Drivers Education

1. Chapter 9 Driving in Urban Traffic Drivers Education

2. Traffic Complexity • Driving in heavy, fast moving, city traffic is very challenging. • Traffic is more dense • Move cars, buses, and pedestrians per mile. • Traffic hazards are closer to you and can quickly block you path.

3. Driver Hazards • Avoid drivers using cellular phones. • Avoid aggressive drivers who needlessly increase the risk in a situation by challenging other drivers. • Avoid angry drivers who will actually charge at other drivers. • Give angry, distracted, or absent minded drivers distance.

4. IPDE Process • Identify – Check your searching ranges to make sure your front zones are open and you have time to spot line of sight restrictions. • Predict – possible points of conflict quickly and gain valuable time to respond. • Decide – always be ready to communicate, adjust your vehicle position, or change speed. • Execute – Be ready to use your vehicle’s controls to make smooth low-risk maneuvers in traffic.

5. Advantages of Adequate Following Distance • You can see further down the road to get the “Big Picture.” • Other can see you better. • You have more time to use IPDE • You are in a better position is a car suddenly stops.

6. One Car length Method • Keep at least one car length (about 20 feet) for each ten miles per hour of speed • During bad weather or at higher speeds, increase following distance

7. 3 Car Lengths (about 60 feet) You

8. 3 – Second Following Distance Rule • Pick a fixed point on the roadway. This can be a shadow, mark on the road, or a sign. • When the vehicle in front of you passes the checkpoint count: one-one- thousand, two-one-thousand, three-one-thousand. • Now check to see if your vehicle is short of the checkpoint. If not, slow down and add more following distance. • Under adverse conditions you will need more than 3-seconds.

9. Object You

10. Count… Two One Three

11. Object You

12. Following Others • Look beyond the vehicle ahead of you. • Look over, through, or around vehicles ahead of you. • Be aware for brake lights. • Always try to anticipate what the driver ahead is likely to do. • Be alert in areas where sudden stops can occur. • Intersections • Lanes next to parked cars. • Business driveways with high volume traffic. • In city driving use the 12 second rule

13. Being Followed • Tailgaters – someone who follows to closely. • This can be a hazard because if you have to stop quickly they can hit you in the rear.

14. Tailgating

15. Managing Tailgaters • Increase your following distance to 4 seconds. • Move slightly to the right.(help tailgater see better) • Signal early for turns, stops, and lane changes. • In extreme situations, pull over and let the tailgater pass you.

16. Responding to Oncoming Traffic A driver may cross into your path of travel for these reasons • Driver Impairment – drowsy, distracted, confused, intoxicated, or ill. • Poor Visibility – direct sunlight, blinding headlights, or bad weather. • Reduced Space – snowbank, narrow bridge, or object in the road. • Sudden Move by Others – children, bicycles, pedestrians. • Mechanical Failure – loss of wheel or brakes.

17. Avoiding Conflicts • Slow down until the driver returns to the normal lane. • Turn on or flash your headlights and blow your horn. • If your right zone is open, move to the right.

18. Looking Ahead While Staying Back • By looking far ahead, you will be able to spot problems in time to adjust your speed and position. • By maintaining a safe following distance you will e able to view the road ahead.

19. Approaching Traffic Signal • If the light is red, slow and be ready to stop. • If the light is green when you first see it, predict that it will change. • Never speed up through a light.

20. Covering the Brake • Cover the Brake – taking you foot off the accelerator and hold it over the brake pedal. • Use this technique whenever you sense a possible conflict. • This will help your reaction time and help you avoid possible collisions. • Ride the Brake – This is when you rest your foot on the brake pedal. • This heats your brake and cause them to wear faster. • This may confuse the driver behind you, you should only flash your brake lights when you are slowing down.

21. Speed Control • Drive with the flow of traffic. • Stay within the speed limit. • Adjust speed for drivers who may block your way. • Judge your speed by existing road conditions http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hesp2CckNMs

22. Speed Limits • School Zone, Business and Residential Districts Suburban Business and residential areas

23. Speed Limits Continued • Non-posted rural roadways • State highways, expressway, interstates, etc

24. Speed Limits (Cont.) • Certain Interstate Highways (as posted) Note- Drivers pay double fines for exceeding a 65 mph limit by 10 mph or more. Double fines also apply to most other moving violations committed in 65 mph zone.

25. Safe Corridors • Doubles fines for • Speeding • Aggressive driving • Placed in areas with high accident rates

27. Selecting the Best Lane • Select the lane with the fewest number of hazards. • Left lane is usually for faster traffic, but it can be held up by drivers making left turn. • At intersections, choose lane for which direction you plan to travel.

28. Changing Lanes • Signal your lane change early. • Use your mirrors to check traffic in your rear zones. • Quickly check you blind-spots. • Change lanes without slowing. • Smoothly move lane and cancel turn signal.

29. Overtaking or Passing • Overtaking – or passing is moving ahead of the vehicle in front of you. • Passing in a city can be dangerous because of cross traffic, pedestrians, and signals. • Make sure you can pass legally and safely. • It is illegal to pass over double center line.

30. Carpool Lanes • To help move rush hour traffic many cities now have special lanes like buses and carpool lanes. • People who ride together save time, fuel, reduce parking problems, and reduce air pollution.

31. One-Way Streets One-way streets can move a greater volume of traffic with less conflict. • One-way signs are posted on most one-way streets. • All moving traffic and parked cars point in the same direction. • Broken white lines are used to separate lanes of traffic.

32. Leaving One-Way Street • Left turn – stay to the far left of the street. • Right turn – stay to the far right. • Straight – stay to the middle of the street. • Watch for signs that may warn that a one-way street will turn into a two-way street.

33. Signal Wrong-Way Drivers • If you encounter a vehicle going the wrong way on a one-way street, slow, steer right, and sound horn and flash lights.

34. The Teen Brain……..is it ready for driving?