Braking in a curve makes it easier to lock the wheels and skid, so do all your slowing and downshifting before you enter it. Pick a gear that lets you accelerate slightly through the curve, and build speed once you are out of it.
The speed posted for a curve is set with cars and good weather in mind, so it may be too high for many buses even when the road is dry. Taking a curve too fast can make a bus roll over when traction is good or slide off the road when traction is poor.
Do your slowing down before the curve, because braking inside it makes it easier to lock the wheels and skid. Once you are in the curve, stay in a gear that lets you accelerate a little, which helps you keep control.
Slowing to a safe speed before the curve keeps the bus under control and helps stop it from drifting or sliding out of its lane. Braking hard once you are in the curve can lock the wheels and cause a skid.
The speeds posted for curves are set with ordinary vehicles in mind, and a truck whose center of gravity is high can tip over even when it travels at that speed. Slow to a safe speed under the posted one before reaching the curve, instead of keeping to the posted speed or crawling through every bend.
Total stopping distance combines the ground you cover while noticing a hazard, while reacting to it, and while the brakes slow you to a stop. For a heavy vehicle traveling 55 mph on dry pavement, that total comes to about one football field, far more than half a field or a couple of vehicle lengths.
The speed posted for a ramp may suit cars but be too fast for a heavy vehicle, which can roll over on a curve taken too quickly. Get your speed down to a safe level while you are still approaching the bend, rather than braking or downshifting once you are in it.
Hard steering inputs make a skid or rollover more likely, so turn the wheel only as much as the curve or obstacle requires. Keep both hands on the wheel, and finish your braking before the turn instead of braking during it.
Speed signs on ramps are set with cars in mind, so a large or heavily loaded vehicle may need to go slower than posted. Slow down before the curve, because a downhill ramp makes slowing harder and braking while turning can be dangerous.
Braking distance grows much faster than speed, so twice the speed takes roughly four times the room to stop. Total stopping distance also includes the ground covered while you perceive a hazard and react, and a posted limit does not guarantee you can stop in time.
Construction often leaves a steep step between the lane and the shoulder; if your wheels drift onto it, the vehicle can lean so its top hits signs or branches, and steering becomes hard. Work zones call for slowing down, not speeding up, and parking lights alone add no protection.
This orange diamond with a figure holding a shovel warns that road workers are present on or near the travel lanes. Slow down, watch for people and equipment, and give the crew as much room as you safely can.
A truck leaning over beside a curved arrow means the bend ahead is tight enough that tall, top-heavy vehicles can tip over in it. Drivers of trucks and other high-profile vehicles in particular need to cut their speed before entering the curve.
Construction work often leaves lane edges where the pavement suddenly drops to a lower level, and running a wheel over one can pull you off the road or make a tall vehicle lean dangerously. Drive slowly and carefully through the zone, and remember that parking lights are not meant for driving.
A heavy truck's brakes, tires, springs, and shock absorbers are designed to work best under a full load, so an empty one bounces more, locks its wheels more easily, and needs a longer distance to stop.
Tip Never assume an empty rig is easier to handle; with no load it can actually be tougher to keep under control.
You must be able to stop in the space you can see, so slow down whenever curves, hills, darkness or bad weather shorten your view. Doubling your speed roughly quadruples your stopping distance, and an empty truck can need more room to stop because it has less traction.
Work zones can bring narrow lanes, uneven pavement, and workers or equipment close to traffic, so slowing down and driving carefully are essential. Turning on your hazard flashers or tapping the brakes to light your brake lights also alerts the drivers behind you that you are slowing.
A slow, heavily loaded truck belongs in the right lane, where faster vehicles can get around it without being held up. The left lane is meant for passing, and the shoulder is not a travel lane.
A worker standing near moving traffic has no protection from a passing vehicle, so reduce your speed even more than you already have in the zone. Stay alert and be ready to stop if a flagger signals you to.
Braking should be finished before the curve, because braking in the curve makes it easier to lock the wheels and skid. A little power through the curve keeps the vehicle stable, which matters even more in a tanker, whose high center of gravity means a curve speed posted with cars in mind can be too fast for it.
A heavy truck's brakes, tires, springs and shock absorbers are designed to work best under a full load. Without that weight the truck has less traction, so it needs a longer distance to come to a stop.
The tipping truck beside a curved arrow warns that the bend ahead is sharp enough to roll over tall or heavy vehicles, and the 25 is the speed recommended for taking it safely. That number is an advisory top speed for the curve, never a minimum.
An orange diamond showing a person holding a flag warns that a flagger is working ahead to direct traffic through the work zone. Slow down, be prepared to come to a stop, and obey the flagger's directions.
The speeds posted for ramp curves may suit cars, but a heavy vehicle whose center of gravity is high can tip over at those speeds, so drive well under them. Entering the curve too fast can make the tires lose traction and slide off the road, or hold traction while the vehicle rolls over.
Every question in this set has its own page with the correct answer and an explanation.
