worth being mentioned. The first disadvantage is that MBO put employees under pressure. MBO being a result focused philosophy pressure is exerted on all the levels of the organization so as to attain the objectives. This might a bad thing for the organization as pressured employees might be stressed out due to the emphasis put on results within the organization and this could lead to high labour turnover. This could cost the organization a fortune as the organization could be forced to recruit and train new employees. The second disadvantage is that MBO is time consuming. In order for MBO to be successful regular meetings and exchange of reports have to be conducted. This means managers have to speed a lot time in attending and preparing reports for the meetings while they could be focusing in performing important tasks that are over looked. These over looked could create a hindrance of in attaining the objectives laid down. The third disadvantage is that MBO puts more importance to short term objectives. In order for an organization to achieve it ultimate goals and success the long term and short term goals should be given equal importance. However the MBO philosophy tends to give more attentions to the short term objectives and due to this employees are more concerned by the short term objectives. This creates a situation where they want to be successful at any cost within the shortest time possible and such a situation could be costly to the organization in the long run. CONCLUSION Management by Objectives might be seen as an outdated management philosophy by modern managers today but I believe it still has a place in modern management.If carefully aligned with the culture of the organization MBO can be quite beneficial to the any organization as from this report the advantages out weight the disadvantages. Also For example Intel has been successive due to the use of MBO However as stated by Drucker MBO is just another tool. It is not the great cure for management inefficiency à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Management by objectives works if you know the objectives: 90% of the time you dont. In order for MBO to be successful in Modern management managers and subordinates must closely work together to constantly update their short term and long term objectives from time to time due to the ever change business environment. Also an effective communication structure has to be place to as to allow managers and subordinates to easily set and communicate objectives to all concerned e mployees.

Subjective Intelligence :: Technology Technological Essays

Subjective Intelligence The human aspiration to create intelligent machines has appeared in myth and literature for thousands of years, from stories of Pygmalion to the tales of the Jewish Golem. After thousands of years of fantasy, the appearance of the digital computer, with its native, human-like ability to process symbols, made it seem that the myth of man-made intelligence could become reality. However, when will we know when we have reached that critical point when a machine becomes a mind? What is it that distinguishes real intelligence from the mere processing of symbols and interpretation of stimuli? When is intelligence achieved? To answer these questions one needs a concrete definition of intelligence in order to formulate the criteria necessary to evaluate the intellectual capability of machines and men. Webster’s dictionary defines intelligence as, â€Å"The ability to learn and understand.†[1] This is a very broad definition and allows for as much interpretation as the concept we are trying to define. Furthermore, this definition fails to account for the full range of cognition that the human brain is capable of. Webster’s definition does not account for the critical aspects of emotion, free will and personality. A second definition given by the Encarta encyclopedia is the â€Å"general mental capability to reason, solve problems, think abstractly, learn and understand new material and profit from past experience.†[2] All of these are traits of the human mind. Therefore it would follow that if a machine does not possess one of these human characteristics it cannot be considered intelligent. Furthermore, it necessitates that an intelligent machine must be human-like. If this is so, a machine could then be described with the same qualifying words we use to describe a human. Is a machine then bright, smart, stupid or clever? If we define intelligence as â€Å"â€Å"a likeness to the human mind,†Ã¢â‚¬  the human characteristics that Webster failed to capture in its definition, are encompassed in a separate humanistic definition of intelligence. However, where Webster and Encarta are too broad, the humanistic definition may be too tight. It is commonly agreed that humans are all intelligent beings, however it does not necessarily follow that humans are the only intelligent beings. Therefore by defining intelligence in such a way one could be ruling out different forms of intelligence that are intelligent by nature, but then not by definition.

Explore the presentation of Nick as a narrator in the first three chapters of The Great Gatsby

Nick comes across as an unreliable narrator throughout the first three chapters of ‘The Great Gatsby’, especially during Chapter two at the party, where his use of ellipses suggests to the reader that his knowledge is distorted. Also, nick is unable to give an accurate account of what has occurred in the society he has become acquainted with before he moved to West Egg and therefore his insights into events are based on hearsay and rumours. Jordan has become a source of Nick’s intelligence, and he demands information from her at Gatsby’s party – about Gatsby himself – however he then goes on to describe her as ‘incurably dishonest’, casting doubt on everything she has said previous to this. Furthermore, Nick does not confirm whether the information he has been told is truthful or not, he merely states what he has been informed without expanding on this, thus it is unclear to the reader if Jordan is a reliable source of information . Nick himself is going through an internal conflict, implying that he cannot give an accurate, unbiased account of what is going on in other people’s lives. It is clear that he is struggling between two contrasting lifestyles – the pleasure-orientated, fast-paced life of New York and the conventional, fairly nondescript background he came from where, he believes, morality is still valued. This suggests that he is so concerned with his own problems that he cannot afford to think through the events of other people. Despite this, Nick seems drawn towards the garishly ostentatious lifestyle that he is introduced to at Gatsby’s party and appears to forget his morals and ideals – ‘on my way to get roaring drunk’; this story is set whilst prohibition was in place, and so to get ‘roaring drunk’ was to go against the law. This contradicts his earlier statement, ‘wanting the world to be in uniform’ which implies that he wants the strict discipline and uniformity of society during the Great War back, despite him participating in many activities that would strongly go against this – for instance, his drunken fiasco at Myrtle’s apartment. Incidentally, the morals he so strongly believes in are questioned through his meeting with Myrtle – she is Nick’s cousins husbands mistress and yet he seems to have no objection to their affair, despite the seemingly close relationship he has with Daisy. Furthermore, the ease at which he has adapted his characteristics is similar to the ease that the disciplined society of the Great War changed at its sudden abrupt end; although he is being critical about the changes that have happened since that point in time he is actually changing in the same way, thus emphasising his hypocritical mannerisms. Nick seems to have been caught up in the moral decay of the society; the only mention of his engagement is from Daisy in Chapter 1, and in the form of the ‘certain girl’ that played tennis at the end of chapter three, but the lack of detail given about her suggests that he doesn’t believe that fact to be entirely important – especially considering that Nick is writing about past events. Based on the romantic imagery that he uses – ‘one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance’ – and the romantic ideals he appears to believe in, it seems out of character for him to skip over his engagement, thereby suggesting that he has been caught up in the moral decay within the society. Nicks character portrays something different to what Nick as a narrator thinks. Nick believes he is ‘inclined to reserve all judgements’, however he immediately contradicts this by stating he has been made ‘victim of not a few veteran bores’, reiterating his obvious hypocrisy. This is the narrator’s attempt to make the reader aware that although many opinions are not voiced, they are still there and various techniques are used throughout to novel to allow the reader to draw their own conclusion – especially symbolism. Whilst Nick realises that Tom, Daisy and Jordan are dishonourable people, he still spends a great deal of time with them, choosing to neglect their faults; it is more important for him to fit in with these rich, sophisticated people that to risk his friendship with them by pointing out their imperfections. It is this reservation of the truth that leads the reader to question Nick’s reliability and honesty, and it is also this that makes him conform to the majority of society; most people are dishonest and they sacrifice their honesty to fit in with the rest of society. Nick seems to be a bit of a wallflower throughout the first three chapters in that he doesn’t get involved in the events that are happening all around him and appears to blend in with the background. This is especially apparent in Chapter Two; whilst Nick is at Myrtle and Tom’s apartment he merely sits and watches everyone else in the room. It implies that he doesn’t have a mind of his own – he would rather sit and watch from the side-lines than actually get involved – and this is emphasised when Tom drags him off the train to meet Myrtle, ‘I followed him’. The valley of ashes appears to intrigue and repulse Nick almost simultaneously – this is made apparent through his use of imagery, ‘spasms of dust’. This is perhaps because, whilst Nick thinks that he has seen the ‘real world’ he has in fact only seen a shaded version of reality as he comes from a reasonably well-off background – implies through his great-uncle being able to send a ‘substitute to the Civil War’ in his place, which was something that only the rich could achieve. Part of Fitzgerald’s skill in ‘The Great Gatsby’ shines through the way he cleverly makes Nick a focal point of the action, whilst simultaneously allowing him to remain sufficiently in the background, thereby being able to comment on what events were unfolding; throughout the novel, Nick functions as Fitzgerald’s voice.

Notes for Driving

When you become a driver you are part of the â€Å"system†. This â€Å"system† is the Highway Transportation System (HTS) 3 parts to the HTS: 1- People 2- Vehicles – all types 3- Roadways The goal of the HTS is to move people and cargo from one place to another in a safe, efficient, and economical manner. How is the HTS regulated? By local, state, and federal government agencies. The federal government established the National Highway Safety Act. All agencies enforce the following guidelines set forth in this act. 1- Vehicle code – the laws that have been passed – Assure that these laws are obeyed 3- Motor vehicle departments set the rules to assure that driver and vehicle standards are met 4- Rules for the courts to go by for guilty or innocent 5- Engineers plan, build, and maintain roadways The driving task This involves all of the social, physical and mental skills required to drive. You MUST develop habits to perform these tasks with low-risks r esults. Habits you MUST develop: 1- Using knowledge and visual skills 2- Obey all traffic laws 3- Judging time and space – Anticipating how your car will react under normal and emergency situations SOCIAL SKILLS – You must be able to drive while interacting with other people – Courtesy and cooperation make low-risk driving possible PHYSICAL SKILLS You need to practice and develop the skills needed to drive, until they become a habit. MENTAL SKILLS Decision-making is a mental skill you need to develop in order to be a safe, low-risk driver. Developing the IPDE System into your driving. I – identify important information in the oncoming scene. P – predict when and where possible points of conflict will develop.Compare and Contrast Driving in the Winter and Driving in the SummerD – decide when, where, and how to communicate, adjust speed, and/or change position to avoid conflict. E – execute the right action to prevent conflict. There ar e two other systems that can help you in the IPDE system: 1- The Smith System – helps develop seeing habits 2- The Zone Control System – helps you manage the space around your car. You need to develop the system approach to become a defensive driver. This will help you lower your risks and keep you and others from dangerous situations. Your Driving Responsibilities DRIVING IS A PRIVILEGE – NOT A RIGHTThe privilege is based on the assumption that you will be a responsible traffic citizen and obey the traffic laws. ATTITUDE Your attitude toward driving as well as life affects your willingness to develop the habits needed to be a safe driver. ROAD RAGE What is it and what causes it Breakdowns in the HTS. These occur when any part of the HTS does not work well. Collision – occurs when a vehicle has a problem and hits another object. Which is more correct? Collision or Accident? An accident is something that happens by chance†¦ a collision is something th at has a predictable cause. The most common cause for a collision is†¦DRIVER ERROR (P. 9) Causes of deaths: A major cause of vehicle deaths is†¦ LACK OF EXPERENCE Social and Economical Loss Collisions cause social and economical loss by: – property damages (p10) – time away from work or school – medical fees – insurance premiums Your financial responsibilities. – vehicle related costs: fuel, maintaince, and insurance. – Any damage that you cause while driving. Your environmental responsibilities. – air and water pollution – chemical spills – land pollution What you need to do: 1- maintain your vehicle – buy fuel efficient vehicles 3- use fuel efficient driving practices 4- recycle materials you can 5- car pool or use public transportation when you can 6- work with the government to encourage use of energy-efficient driving DRIVERS LICENSE Most of the time young drivers simply make mistakes from inexperie nce. 41% of young people killed in collisions died in single car collisions. GETTING YOUR LICENSE IN SC The Graduated Licensing System 1- Permit – can drive with an adult licensed driver – must have permit for 6 months (180 days) must log at least 40 hours of driving at night 2- Intermediate (restricted) – must have had a permit for 180 days and completed a driver’s education course – can drive from dawn ‘til dusk by yourself – drive at night with a licensed adult – limited number of passengers – must not get into a collision or have any violation for 180 days. Violators turn the clock back to zero. – Repeated violations could land you in traffic school. 3- Full License – unrestricted driving – as related to time of day you can drive alone.Organ Donor Program You may indicate on your license that you wish to be an organ donor. IMPLIED CONSENT PROGRAM (LAW) When you sign your license in SC you give an officer the right to test your blood alcohol content (BAC). If you refuse the test you will lose your driving privilege. WHY DO YOU TAKE A DRIVER’S EDUCATION COURSE Chapter 2 Signs, Signals, and Roadway Markings Traffic Signs There are three types 1- Regulatory – control traffic flow 2- Warning – alerts of a possible hazard or road condition 3- Guide – give direction Stop Signs This is the only red, octagon sign we have.You must come to a COMPLETE(full) stop at this sign. Four-way stops – rules you need to follow 1- The first one stopped gets to go first 2- If 2 cars get there at the same time, the car on the right gets to go first 3- If 2 cars get there together and are across from each other, the car traveling straight goes first 4- If 3 or 4 cars get there together, one needs to enter the intersection to show intent, but with caution 5- ALWAYS CHECK THE INTERSECTION BEFORE ENTERING IT Yield Signs This is the upside down triangle – red and whiteYou must allow others in the intersection or approaching the intersection to go first before you. This is called giving the right of way. Right of way is given, not taken. p. 2 Speed Limit Signs These are white, mostly rectangles, with black writing. They indicate what the safest maximum speed for that roadway in IDEAL conditions. Basic Speed Laws state that when conditions are not IDEAL you must not travel faster than what is safe for the conditions. Advisory Speed Limits are set for certain sections of the roadway. Once you have cleared that section you may resume the posted speed limit.Warning Signs These are yellow signs that warn you of upcoming conditions in the roadway. Most are diamond shaped with black symbols. School Signs indicate where school zones and crossings are. They are shaped like a house (pentagon). No Passing Signs are placed before where the roadway begins to narrow. Construction Signs indicate where construction zones are. They are orange signs with blac k symbols and letters. Railroad Signs – There are two types of railroad signs; a yellow circle with a black â€Å"X† and two â€Å"R†s also black and a white cross with black railroad crossing letters.The yellow sign indicates you are approaching a railroad crossing and the white â€Å"X† indicates where the railroad tracks begin. p. 3 Guide Signs These signs mark routes, intersections, service areas, and other points of interest. Route signs are local, state, U. S. and interstate markers. US = white shield on a black sign with black #s State = white square with black #s and letters Interstate = red and blue shield with white letters and #s Even #s = east and west Odd #s = north and south 3 numbered route that begins with an odd # goes into a city 3 numbered route that begins with an even # goes round a city (beltway) Other guide signs are: Green = give information on destinations and distances Blue = roadway service information (hospital â€Å"H†) Brown = recreation areas and points of interest TRAFFIC SIGNALS Include traffic lights, arrows, flashing signals, lane signals, and pedestrian signals. Traffic lights are red, green, and yellow. Red = stop Green = proceed through the intersection if it is clear to do so. Yellow = slow and stop if you can do so safely. Right turn on red and left turn on red. When can you do it. p. 4 Flashing signals: Red – treat it as a stop signYellow – treat it as a yield sign Arrows tell you the direction in which your lane must travel. Green = proceed if it is clear to do so Yellow = yield and stop if possible Red = Stop only in that direction Lane Signals – these lights will switch the direction of traffic in a certain lane to control the need for traffic flow. Pedestrian Signals – allow walkers to cross at an intersection safely. â€Å"walk† â€Å"don’t walk† When a police officer is standing in the intersection, their directions overrule any si gnal. Roadway markings These are yellow or white lines as well as arrows, stop lines and crossings.Broken Yellow Line = separates two-way traffic and you may pass when it is clear to do so. Solid Yellow Lines = separate two-way traffic and you are not allowed to pass. Shared Turn Lanes = you may enter and wait until it is clear before you turn left across traffic. Broken White Line = separates traffic traveling the same direction. You may pass if it is clear to do so. Solid White Line = indicates the right side of the road and should not be crossed. White Arrows = indicate which direction you are allowed to travel in that particular lane. Rumble Strips — Lane Reflectors – Yellow Curb Markings Chapter 3 Basic Vehicle ControlsINSTRUMENT PANEL Speedometer – tells you how fast you are going Tachometer – tells you how many revolutions your engine makes in one minute Odometer – tells you how far your car has traveled in its lifetime Fuel Gauge – t ells you how much gas is in your gas tank Temperature gauge or light – warns you when the coolant in your engine is too hot Oil pressure warning light or gauge – warns you when the oil is not circulating at the proper pressure Alternator warning light or gauge – tells you there is a problem with your electrical system, the alternator is not generating enough electricity to keep the engine runningBrake system warning light – tells you 1st that your parking brake is engaged and 2nd that there is a problem in your braking system Antilock braking system light – tells you that your ABS is working properly Safety belt light – reminds you to fasten your safety belt Air bag warning light – tells you that your air bags are working properly Turn signal indicators – tells you which direction that you have indicated you are going to turn. Most are small green arrows. High beam indicator – tells you that your high beam head lights ar e on, blue light. VEHICLE CONTROLS Steering wheel – controls the direction of the front wheels.Turn right to go right and turn left to go left. Steering wheel adjustment lever – can tilt the wheel up and down Selector lever – lets you put the car in a gear. Either on the steering column or in the center console. Gear shift lever – lets you put a manual transmission car into a gear. Ignition Starter switch – you start the engine by putting the key into the ignition switch. Page 42 – picture or positions Cruise control – lets you set and maintain a certain speed. Parking brake – keeps the car in place when it is parked. Locations? Clutch pedal – is in a manual transmission car, is located to the left of the foot brake and s pushed down (in) to change gears. Foot brake pedal – push the pedal down to slow and stop the car. Also makes the brake light on the back of your car light up. Accelerator pedal – Located to the right of the brake pedal, push it down to get the car to go faster, release the pedal to get the car to slow down. SAFETY, COMMUNICATION & COMFORT DEVICES Safety belts – always wear you seat belt when your car is in motion. It will help protect you from injury in a collision. Head restraints – padded devices that help prevent head injuries in collisions. Inside and outside rearview mirrors – these mirrors help you see what is behind your car ithout turning around and looking. Blind spots are the areas that your mirrors do not show you. Horn – located on the steering wheel. Hazard flasher control – located on the steering wheel or control panel. Turns on both sets of turn signals when engaged. Windshield wipers and washers – one switch for both usually, it turns on your wipers and squirts water onto your windshield to clean off the dirt. Light switch – controls the headlights, taillights, side marker lights, instrument panel, li cense plate and dome light. Hood release lever – located on the left side under the instrument panel, pull to release he hood, then go out and open by releasing the front latch. Heater, air conditioner, and defroster – heating and air conditioner warm and cool the car passenger area and the defroster keeps the windows clear of moisture. Sun visors – located above the windshield, pull down to block the sun. Seat adjustment lever – usually at eh lower front or left side of the seat. GETTING READY TO DRIVE Outside Checks 1- Walk around the car looking for obstructions and spills. 2- Glance at the tires. 3- Where are the front wheels pointed. 4- Make sure that the windows are clean and clear. Lights also. – Check back window ledge for sight obstructions. 6- Look inside for any unwanted passengers. Getting into the car 1- Have your keys ready, especially if you enter from the road side. 2- Walk around the front of your car and back to the door facing tr affic. 3- Get in quickly, lock the doors and put the key in the ignation. Inside Checks 1- Lock the doors 2- Adjust your seat and steering wheel so that you are about 10 inches from the wheel 3- Your hands should be able to reach the steering wheel with your elbows slightly bent and you should be able to reach the pedals with your knees slightly bent. – Your head restraint should be adjusted to hit the middle of your head. 5- Adjust your rear view mirror and side mirrors 6- Fasten seat belts. DRIVING AN AUTOMATIC VEHICLE Gear selector lever positions: P = park – transmission is locked in this position. R = reverse – used for backing up (backup lights) N = neutral – allows the wheels to roll without engine power D = drive – moves your car forward (overdrive) Low (L1, L2 or 1,2) = allow you to put more power to the wheels at lower speeds Starting the Engine 1- make sure that the parking brake is set 2- gear selector is in park – don’t p ress the accelerator (fuel injection) 4- Turn the key to ON and then START. Release the key when the engine starts 5- Check your gauges, lights and fuel level CHAPTER 4 Managing Risks with the IPDE Process The IPDE Process Every driver uses some kind of process to help them drive. Those who don’t, have a higher risk of collisions. The IPDE process helps reduce these risks. Risk can cause collisions. Factors that contribute to this risk are the driver, the vehicle, the roadway and the environment. Driver-contributed factors: – adjusting the radio – being angry or upset – blurred vision grooming – driving while drinking – cell phones If you are doing one or more of these and the driver you meet is doing one or more of these then you are increasing your risk. You can control what you do but you can’t be sure about what the other driver is doing. Vehicle-contributed factors: – bald tires – bad brakes – dirty windshiel d – broken or burnt out headlights – worn out wiper blades Roadway and environment-contributed factors: – bright sun – construction – dark shadows – snow or ice – sharp curvesGood drivers make an effort to lower these risks if at all possible. Taking care of your vehicle and practicing a process, such as the IPDE, you can lessen your risks while you drive. The IPDE process Safe driving depends of your ability to see and analyze traffic situations correctly. The driving task is mostly a thinking task. When you are not thinking about your task of driving you increase your risk of a collision. By using the IPDE process you can develop the habits that allow you to drive more effectively while thinking of other things. The four parts of the IPDE, identify, predict, decide and execute.The IPDE process can be enhanced with the aid of The Smith System: – Aim High – Get the big picture – Keep your eyes moving – Leav e yourself a way out – Make sure they can see you As well as the Zone Control System: – See a zone change – Check other zones – Create time and space by getting the best speed control, lane position, and communication Identify – you must know when to look, where to look, how to look and what to look for. The sooner you can learn to identify the correct things the more time you will have to react.The Zone Control System aids you in this. You have six zones around your car, each zone is about the width of a lane and extend as far as the driver can see. (pic. 65) An open zone is a space you can drive without a restriction to your line of sight or your intended path of travel. Your target area is the section of the road that is the center of your intended path. Far out there, up the road. A closed zone would be an area that your car can not go into without conflict. Book example is a red traffic light. You have to react to the light. The sooner you ide ntify the closed zones the more time you have to respond.You should develop searching habits in three ranges: 1- your target area range – as far as you can see 2- 12-15 second range – 12 to 15 sec. in front of you 3- 4-6 second range – where your car will be in 4-6 seconds How to develop an Orderly Visual Search Pattern: steps on page 67 Your Field of Vision affects how you search. Most people have a field of vision which covers about 90 degrees to each side or 180 degrees total. Central Vision is what you are focusing on, it’s about 10 degrees. Peripheral Vision is the rest of your field of vision that is not in focus.When you are scanning the scene you need to Aim High in Steering. This means to look down the road, into your target area, and not just in front of your car. You also need to keep your eyes moving, this helps you scan the scene. If you put all of these scanning methods together you will Get the Big Picture. What do you need to look for? Loo k for open zones – you want to look for things that could cause the open zone to close. Look for other users – look for anyone who could affect your path of travel. Ground viewing – look at the vehicle approaching for clues that they will come into your path.Look for roadway features and conditions – intersections, hills, curves, width of the road (multilane to single lane, change in width of lane, surface & hazards) Look for traffic controls – know where controls are located at different times and places. Predict – once you have identified, you need to predict how the hazard might affect your path of travel. How you go through the predicting process will help determine how the hazard may affect you. Learning how to look at a situation is important. You must identify all possible hazards to determine what each one may do. Knowledge of driving laws and this class will help you predict.You know what the driver is supposed to do and how they ar e supposed to react to certain traffic situations. You must however make yourself prepare ahead of time for situations that could occur. Play the head games at times. The main thing that makes you a better predictor is EXPERENCE. You can’t get it if you don’t experience it. The two things that you must be able to predict are the actions of other vehicle users and the way your car is going to react in situations. When predicting the actions of others you need to look at their path of travel, the actions they may make, do I have an open zone? , and where might the point of conflict be?Predicting the reactions of your vehicle is the easiest of this process. You should know what condition your car is in, how are the tires, how soon can I stop, etc. Decide – Once you have identified and predicted what may happen, you now need to decide what you need to do. Maintain, swerve, brake, speed up, or just communicate with my lights or horn. You may decide to change your spe ed. You can avoid conflicts by maintaining, slowing down, or speeding up. To make a change in direction you need to look at your zones. Try to leave yourself a way out or cushion so you are able to move into that area without conflict.You may also avoid conflict by changing you position in your lane. You may need to be centered, slightly left or slightly right in your lane. If you decide that all you need to do is communicate with the other driver you may do this by your lights, horn, car position or eye contact. You want to try to minimize your number of hazards by separating the hazards. Sometimes you are going to have to pick the hazard that will possibly do the least amount of damage. This is compromising space. Give way to the big truck swerving into your lane. Execute- Once you make your decision you need to execute it. Remember, DON†T second guess yourself.The three areas that you have execution control over are speed control, steering, and communication. The hardest th ing when driving is how so I handle multiple conflicts that occur? Being able to use the IPDE process effectively takes practice and time. You are not as good at using it today as you will be next week. You will learn how to use the IPDE process selectively. This means that you start one process and something else will come up that makes you begin the process all over again. Remember this: You used the IPDE Process getting to this class today and you will use it again going to every class you take today.Chapter 5 Natural Laws and Car Control In this chapter you will learn about gravity and energy of motion, friction and traction, stopping distance and controlling the force of impact. Gravity – Gravity is the force that pulls you to the earth. Going up and down hills in a car you can feel the pull of gravity. You need to be able to adjust your driving to accommodate for this pull. The point at which your car’s weight is evenly distributed is called the center of gravity . The lower the center of gravity, the better the handling of the car. Energy of Motion – Energy of motion is called kinetic energy.What you must understand about this energy is the way it will affect your driving. The faster your vehicle is moving, the more energy you have, the heavier it weighs, the more energy of motion it has. Two important facts to know† 1- Your energy of motion doubles when the weight doubles 2- Your energy of motion increases by the square when your speed increases by a certain amount. ( speed doubles – energy quadruples) If your energy of motion increases your stopping distance will also go up that amount. Friction and Traction Friction is the force that keeps your tires from sliding on the road.Traction makes it possible for your vehicle to grip the road for you to change speed and direction. The grooved surface of the tire is called the tread. This tread cuts through the water on the road allowing your tire to grip the road. As the amou nt of tread decreases, the amount of traction also decreases. If the tire tread gets worn almost completely off (bald tire) the possibility of a blowout becomes great. A blowout is when the tire loses all pressure at once. The way your tire is inflated also determines how much of the tire tread is touching the road. An under inflated tire causes the tread to gap in the middle.An over inflated tire causes the tire tread to only touch in the middle (like a balloon) Things that could reduce the traction you have are: 1- bad tires 2- bad shocks 3- faulty steering system 4- road surfaces Checking for traction while you are driving can be done but must be done carefully. – check rear zone – brake gently for response – if you don’t slow down reduce speed Driving on curves can be very tricky. The energy of motion tries to keep your car in a straight line but the traction from the tires pulls you around the curve. Driving around curves: – Speed – red uce your speed to avoid skids 2- Sharpness – the sharper the curve the more traction you will need to go around it. 3- Banked – most curves are banked, this helps prevent your car from wanting to stay in a straight line. 4- Load – The heaver the load or weight of your vehicle the more friction it is going to take to get through the curve. Stopping Distance Total Stopping Distance – the distance your car travels while you are making a stop. Total stopping distance is made up of three parts: 1- perception distance 2- reaction distance 3- braking distance Look at the chart on page 98.To estimate the distance you need to stop you can use the four second rule. – pick a spot in the road, a sign or driveway – When the car in front of you reaches that point begin counting, one-thousand one, one-thousand two†¦ – If your car gets to that same point after you reach one-thousand four you have enough space to stop if you need to. Factors that affect you’re stopping distance: – Speed – the higher the speed the longer the distance – Car condition – worn out tires, etc need more distance – Surface – rain, snow, ice, dirt, leaves & gravel increase the distance Driver ability – if distracted or impaired you increase the distance – ABS – helps when stopping while turning – Hills – up or down hills shortens or lengthens the distance – Loads – the weight of your vehicle, heavier takes longer. Force of Impact The force at which a moving object hits another object is force of impact. Force of impact is determined by: 1- Speed 2- Weight 3- Distance between impact and stopping Safety Belts When you are in a collision, three collisions actually take place. First the car hits an object and stops.Second, you hit the inside of the car or a restraining device (seat belt) Third, your body organs slam against your skeleton or each other. Ther e are two types of restraining devices: 1- restraining devices – seat belts 2- passive restraining devices – air bags (automatic) Air Bags Air bags deploy automatically. They are there to protect your life. When an air bag deploys it comes out at a speed over 200 mph. Air bags are designed to work with the seat belts. Just relying on the air bag will not save your life. To avoid the air bag injuring your arms or shoulders you need to keep your hands about 9 and 3 or a little below.You don’t want to sit too close to the air bag, @ 10 away is good. Tilt your steering wheel to deploy the bag at your chest and not your face. Of course, child seats need to be in the rear seat or facing away from the air bags. Some air bags now have a feature that senses the weight of the person in the seat and will deploy in two stages. Some vehicles have switches for you to turn the passenger air bag off. Other protective devices in vehicles today: n Automatic seat belts n Front and rear crush areas n Energy absorbing bumpers n Side door beams n Reinforced windshields Energy absorbing steering wheel and column n Padded dash n Child seats built in n Head restraints Chapter 6 Performing Basic Vehicle Maneuvers STEERING Straight forward: hands should be at a comfortable spot, look ahead and avoid looking at your feet and hands. You need to pay attention to what is approaching you. Try to avoid over or under-steering: over-steering is when you make too sharp of a turn and you weave from side to side; under-steering is when you don’t turn the wheel enough to keep it on its intended path. When you are trying to back a straight line (driving test skill) you need to: – keep the brake pressed and put the car in reverse 2- turn your body to the right, put your right arm over the back of the passenger seat and look out of the back window. 3- Place your left hand at 12 o’clock on the steering wheel 4- Release your pressure on the brake enough to get m oving 5- Adjust your position by turning the wheel in the direction that you wish to go 6- Keep you foot over the brake (covering) and take quick glances to the front and sides checking for traffic. When you wish to stop keep looking out of the back window until you have come to a complete stop. SIGNALINGMake it a habit to signal your intent every time you plan to turn or stop. You must use your turn signals when you are making a left or right turn, changing lanes, & pulling over to the side of the road. Make sure that you know the hand signals for when you are driving. Left arm out and angled up = right turn Left arm out and pointing straight out = left turn Left arm out and angled down = braking You need to remember to signal early but not too early. CHANGING LANES You must be able to make the lane change smoothly and safely each and every time. Try to get the steering down. You don’t want to over or understeer. Steps for a lane change: – Check traffic in front and t o the side in which you are going to move into 2- Signal your intent and check your blind spot 3- Increase your speed slightly as you steer into the next lane; if it is clear to do so 4- Cancel your signal, if it did not do so automatically, and adjust your speed and steering. MAKING TURNS AND TURNABOUTS Two methods for steering your car: 1- Hand over hand 2- Push – pull Left and Right Hand Turns You should make a turn only after you have checked traffic. 1- Look for pedestrians and oncoming vehicles; check your rear zone for cars getting ready to pass you. – Plan well in advance. Put yourself in the correct lane well before the turn. 3- Obey all traffic signals and controls plus roadway markings. When turning left you MUST yield to oncoming traffic. Procedures for turning: (page 114) 1- Get in the proper lane 2- Brake early and get to the proper speed 3- Do a visual search 4- Before the crosswalk you should be at about 10 mph 5- Turning right you need to check left th en right and begin your turn when your front bumper reaches the curve of the curb line. 6- For a left turn check left then right and then left again.Begin your turn when your front bumper gets to the center of the intersection. 7- As you begin your turn check your blind spot and turn into the first lane you come to. When you are backing to your left you want to look more over your left shoulder to where you are trying to back. If backing right you want to look over your right shoulder. You will use hand over hand steering and do the visual search before you begin the maneuver. Turnabouts Precautions when you are planning to do a turnabout: †¢Be sure that local laws permit it †¢Need at least 500 feet of visibility Don’t do on hills or curves or within 200 feet of an intersection †¢Should not be done where high-speed traffic or any traffic would be †¢Check all zones while doing the turnabout U-Turn Select your spot and signal right to move over and stop. Whe n the way is clear, turn on your left signal and move into the lane Check your front and left rear zones and your blind spot. Turn the wheel hard left and move through the turn until you have completely turned around. Driveway turnabouts Backing into on the right Pull in on the left Pull in on the right Which of these is the safest? Three point turnabout (driving test skill)Check your zones, signal right and pull to the curb (or side of road) and stop Signal left, turn the wheel hard left and pull across the road as far as you can Signal right, put the car in reverse, turn the wheel hard right and back as far as you need to back Signal left, put the car in Drive, turn the wheel hard right and pull forward finishing the turnabout. Parking When you are trying to park you need to have speed control, steering control and accurate judgment. Before parking you need to find a space big enough for your car to get into. Avoid end spaces or beside large trucks or poorly parked vehicles.You ne ed to learn some reference points for parking. You will be exposed to standard reference points, these are for a typical vehicle and driver, and you will learn your personal reference points, ones that you like to use. Angle parking: This parking is done diagonally to the curb. Mostly in shopping center parking lots. 1- Check for peds. Position your car about 6 feet from the parked cars. Signal right and begin braking. 2- Check your right blind spot and continue braking. 3- Move forward until you can see the middle of the space without obstructions. Turn your wheels hard right and ease into the space. – Straighten your wheels when you are in the center of the space and pull forward as far into the space as you can. Perpendicular parking: This parking is when your car is at a right angle to the curb. 1- Set up about 8 feet from the line of parked cars or as far over as you can. Signal right, check your blind spot, and begin braking. 2- Check traffic to the rear and continue br aking. 3- Turn hard right when your front bumper passes the back bumper of the car to the left of the parking space. Slowly enter the space and check your rear right to make sure that you have missed the car. – Straighten the wheels when you are centered in the space and pull forward. Leaving both of these spaces (angle and perpendicular) 1- Ease straight back with your foot covering the brake. 2- When your front bumper is even with the rear bumper of the car to your left turn hard right. 3- Back into the nearest lane and straighten your wheels. Put the car in drive and pull away. Parallel parking (driving test skill) This is parking your car parallel to the curb. Select your space that is 5 – 6 feet longer than your car. 1- While approaching the space, signal right and brake.Stop with your car 2-3 feet away from the car on the right and your back bumper even with the back bumper of the car to the right. Put the car into reverse and check traffic. Turn the wheel hard r ight and ease into the space. 2- When the back of your seat is even with the back bumper of the car to the right straighten the wheels. Ease straight back into the space. 3- When your front bumper is even with the rear bumper of the car to your right turn the wheels hard left. Ease back looking out of your rear window. 4- When your car is parallel to the curb straighten the wheels and stop.Pull forward and center your car in the space. Put the car in park. My cues when we do this in the car: Wheels – hard right, straight, hard left Reference points – back bumpers even, rear of seat even with bumper, front bumper even with the rear bumper, don’t hit the barrier. Parking on hills: Up hill with a curb – turn the wheels left, ease back to touch the curb, engage parking brake, put car in park, turn the car off. Up hill without a curb, Downhill with or without a curb – turn the wheels to the right, ease until you touch the curb (if there is a curb), enga ge the parking brake, turn the car off.Chapter 7 Negotiating Intersections Searching the Intersection When you are approaching any intersection there are things that you need to look for. The main cause of collisions in intersections is the driver's failure to identity a safe path of travel. Clue you need to look for: Signs and lights Roadway markings Crossing traffic Park car on the cross street Turning traffic Rows of fences and mailboxes Traffic stopping Power lines Most intersections are + or X, but some are Y or T When you are approaching an intersection you need to check your front zones to make sure that your path of travel in open.Look for anything that may cause your path to close and cause you to change your plans. The closer you get to the intersection the more you need to search your side zones for obstructions. Scan and focus on what may cause you a problem, don't just keep your eyes in constant motion. Once you approach your point of no return you need to continue thro ugh the intersection but still scan your zones. Your point of no return is the point at which you can no longer make a safe stop outside of the intersection. Sometimes when you get close to the intersection your path of travel closes causing you to need to change lanes.Do this at an intersection only if there is no other option. You are not allowed to legally change lanes within the intersection. If your decision at the intersection is to stop, for what ever reason, you now need to do the full 180 degree scan before you inter the intersection. Controlled Intersections A controlled intersection is one that has signs or lights that determine the right of way. With signs – The two signs that control an intersection are Stop and Yield. At a stop sign you MUST come to a complete stop and at a yield sign you need to slow down and give the right of way to any vehicle in the intersection.At stop signs you need to begin your search of the intersection well back of the stop sign. As yo u approach you need to scan front, as well as 45 degrees to the right and left for anything that may interfere with your path of travel. Crossing Traffic with a blocked view†¢ Search your front and rear zones, look for pedestrians and prepare to make your legal stop at the sign, ease up to the intersection and stop again, scan for obstructions and inter the intersection only when it is clear for you to go through the intersection without conflict. (7 sec gap) Joining traffic – right turns Go through the same checks as above. When you get stopped at the sign and can't see, ease up until you can without going into the intersection and stop again. Look for a gap of at least 7 seconds. When you have a clear path make your turn and accelerate keeping the car about 4 feet from the side of the road. Joining traffic – left turns †¢ Do your scans as with the other approaches. Stop at the sign and pull forward and stop again before entering the intersection. When the w ay is clear (7 sec gap) move forward and recheck your zones. Accelerate into the proper lane and adjust your steering.Light Controlled Intersections When you are approaching an intersection controlled by lights you need to use your IPDE process to determine what the intersection will be like when you reach it. How may the lights change your path of travel? Stale Green Light – this Is a light that has been green for a while, expect It to change Fresh Green Light – this is a light that has Just turned green, you may still not have a safe path of travel. Check your intended path for obstacles. Yellow Light – this is a light that is telling you that the intersection is closing to your traffic lane.If you have reached the â€Å"point of no return† you have to determine whether to proceed through or try to stop, hat can influence this decision? Red Light – at this light you MUST stop. You need to check your rear zones as you apply the brakes. An unprotec ted left turn is a left turn done at an intersection that does not have a left turn green arrow. You MUST be sure that you can complete the turn before beginning it Protected Left Turns At these turns you will have three things apparent 1- Left turn light, this is an entire light sequence (R,Y,G) to guide you at your left turn. – Green arrow – appears with the normal light system, when the arrow goes off you simply do not have a protected left turn. 3- Delayed green light – at these lights you light is green and the opposing traffic light is still red. Turning on Red Light Right on red means that you are allowed to make a right hand turn at a red light AFTER you have made a complete stop and have scanned the intersection. When it is safe to proceed you can make the turn. Left on red is allowed in most states when you are turning left from a one-way street onto a on-way street going to your left.Some states allow this if you are in a left turn only lane (two way traffic) and are turning onto a one way street. A controlled railroad crossing has lights and/or a stop arm. You must come to a complete stop and stay until the lights have stopped flashing and the arm has come up. DO NOT EVER go around the stop arm to cross. Uncontrolled Intersections An uncontrolled intersection is one in which there are no traffic controls. As you approach one of these intersections you MUST expect traffic problems. NEVER assume that the other driver will give you the right of way. You must really use your IPDE process as you approach these intersections.It is best to treat these intersections as yield signs. There are also uncontrolled railroad crossings. Simply slow down, scanning the tracks for trains and do not cross if you see or hear one coming. Determining Right of Way Right of way describes the privilege of having immediate use of a certain part of the roadway. Right of way is GIVEN not taken. You may have to YIELD and allows others to go first in order t o be safe. Judging Gaps A gap is the distance between two vehicles. When you are at an intersection you have to make sure that you can successfully get through the intersection. Chapter8 Sharing The RoadwayWith Motorcycles: About 2000 people a year are killed on motorcycles. The primary reason is there are so many body parts not protected when riding a motorcycle. You MUST use the IPDE process when motorcycles are around. They can hide in spots, they spend longer times in your blind spots and many cyclist take more chances that car drivers do. ‘†¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ †¢ ‘†¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ †¢ †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢- †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ †¢ ‘ ‘ -i -†¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ ‘†¢ -‘- ;†¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢; †¢;†¢ Problem areas in which you need to really look for motorcyclist: a vehicle turning left in front of a motorcycle a vehicle turning right at an intersection or into a driveway a motorcycle turning left inblindspots a tailgating motorcyclist one passing you on the right or left – meeting an oncoming motorcycle When you are going to pass a motorcycle you need to stay well back to avoid shocking the cyclist, use the entire lane to make the pass and wait until you can see them in your rearview mirror to move back over. It is just like passing a vehicle. With Bicycles, Mopeds and Motor Scooters: Bicyclist need to remember that when they are on the road they have the responsibility to follow ALL of the traffic laws just as the other vehicles do. They need to wear a helmet, know the rules for riding on roads as well as idewalks, and wear light colored clothing (especially at night), keep from wearing headphones, and keep their bike in good condition. When you encounter a bike you need to increase your scanning to avoid serious conflict. If you pass a bike you need to follow the same rules as passing a car. Remember that some bicyclist do not have great control over their bike and may swerve o r fall into your path. Mopeds and scooters create the same types of problems as bikes do. They are low powered and very small. They are hard to see and the people riding them may not be able to handle them properly.People on mopeds and scooters do not have to have a drivers license but they do have to follow the rules of the road, just as bicyclist and drivers do. Pedestrians Pedestrians are the most vulnerable users of the HTS. It is the drivers responsibility to protect the pedestrians. Children and old people are at most risk. Children do not know about consequences and old people may not hear or see well. When you drive in an area with pedestrians you need to heighten you IPDE usage. Look for pedestrians in areas where you expect to see them. Playgrounds, sidewalks, residential areas, parks, and parking lots.Sharing the roadway with emergency vehicles is a common thing in populated areas. You should yield the right of way to the emergency vehicles when they are traveling with th eir light and/or sirens on. Simply move to the right side of the road if you can and or to the lane as far to the right as possible. If you have to you can stop but make sure that you are as little a hazard as possible. With Trucks: The type of truck you need to really worry about when driving are the big semis (18 wheelers, tractor trailer, transfer). The main reason is that they are sooo big and can do a whole lot of damage to your car in a very little amount of time.These larger trucks make wide right turns. When you are near one and they put on their right turn signal you have to make sure that you are not to their right because the trailer of the truck will turn into your lane when they turn. You need to avoid following these trucks because they have big blind spots which make you hard to see. If you can not see their face in the mirror, they can not see your car. Use caution when passing a truck. Because their blind spots are larger you have to make sure that they see you duri ng your pass as well as before your pass.When you meet a large truck on a two lane roadway you need to prepare for the after wave when they go by. The air that they push to the right and left will make your car jump of vibrate. Also on wet roads the trucks will throw up water that will cover your windshield. Simply grasp the steering wheel tightly and steer through the problem. Chapter 9 Driving in Urban Traffic Adjusting to Urban Traffic Two of the main factors that make urban driving difficult: 1- Traffic is more dense – there are more cars, buses, trucks and pedestrians per mile than on rural roads – City hazards are closer to you – more things are closer to your car than in the country. Mile per mile, city roads have the highest number and variety of hazards. It takes time to do the IPDE process and in cities you don't have as much time to process the information as in the country. When you are on urban streets you have to pay attention and try to identify h azards as early as possible. Following Traffic on City Streets Space cushion refers to the space between your car and the car in front of you. If you have a good space cushion you have some advantages: 1- You can see further ahead and get the â€Å"big picture† – You can be seen better 3- You have more time to do the IPDE process 4- You are in better position to avoid the car in front of you if they stop suddenly. The 3-second following distance. When you are 3 seconds behind you have enough cushion to avoid most collisions in most normal driving situations. 1- Pick out a spot on the road ahead 2- When the car in front gets to that spot begin counting; 1001,1002,1003 3- If your car has not gotten to the spot by 1003 you have enough cushion to avoid a collision. If you reach the spot before you get to 1003, you need to back off a little.The faster you are traveling the bigger your space cushion will be. Being Followed on City Streets A tailgater is a vehicle that is fol lowing you too closely. The main hazard of a tailgater is that if you have to do a sudden stop they will hit you in the rear. They think that they are saving time by going so fast and getting close to you. If you have a tailgater behind you, you need to increase your following distance so you will not have to react as quickly when a car in front of you makes a sudden stop or move. When you are meeting cars in the city you have to really look ahead for your front zone to close.Oncoming drivers may cross the center line and block your path. Reasons that people cross the center line are: 1- driver impairment 2- poor judgment 3- poor visibility 4- reduced space 5- sudden moves for others 6- vehicle failure 7- turning car, buses or trucks 8- double parked vehicles Managing Space on Urban Streets Look ahead – try to see at least one block ahead but if you can see farther, look as far as you can but IDENTIFY possible problems. , When you are approaching a traffic light and you first see the light green you need to expect it to change.If you see a green light but the crosswalk light is flashing â€Å"don't walk† you need to anticipate that the light is getting ready to change. NEVER speed through an intersection trying to beat the light. Covering you brake means that you have taken your foot off of the accelerator pedal and have it in front of the brake pedal, but not pushing it down. You are anticipating that you are going to need to brake. This takes away your reaction distance/time if you need to brake suddenly. Riding your brake means that you have your foot on the brake pedal and you are pushing it down slightly.Most people that two foot drive end up riding their brakes. On city streets that have parked cars on your right you need to anticipate that a car door may open when you get to it. To help avoid hitting the door you need to drive about the width of a car door away from parked cars. Chapter 10 Driving in Rural Areas Characteristics of Rural Tr affic 82% of all of the roadway miles in the US are considered rural roads. When you approach a curve on a rural road with an advisory speed limit, you should be at that posted speed before you enter the curve.Advisory speeds are posted to help keep cars from having a collision on a curve because they entered the curve at too great a speed to control the car. Speed kills on rural roads. Twice as many deaths occur on rural roads as opposed to urban roads. On rural roads in normal (ideal) conditions the 3 second rule for following is sufficient. If you are following another car using the 3 second rule and a car cuts in between you and the other car you need to reestablish your 3 second rule with the new car. The basic speed rule states that you should not drive faster than the road or traffic conditions allow you to.It is more difficult to maintain control of your car at higher speeds. When you are driving on rural roads you are going to encounter slow moving vehicles, animals in the road and oncoming traffic that is close to you. Roadside hazards that you will come across are narrow shoulders, bridges, ditches, guardrails, and trees. You are not going to have as many tailgaters here because of the type of driving you are doing plus there are not as many cars on the road. In rural areas your speed is going to be faster so your IPDE process is affected. At higher speeds you decrease your time to make a decision using the process.So the faster you are driving, the farther you need to look ahead so you can perform the IPDE process. When driving on these roads you may see mailboxes, reflectors on posts, or small utility lines. These are all clues that you are approaching a driveway. When you are driving in the mountains you are going to come to sections of the road that have sharper curves and steeper hills. When you are going down a steep hill you should NEVER shift your car into neutral. If you change gears you need to shift to a lower gear to avoid burning your b rakes. Passing in rural areas is done generally on two lane/two way roads.If you are passing another car you must make sure that you can complete the pass safely and before the passing area ends. When you think that you need to pass another car you need to think before you pass. One main question that you need to ask is, is it safe to pass here? When driving at night on rural roads you are going to encounter car light that pop up from around curves or hills. To avoid being temporarily blinded you need to look to the right side of the road, white line. Chapter 11 Driving on Expressways An expressway is defined as a roadway that has limited-access or controlled-access.Driving on expressways is more dangerous because of the higher speeds and the number of cars. For this reason, collisions on expressways are generally more serious. Expressways have minimum speed limits posted. If you are going below this minimum speed then you are a hazard on the roadway. To drive effectively on express ways you must be willing to cooperate with other drivers. They also have multiple lanes which means that when you change lanes you need to do so one lane at a time. You are driving on an expressway and you need to exit; the ramp you need to get off on is totally Mocked by traffic, preventing you from getting over.Wiat should you do? Go to the next exit and come back up the expressway. If you get onto the wrong entrance ramp you should go ahead and get on the expressway and travel to the next exit, get off and turn around. It is NEVER permissible to back up an entrance ramp. The entrance lane has three parts; the ramp, the acceleration lane and the merging lane. When you are coming down the ramp you need to check for a gap to merge into by looking over your left shoulder as well as into your left mirror. If you are entering an expressway on the entrance ramp and your way is blocked so that you can not merge onto the road you should avoid stopping.Stopping on the ramp in the accelerat ion lane can cause a rear end collision. If you are driving in a group of car on an expressway you are driving in a â€Å"wolf pack†. You are driving in the center lane of the expressway and you keep getting passed on the right and left, you should move into the right lane to avoid being a hazard. Highway hypnosis happens when you get lulled into staring while driving. If you stare for long enough you will put yourself to sleep. If you are taking a long trip on expressway you need to plan ahead for food, fuel and rest This will make your trip more enjoyable and safe.

Free Essays on Stress Management

Stress can affect anybody working anywhere. It is an individual reaction and can reveal itself both physically and psychologically, and although it is not an illness, it capable of causing ill health. Statistics show that (work-related) stress affects approximately one in five employees and costs companies in the region of  £370 million every year. So what is stress? There are a few ways in which to define it: 1. A simple (or more personal) definition â€Å"it is what I think and feel when I believe I cannot cope† 2. The Health and Safety Executive define it as â€Å"the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures, or other types of demands placed on them† 3. A more technical definition â€Å"it is a negative imbalance between pressures, demands and challenges and the individual’s personality, behaviors and coping skills†. Stress is not something to be taken lightly. Not only does it cost companies large amounts of money, it has undesirable effects on employees. It is one of the most significant causes behind sickness from work. A lack of attention to employee well-being has potential legal and cost implications and increasing awareness of stress is vital. Stress also has a knock on effect; one employee becomes stressed, then employers become harassed worrying if they can cover the loss of work (if the employee takes sick leave), catch up on work loss and afford the costs of stress. In addition to the costs, the law demands that employers must deal with work-related stress, and there is a number of legislation which apply: The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 The Working Times regulation 1998 The Public Order Act 1986 The Employment Rights Act 1996 The Protection from Harassment Act 1997 There are a number of recognised factors which might lead to work-related stress. The main cause of stress seems to be the job itself, which can involve a work overload... Free Essays on Stress Management Free Essays on Stress Management Stress can affect anybody working anywhere. It is an individual reaction and can reveal itself both physically and psychologically, and although it is not an illness, it capable of causing ill health. Statistics show that (work-related) stress affects approximately one in five employees and costs companies in the region of  £370 million every year. So what is stress? There are a few ways in which to define it: 1. A simple (or more personal) definition â€Å"it is what I think and feel when I believe I cannot cope† 2. The Health and Safety Executive define it as â€Å"the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures, or other types of demands placed on them† 3. A more technical definition â€Å"it is a negative imbalance between pressures, demands and challenges and the individual’s personality, behaviors and coping skills†. Stress is not something to be taken lightly. Not only does it cost companies large amounts of money, it has undesirable effects on employees. It is one of the most significant causes behind sickness from work. A lack of attention to employee well-being has potential legal and cost implications and increasing awareness of stress is vital. Stress also has a knock on effect; one employee becomes stressed, then employers become harassed worrying if they can cover the loss of work (if the employee takes sick leave), catch up on work loss and afford the costs of stress. In addition to the costs, the law demands that employers must deal with work-related stress, and there is a number of legislation which apply: The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 The Working Times regulation 1998 The Public Order Act 1986 The Employment Rights Act 1996 The Protection from Harassment Act 1997 There are a number of recognised factors which might lead to work-related stress. The main cause of stress seems to be the job itself, which can involve a work overload... Free Essays on Stress Management Stress is a part of life that everyone deals with at one time or another. Everyone has different levels of stress and different coping mechanisms. According to Trevor Powell in the book Free Yourself from Harmful Stress. Stress is a positive force that enables you to survive. A certain level of stress is beneficial and stimulates you to perform well. Too much stress can impair performance. Stress has three basic components; these are sources, life skills, and signs or symptoms. Sources are everyday demands or major changes in your life. Life skills are the resources you have for coping with the events. And signs or symptoms are the physical and emotional symptoms that indicate that the demands outweigh your ability to cope. (Free Yourself from Harmful Stress-10, 11,15, and 16) Trevor Powell also goes on to talk about the causes of stress. Sources of stress can be caused by a number of things such as, losing a job, divorce, financial problems, family problems, etc. It is wildly recognized that if you suffer several life event changes you will find it difficult to cope and you will suffer more symptoms of stress. (Free Yourself from Harmful Stress-10, 11,15, and 16) Some of the symptoms of stress include panic attacks, obsessive behaviors, depression, low self-esteem, phobias, sleep problems, migraines, and chronic fatigue. There are several questions to ask yourself to find out if you have stress. Some of these questions are. Do you get sudden feelings of fear and panic? Do you feel tense, nervous, or wound up? Do you have difficulty sleeping? Do you feel irritable, edgy, and bad tempered? Do you feel physically run down? These are just a few of several questions. If you find that you do have a stress problem there are several things you can do to manage your stress. (Free Yourself from Harmful Stress-10, 11,15, and16) Lets look back at the symptoms of stress and how to cope with them. Anxiety is one of the major symptoms of stress.... Free Essays on Stress Management Stress Management As Perceived By Third Year And Fourth Year Flying Students Of Air Link International Aviation School Stress is simply a fact of nature forces from the outside world affecting the individual. Hence, all living creatures are in a constant interchange with their surroundings (the ecosystem), both physically and behaviorally. This interplay of forces, or energy, is of course present in the relationships between all matter in the universe, whether they are living (animate) or not living (inanimate). However, there are critical differences in how different living creatures relate to their environment. These differences have far reaching consequences for survival. Because of the overabundance of stress in our modern lives, we usually think of stress as a negative experience. But from a biological point of view, stress can be neutral, negative, or positive. (Tri-University Winter Medical Symposium St. Petersburg, Florida March 11, 1995) Stress has driven evolutionary change (the development and natural selection of species over time). Thus, the species that adapted best to the causes of stress (stressors) have survived and evolved into the plant and animal kingdoms we now observe. Man, because of the evolution of the human brain, especially the part called the neo-cortex, is the most adaptive creature on the planet. This adaptability is largely due to the changes and stressors that we have faced and mastered. Therefore, we, unlike other animals, can live in any climate or ecosystem, at various altitudes, and avoid the danger of predators. Moreover, most recently, we have learned to live in the air, under the sea, and even in space, where no living creatures that we know of have ever survived. (Medical Author: Peter J. Panzarino, Jr. M.D. F.A.P.A) If we think about the causes of stress, the nature of the stress response, and the negative effects of some types of stress (prolonged, unexpected, unmanageable), several hea...

Canning and the Eastern Question Essay Example

Canning and the Eastern Question Essay Example Canning and the Eastern Question Essay Canning and the Eastern Question Essay Essay Topic: History In 1822 Castlereagh committed suicide and George Canning was appointed as the new British Foreign Secretary, a position he kept until his death in 1827. Castlereagh as Foreign Secretary had played a leading role in the defeat of Napoleon and was very keen to use the Congress System to restore peace in Europe; Canning however was more hostile to the Congress System as he believed British interests lay outside Europe and he had no good relationship with the other European statesmen. By his death in 1827 he had played a major role in the death of the Congress System but had also managed to successfully maintain British interests. At this time the Ottoman Empire was very large containing South Eastern Europe and parts of Asia and North Africa. However as it was such a huge ramshackle of different nationalities and religions in order for it to be governed effectively it needed a strong leadership from Constantinople, which the Turkish Sultan of this time couldnt offer, since 1815 the Ottoman Empire had been in decline. (The Ottoman Empire) After Frances defeat previously Russia was now considered the biggest threat to the balance of power in Europe. It had great military power due to the seemingly unlimited supply of peasant conscripts to its armed services. The weak Ottoman Empire was always being watched by Russia who was continuously pushing its boundaries Southwards towards Constantinople and the Straits. Russia was hoping to gain land and access through the Black Sea into the Mediterranean. Britain feared that if this occurred Russia would be able to threaten British trade and naval dominance in that area and also its important trade routes to India. Britain was not committed to maintaining the Empire but did not want to see it fall to Russia, however it was in the best interests for Austria to strengthen the Ottoman Empire as it was a useful buffer against Russian expansion and Austria had no designs on the land itself. France also wanted to see the Ottoman Empire preserved as it had long standing political and commercial links with Turkey and hoped to extend its influence over the area via the Pasha of Egypt, Mehmet Ali. At the Congress of Vienna the major European powers had restored monarchies to every European country but the 19th Century has been labelled The Age of Nationalism as individual countries wanted the right to look after their own interests free from the influence of a foreign power. The old monarchical powers such as Austria and Russia were terrified of revolution and the European powers all had a solid stance to crush any revolts. However the Greek uprising of 1822 against the Ottoman Empire was different. The deeply religious Russians were concerned with their fellow Orthodox Christians fighting to free themselves from Muslim rule. It seemed likely that Russia would become involved in this conflict as the Russians saw themselves as the unofficial guardians of the Orthodox religion and also relations between the Ottoman Empire and Russia were already poor as the Russians had been left feeling aggrieved after the Ottomans pulled out of the 1812 Bucharest Agreement. There was also a lot of sympathy for the Greek Revolution in Britain, especially throughout the educated elite; there were many volunteers who went there to fight for the Greeks such as Lord Byron the romantic poet who eventually died for the cause. The Greeks had even sent a deputation to Britain begging for help. The sympathy increased for the Greeks when the Turks conducted a massacre of Greek Orthodox Christians and murdered the Patriarch of Constantinople on Easter Sunday in 1821. In April 1821 the Greeks of Morea killed thousands of the local Turks and the Turks then retaliated with even worse horrors. This caused another surge in European public sympathy and in 1823 Canning recognized the Greeks as Co-belligerents, which meant he recognised Greeks right to take up arms against an unpopular Turkish regime. This sympathy for the Greeks however, was strongest in Russia, where it was going to be hard for the government to ignore such public feeling. The Tsar Alexander I initially wanted to intervene but Metternich, who arguing against supporting Nationalistic causes on the grounds that all revolutions must be prevented and that they were all centred from Paris, dissuaded him. However in December 1825 Tsar Alexander I died and the new Tsar, Nicholas I was ready for immediate intervention with or without international cooperation. He wanted to establish himself quickly in the eyes of his people and Europe and to avenge atrocities against Greek Orthodox Christians; also weakening the Turkish Empire would bring benefits to Russia. Canning now had to make sure the Russians didnt gain too much in this area. Turkey needed help to fight the Greek revolt and turned to Mehmet Ali, who held land in Egypt directly as a favour from the Turkish Sultan and was therefore obliged to help the Sultan if his interest were threatened. Between 1826 and 1827 an Egyptian army, under Mehmet Alis son Ibrahim Pasha, gained the upper hand over the Greek rebels. Canning tried to prevent Russia entering a war by sending Wellington to St Petersburg to offer solving the dispute by mediation to the new Tsar. Canning decided Britain must act to: * Prevent Turkey being weakened too much as it was a useful buffer against Russian expansion in the Balkans. * Make sure Russia didnt make too much advantage e. g. possession of Constantinople He may also have intervened to break up the Congress System, which he despised; he knew Anglo Russian cooperation would infuriate Metternich. The outcome was the Protocol of St Petersburg of April 1926 with which the British and the Russians offered mediation to the Turks as long as the Greeks retained some form of self-government. Britain, Russia and France confirmed this by attending the July 1827 Treaty of London where they guaranteed Greek self-government by force if necessary and a joint nav al expedition set out for Greece. Canning was now under great pressure as the Austrians and Prussians objected to this support of revolution and the Turks were refusing to sign the treaty. In August 1827 Canning died, probably brought on by overwork. Meanwhile the joint 27-ship fleet was blockading the Turkish-Egyptian fleet of 81 ships in the Greek, Navarino Bay. Though under orders to avoid hostilities, the British Admiral Codrington decided to force the issue by sailing into the bay. The Turks opened fire and a full-scale battle developed lasting four hours. It was a disaster for the Turks and their allies; 61 ships and about 4000 men were lost in October 1827. There was no prospect of the Turks recapturing Greece whose independence was recognised in 1830 and her frontiers were decided in 1832. In the end Cannings work in the Near East had mixed success. He had helped to achieve a completely independent Greece however his wider aim of limiting Russian gains by cooperation with her had been ruined by Wellington who failed to grasp Cannings intentions.