Driving is the controlled operation and movement of a motor vehicle, including cars, motorcycles, trucks,

and buses. 

The origin of the term driver, as recorded from the 15th century, refers to the occupation of
driving working animals, especially pack horses or draft horses. The verb ' to drive ' in origin means "to
force to move, to impel by physical force". It is first recorded of electric railway drivers in 1889 and of
a motor-car driver in 1896. Early alternatives were motorneer. motor-man,motor-driver or motorist.
French favors "conducteur" (the English equivalent, "conductor", being used —from the 1830s— not of
the driver but of the person in charge of passengers and collecting fares),
while German influenced areas adopted Fahrer(used of coach-drivers in the 18th century,
but shortened about 1900 from the compound Kraftwagenfahrer), and the verbs führen, lenken,
steuern —all with a meaning "steer, guide, navigate"— translating to conduire.

Introduction of the automobile

In 1888, an automobile was driven to the summit of Mount Washington, New Hampshire, for the first
time
The world's first long-distance road trip by automobile was in August 1888 when Bertha Benz, wife
of Benz Patent-Motorwagen inventor Karl Benz, drove 66 mi (106 km) Mannheim to Pforzheim, Germany,
and returned, in the third experimental Benz motor car, which had a maximum speed of 10 mph
(16 km/h), with her two teenage sons Richard and Eugen but without the consent and knowledge of her
husband She had said she wanted to visit her mother, but also intended to generate publicity for her
husband's invention, which had only been taken on short test drives before.
In 1899, F. O. Stanley and his wife, Flora, drove their Stanley Steamer automobile, sometimes called
a locomobile, to the summit of Mount Washington in New Hampshire in the United States to
generate publicity for their automobile. The 7.6-mile (12.2 km) journey took over two hours (not counting
time to add more water); the descent was accomplished by putting the engine in low gear and doing lots
of braking.

Driving skills

Driving in traffic is more than just knowing how to operate the mechanisms which control the vehicle; it
requires knowing how to apply the rules of the road (which ensures safe and efficient sharing with other
users). An effective driver also has an intuitive understanding of the basics of vehicle handling and can
drive responsibly.
Although direct operation of a bicycle and a mounted animal are commonly referred to as riding, such
operators are legally considered drivers and are required to obey the rules of the road. Driving over a
long distance is referred to as a road trip.
In some countries, a basic both practical and theoretical knowledge of the rules of the road is assessed
with a driving test(s) and those who pass are issued with a driving license.

Physical skill
A driver must have physical skills to be able to control direction, acceleration, and deceleration. For
motor vehicles, the detailed tasks include:
 Starting the vehicle's engine with the starting system
 Setting the transmission to the correct gear
 Depressing the pedals with one's feet to accelerate, slow and stop the vehicle and
 If the vehicle is equipped with a manual transmission, to modulate the clutch
 Steering the vehicle's direction with the steering wheel
 Applying brake pressure to slow or stop the vehicle
 Operating other important ancillary devices such as the indicators, headlights, parking
brake and windshield wipers
 Observing the environment for hazards
Mental skill
Avoiding or successfully handling an emergency driving situation can involve the following skills:
 Making good decisions based on factors such as road and traffic conditions
 Evasive maneuvering
 Proper hand placement and seating position
 Skid control
 Steering and braking techniques
 Understanding vehicle dynamics
 Right- and left-hand traffic
 Distractions can compromise a driver's mental skills. One study on the subject of mobile phones
and driving safety concluded that, after controlling for driving difficulty and time on task, drivers
talking on a phone exhibited greater impairment than drivers who were suffering from alcohol
intoxication.[10] In The US "During daylight hours, approximately 481,000 drivers are using cell
phones while driving according to the publication on the National Highway Traffic Safety
Association.Another survey indicated that music could adversely affect a driver's concentration."
 Seizure disorders and Alzheimer's disease are among the leading medical causes of mental
impairment among drivers in the United States and Europe.[14] Whether or not physicians should
be allowed, or even required, to report such conditions to state authorities, remains highly
controversial.

Safety
Safety issues in driving include:
 Texting while driving
 Speeding
 Drug–impaired driving and driving under the influence
 Distracted driving
 Sleep-deprived driving
 Reckless driving and street racing

Driver ability
Drivability of a vehicle means the smooth delivery of power, as demanded by the driver. Typical causes of
drivability degradation are rough idling, misfiring, surging, hesitation, or insufficient power

Driving laws

A driver is subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which he or she is driving. The rules of the
road, driver licensing and vehicle registration schemes vary considerably between jurisdictions.

 R.A 4136 – land transportation and traffic code.