The faster you drive, the greater the impact or striking power of your vehicle. When you double your speed from 20 to 40 mph the impact is 4 times greater. The braking distance is also 4 times longer.
Cold medicines may make the driver drowsy or otherwise affect safe driving ability. However, possession and use of a drug given to a driver by a doctor is permitted if the doctor informs the driver that it will not affect safe driving ability.
There are three good rules for using turn signals: signal early, signal continuously, cancel your signal.
You need at least one second for each 10 feet of vehicle length at speeds below 40 mph. At greater speeds, you must add 1 second for safety.
Don't turn wide to the left as you start the turn. A following driver may think you are turning left and try to pass you on the right. You may crash into the other vehicle as you complete your turn.
The following safety equipment is required in a commercial vehicle: spare electrical fuses (unless vehicle has circuit breakers); three red reflective triangles, 6 fusees or 3 liquid burning flares; properly charged & rated fire extinguisher.
ABS helps you avoid wheel lock up and maintain control. You may or may not be able to stop faster with ABS, but you should be able to steer around an obstacle while braking, and avoid skids caused by over braking.
During the trip, watch gauges for signs of trouble. You should also use your sense to check for problems – look, listen, smell and feel. Check critical items when you stop: tires, wheels, rims, brakes, lights, reflectors, electrical connections to trailers.
When loading the cargo compartment of a vehicle it is best to place heavy items on the bottom and the light items on top. Secure the load with tie-downs whenever appropriate.
When giving assistance at an accident scene, don't move a severely injured person unless the danger of fire or passing traffic makes it necessary; stop heavy bleeding by applying direct pressure to the wound; keep the injured person warm.
There are nine classes of hazardous materials: explosives, gases, flammables, flammable solids, oxidizers, poisons, radioactives, corrosives, miscellaneous hazardous materials.
If you stop on a two-lane road carrying traffic in both directions or on an undivided highway, place warning devices within 10 feet of the front or rear corners to mark the location of the vehicle and 100 feet behind and ahead of the vehicle, on the shoulder or in the lane you stopped in.
Gross Combination Weight (GCW). The total weight of a powered unit, plus trailer(s), plus the cargo. Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR). The maximum GCW specified by the manufacturer for a specific combination of vehicles plus its load.
Reaction distance is the distance you will continue to travel, in ideal conditions; before you physically hit the brakes, in response to a hazard seen ahead. The average driver has a reaction time of ¾ second to 1 second. At 55 mph this accounts for 61 feet traveled.
Cargo should have at least one tie-down for each ten feet of cargo No matter how small the cargo is, there should be at least two tie-downs holding it.
How you feel before you even start your vehicle has a lot to do with how stress will affect you while driving. Reduce your stress before and while you drive. Listen to “easy listening” music and give the drive your full attention. Don’t allow yourself to become distracted by talking on your cell phone, eating, etc.
Check wheel bearing/seals for signs of leakage during every pre-trip inspection.
Low slung units, such as lowboy, car carrier, moving van, possum-belly livestock trailer and single-axle tractor pulling a long trailer with its landing gear set to accommodate a tandem-axle tractor can get stuck at a railroad crossing.
Only time, not black coffee or a cold shower, will sober you up. If you have drinks faster than your body can get rid of them, you will have more alcohol in your body, and your driving will be more affected.
You need at least 4/32-inch tread depth in every major groove on front tires. No fabric should show through the tread or sidewall.
