At highway speeds conditions change quickly, so keep scanning ahead, to the sides and in your mirrors, and be prepared to respond the moment a hazard appears. Both habits help you spot trouble early and leave time to react.
Wet or icy pavement gives the tires less grip, so any slowing should be done before a curve or intersection, not in the middle of it. Likewise, shift into a lower gear before a steep downhill begins rather than after you are already descending.
Emergency vehicles may stop or turn without warning, and others may be following, so the law requires you to stay back at least 500 feet once one has passed. Trailing it closely is dangerous, and after it goes by you may resume normal driving while keeping that distance.
After a blowout, hold the steering wheel firmly, take your foot off the accelerator, and keep the car going straight while it loses speed on its own. Braking hard can make you lose control, so stop only after you have eased off the road to a safe spot.
When a crash cannot be avoided, the goal is to reduce the force of the impact. A glancing blow spreads the energy out, and hitting something that is not moving involves less force than meeting a vehicle head-on, so both actions lower the risk of serious injury.
Set the front wheels so that the curb would stop the car if it started to roll: angle them toward the curb if the car points downhill and away from it if the car points uphill. Apply the parking brake every time.
Tip Downhill means wheels toward the curb; uphill with a curb means wheels away from it.
A school bus with its red lights flashing may be loading or unloading children, which is why vehicles approaching from behind must stop no nearer than 20 feet. Do not move until the red lights turn off and the stop arm has been retracted.
Stopping distance is the ground you cover while reacting plus the distance needed to brake, so it changes with your speed, reaction time, the road surface, your tires and your brakes. The hour on the clock does not change how your brakes and tires work, although darkness may call for a slower speed.
If a school bus stops on a two-lane road with its red lights flashing, traffic approaching from either direction has to stop and stay put until the lights go off and the bus moves on. Simply slowing down is not sufficient, including when the bus is on the opposite side of the road.
Tip Drivers on the far side of a highway split by a physical divider, such as a raised median, are not required to stop.
Water on the pavement makes stopping take longer, so open up a gap of at least 4 to 5 seconds behind the vehicle ahead. Brake, steer and accelerate gently to avoid skidding.
Tip On wet pavement, plan on about twice your usual following distance so you have room to stop.
Before you back up, change lanes or brake suddenly, check the traffic behind you with your mirrors and by turning your head. Look over your shoulder through the rear window when backing, and check your blind spot before moving into another lane. These are the moments when a collision with someone behind you is most likely: backing takes you toward whatever is back there, and if you change lanes or brake hard, a vehicle coming up behind you may have no room to avoid you.
Passing must always be done on the paved, main part of the road. Pulling onto the shoulder or dirt edge to get by is never allowed, even next to a vehicle that is turning left.
To indicate a right turn, stick your left arm through the driver's window and bend it up at the elbow so your hand points toward the sky. A straight, extended arm signals a left turn, while an arm bent downward signals that you are slowing down or stopping.
Blinking your brake lights or turning on the hazard flashers lets the people behind you know early that traffic is stopping for a crash ahead, which gives them room to slow down. These signals warn of danger or an unexpected slowdown; they are not a way to thank another driver or something to use while reversing out of a parking spot.
Tip Hazard flashers are for warning others of a sudden danger, not for excusing double-parking or for ordinary driving.
Without working wipers you quickly lose sight of the road, so the safest move is to brake and get off the roadway as soon as you can. Rolling down the driver's window and leaning out can help you see ahead while you do that.
Headlights are required whenever poor light or bad weather keeps you from seeing people and vehicles 1,000 feet ahead. Using them then helps you see the road and helps other drivers see you.
No one number is safe in every situation. Choose your speed based on the weather, the road surface, how far you can see and how heavy traffic is, and remember that driving under the limit can still be too fast in poor conditions.
Driving through a parking lot, gas station or other property just to get around a traffic control device is against the law. You may take that kind of route only when a police officer directs you to.
You must not pass or go around a vehicle that has stopped for people at a crosswalk, because it may be hiding a child who is stepping into the road. Obeying the school speed limit and letting children cross first are things you must do, not things you must avoid.
Mirrors show the green areas in the picture but not the red blind spots, so a signal and a mirror check are not enough by themselves; you also need a quick head check before you move over. Change lanes only when the gap is clear.
The blue car must yield to the yellow car on its right, and the truck, which is turning left, must yield both to the oncoming yellow car and to the blue car on its right. So the yellow car goes first, the blue car second, and the truck third.
Many driver handbooks advise a gap of at least 3 seconds, and a 3-second gap also meets the 2-second minimum that some states teach. One second or half a second leaves too little time to see a hazard and stop. In rain, fog, or icy conditions, add more space.
Slippery pavement gives your tires less traction, so lose speed before a curve or intersection rather than while you are in it. Speeding into a curve, or waiting until you are already descending a hill to downshift, makes a skid more likely.
Many states require every occupant to buckle up; in some, adults in the back seat are not legally required to, but a belt protects everyone, so every occupant should wear one. Young children must ride in a child safety seat that fits their age and size.
Most states require a parallel-parked car to have its wheels within 12 inches of the curb, and some allow up to 18, so staying within 12 inches keeps you legal in either case. A wider gap leaves the car sticking out into the travel lane, where it becomes a hazard to passing traffic.
Tip A gap of roughly 6 to 12 inches keeps you within the limit while protecting your tires from the curb.
Headlights are required from half an hour after sunset until half an hour before sunrise, plus whenever rain, fog, snow, or dim light makes people and vehicles hard to see. They help you see the road and help others see you.
At an intersection or a railroad crossing, cross traffic or a train can appear with little warning, and wet or slick pavement reduces traction and lengthens stopping distance. Lowering your speed in each case buys extra reaction time and helps you keep control.
A siren or flashing red or blue lights mean an emergency vehicle is on its way to a call, and it has the right-of-way no matter what nearby drivers are doing. Pull over toward the right-hand curb or shoulder, stop, and wait until it has passed.
Without a sign showing otherwise, residential districts carry a 25 mph limit. Homes along the street mean children, walkers and bike riders may appear suddenly, so keep your speed down and stay ready to brake.
Every question in this set has its own page with the correct answer and an explanation.
