Interacting with other passengers is a distraction. This can be a problem, particularly for teenage drivers. If you are a teen driver with other teens as passengers, statistics show you are more likely to have a crash than if you are driving alone or are driving with adult passengers.
Check your mirrors and look over your shoulder to make sure you are not getting in the way of vehicles in the lane you want to enter. Leave three seconds of space between you and the vehicle ahead of you. Make sure you can stop safely, if necessary.
It is your responsibility to know the effects of the medications you take. If you must take medication before driving, find out the effects of the medication from your physician or pharmacist. Even over-the-counter medicines that you take for colds and allergies can make you drowsy and affect your driving ability.
When parking on a hill you must make sure your car does not roll into traffic if the brakes do not hold. If you park where there is a curb facing downhill, turn your wheels toward the curb and shift into reverse gear or PARK. If there are no curbs, turn your wheels toward the edge of the road, whether facing uphill or downhill.
Yield the right of way to any emergency vehicle, making sure you are not creating a hazard for other drivers and not blocking the way. Drive to the right edge of the road and stop until the emergency vehicle(s) have passed. However, never stop in an intersection. If you are in an intersection when you see an emergency vehicle, continue through the intersection and then, drive to the right as soon as it is safe and stop.
The shape of a diamond is reserved exclusively for warning drivers of existing or possible hazards on roadways and adjacent areas. Diamond-shaped signs are either warning signs or work zone traffic signs.
Slow down at the first sign of rain, especially after a dry spell. This is when many roads are the most slippery, because oil and dust have not washed away. A slippery road will not give your tires the grip they need. Drive more slowly than you would on a dry road.
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The use of any drug (the law does not distinguish between prescription, over-the-counter, or illegal drugs) which impairs your ability to drive safely is illegal. Check with your physician or pharmacist and read the warning label if you are not sure that taking the medication will affect your driving.
Bumps, cuts or bad tread can cause blowouts. Tire pressure should be checked often, especially when tires are cold. A motorist should check the owner’s manual to determine proper tire pressure or should ask for advice at a service station. Properly inflated tires save money in fuel consumption. A vehicle should not be driven with tires that have less than 1/16 inch of tread (about the edge of a dime). To hold on to the road properly, tires must match (do not mix radials with other tire types) and must have enough tread.
Respect the right-of-way of pedestrians. Always stop for any pedestrian crossing at corners or other crosswalks, even if the crosswalk is in the middle of the block, at corners with or without traffic lights, whether or not the crosswalks are marked by painted lines.
Work Zone Signs are normally shaped like warning signs, but they are black and orange. These signs are used only near maintenance, construction or utility areas to warn that workers and road equipment may be on or right next to the highway. They are placed on or near the roadway. Stay alert and slow down when you see these signs.
Avoid passing other vehicles, including motorcycles and bicycles, on two-lane roads; it is dangerous. Do not pull out to pass unless you know you have enough space to pull back into your lane. You must judge whether or not you have enough room to pass whenever you approach an oncoming vehicle, a hill or a curve, an intersection or a road obstruction.
On curves, there is a strong outward pull on your vehicle, which is especially dangerous when the road is slippery. Slow down before you enter the curve; you do not know what may be ahead (stalled car, collision, etc.).
A motorist should never stop his/her vehicle on railroad tracks. If a vehicle stalls on the tracks, and the motorist sees a train coming, he/she should get out and walk clear of the tracks. Never try to race a train. Most trains need more than a mile to stop, if traveling at 60 mph or more.
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If a vehicle’s conventional disc and drum brakes suddenly fail, a motorist should shift to a lower gear and pump the brake pedal fast and hard several times. If that does not work, the parking brake should be used while holding the brake release, so the motorist can let up if the rear wheels lock and the vehicle begins to skid. With the vehicle in low gear, the motorist should begin looking for a safe place to stop off the roadway and call for help.
Most rear end collisions are caused by tailgating. To avoid tailgating, use the “three-second rule”: when the vehicle ahead of you passes a certain point such as a sign, count “one-thousand-one, one-thousand two, one-thousand-three.” Counting these numbers takes approximately three seconds. If you pass the same point before you finish counting, you are following too closely.
Slow down at the first sign of rain, especially after a dry spell. This is when many roads are the most slippery, because oil and dust have not washed away. A slippery road will not give your tires the grip they need. Drive more slowly than you would on a dry road.
Bumps, cuts or bad tread can cause blowouts. Tire pressure should be checked often, especially when tires are cold. A motorist should check the owner’s manual to determine proper tire pressure or should ask for advice at a service station. Properly inflated tires save money in fuel consumption. A vehicle should not be driven with tires that have less than 1/16 inch of tread (about the edge of a dime). To hold on to the road properly, tires must match (do not mix radials with other tire types) and must have enough tread.
Yield the right of way to any emergency vehicle, making sure you are not creating a hazard for other drivers and not blocking the way. Drive to the right edge of the road and stop until the emergency vehicle(s) have passed. However, never stop in an intersection. If you are in an intersection when you see an emergency vehicle, continue through the intersection and then, drive to the right as soon as it is safe and stop.
Interacting with other passengers is a distraction. This can be a problem, particularly for teenage drivers. If you are a teen driver with other teens as passengers, statistics show you are more likely to have a crash than if you are driving alone or are driving with adult passengers.
