CHAPTER 9 DRIVING IN URBAN TRAFFIC

1. CHAPTER 9 DRIVING IN URBAN TRAFFIC 9.1 ADJUSTING TO URBAN TRAFFIC 9.2 FOLLOWING AND MEETING TRAFFIC 9.3 MANAGING SPACE IN TRAFFIC 9.4 SPECIAL URBAN SITUATIONS

2. FACTORS THAT MAKE URBAN DRIVING DIFFICULT • MORE DENSE cars, buses, trucks,

3. HOW MANY REGULATOR SIGNS CAN YOU SEE?

4. HAZARDS ARE CLOSER TOGETHER • Mile per mile cities have more hazards

5. FACTORS THAT MAKE URBAN DRIVING DIFFICULT • PATH CAN BE BLOCKED QUICKLY

6. OR JUST BE BLOCKED! • IS THIS LEGAL?

7. PEDSTRIANS

8. THERE ARE MORE PEDESTRIANS • VERY UNPREDICTABLE BE PREPARED TO STOP!

9. FACTORS THAT MAKE URBAN DRIVING DIFFICULT • CLOSED ZONES EVERYWHERE! • CAN YOU LEAVE YOURSELF AN OUT?

10. CAN YOU LEAVE YOURSELF AN OUT?

11. SO WITH ALL THESE HAZARDS WHAT MUST DRIVERS DO? • If you cannot increase the distance between your vehicle and a hazard, you must change your lane position, slow, or stop to give yourself time to solve the conflict

12. USING THE IPDE PROCESS • MANY LINE OF SIGHT RESTRICTIONS • YOU WILL HAVE TO SLOW AND GIVE TIME TO OTHERS • THIS GIVES YOU TIME TO REACT

14. FOLLOWING TRAFFIC • 3 SECOND FOLLOWING DISTANCE • PROVIDES ENOUGH TIME TO REACT TO SITUATIONS

15. MEASURING 3 SECONDS • PICK A FIXED POINT LIKE THE POLE OR SIGNS AHEAD • WHEN VEHICLE AHEAD PASSES IT, START COUNTING • STOP COUNTING WHEN YOUR VEHICLE PASSES THE SAME POINT

16. LOOKING BEYOND VEHICLE AHEAD • LOOK THROUGH WINDOWS • UNDER VEHICLE • AROUND VEHICLE • PREDICT WHAT COULD EFFECT VEHICLE IN FRONTOF YOU

17. AREAS FOR SUDDEN STOPS • BUSINESS DRIVEWAYS WITH HIGH TRAFFIC VOLUME

18. AREAS FOR SUDDEN STOPS • APPROACHING INTERSECTIONS

19. AREAS FOR SUDDEN STOPS • DRIVING NEXT TO PARKED CARS

20. WHEN TO LOOK AWAY • IF LOOKING FOR AN ADDRESS • MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AMPLE ROOM IN FRONT • BE SURE NO ONE IS TAILGATING • LOWER YOUR SPEED • KEEP YOUR EYES MOVING • IF YOU HAVE A PASSENGER ASK THEM TO LOOK

21. HOW TO MANAGE TAILGATERS • FLASH BRAKE LIGHTS • INCREASE FOLLOWING TO AT LEAST 4 SECONDS • MOVE SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT • SIGNAL EARLY FOR STOPS AND TURNS • CHANGE LANES OR EVEN PULL OVER AND STOP

22. ONCOMING TRAFFIC • REASONS FOR CROSSING OVER THE CENTER LINE • DRIVER IMPAIRMENT • POOR JUDGEMENT • POOR VISIBILITY • REDUCED SPACE • SUDDEN MOVES BY OTHERS • VEHICLE FAILURE • TURNING BUSES AND TRUCKS • DOUBLED PARKED VEHICLES

23. AVOIDING CONFLICTS • SLOW AND GIVE OTHER DRIVER TIME • FLASH HEADLIGHTS HONK HORN • IF ROOM, MOVE TO THE RIGHT

24. PARKED VEHICLES • COVER BRAKE • MOVE TO THE LEFT • LOOK FOR BRAKE LIGHTS, EXHAUST, OR WHEELS TURNED OUT • TAP HORN IF NEEDED • BE READY TO STOP OR SWERVE

25. PARKED VEHICLES • LOOK AHEAD WHAT WOULD YOU PREDICT? THERE IS A DRIVER IN THIS CAR

26. MANAGING SPACE • LOOKING AHEAD WHILE STAYING BACK • COVERING THE BRAKE • ADJUST YOUR SPEED TO TRAFFIC

27. APPROACHING RED LIGHT SLOW AND CHECK FOR PED’S STOP FAR ENOUGH BEHIND CARS SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THEIR REAR TIRES

28. APPROACHING TRAFFIC SIGNALS • IF GREEN PREDICT IT WILL TURN YELLOW • STOP FAR ENOUGH BEHIND CARS SO YOU CAN SEE THEIR REAR TIRES

29. ADJUSTING YOUR SPEED FOR CITY DRIVING • DRIVE WITH TRAFFIC FLOW • STAY WITHIN SPEED LIMIT • ADJUST SPEED AND POSITION AHEAD OF TIME FOR OTHER DRIVERS WHO MIGHT BLOCK YOUR WAY

30. SELECTING THE BEST LANE • LEFT LANE IS FOR TURNING • CENTER LANE IS FOR THROUGH LANE • RIGHT LANE IS FOR TURNING

31. CHANGING LANES • USE YOUR MIRRORS TO CHECK FOR TRAFFIC! • SIGNAL EARLY • QUICKLY CHECK BLIND SPOT • MOVE OVER WITHOUT SLOWING DOWN (UNLESS YOU MUST) • CANCEL SIGNAL

32. SPECIAL LANES • TWO WAY TRAFFIC

33. SPECIAL URBAN SITUATIONS

34. ONE WAY STREETS • YOU MUST ALWAYS TURN INTO THE FIRST AVAILABLE LANE GOING IN THE CORRECT DIRECTION.

35. ONE WAY STREETS • HOW DO YOU KNOW? • BROKEN WHITE LINES ONLY • ALL SIGNS FACE SAME DIRECTION

36. PARKED CARS SAME DIRECTION

37. SPECIAL LANES • CARPOOL LANES

38. SPECIAL LANES • BUS LANES

39. WRONG WAY DRIVERS • SLOW COVER BRAKE • SIGNAL WITH LIGHTS AND HORN • GET OUT OF THE WAY!