Drivers Ed: Level 1 - Chapter 5 (Let My Traffic Flow)

Besides your left turn signal light, what is another way to signal a left turn?

point your left arm straight out the left window

Parallel Parking: Step Four

- Straighten out your wheels and center yourself in the spot. Done. Boom.

Don't Pass If...

- The lines on the road tell you not to. - There are two or more lanes going in each direction. - You are within 100 feet of an intersection or railroad crossing. - You are on a hill or curve. - You are within 100 feet of a bridge or tunnel.

If you are turning left from a two-way into a one-way:

- Turn into the left lane

Right Signal

- Use the right signal light, or put your arm out the left window straight up in the air to turn right (form an L with your arm).

For how much distance should you signal before turning?

100 feet

You shouldn't park your vehicle within _______ of a fire hydrant.

15 feet

Drivers should keep ____ of following distance between them and the car they are following.

3 seconds

What parking spot do you need a permit for?

A handicap parking space

When parking uphill with a curb, turn the front wheels away from the _____.

Curb

How can you avoid highway hypnosis?

Don't drive more than 8 hours a day and stop every 2 hours or 100 miles.

Stella is driving in the far right lane of a multi-lane road, but she needs to make a left turn that's coming up in 50 feet. What should she do?

Drive past the turn and keep going until she finds a safe place to turn around

Emma needs to get off of the highway. What is the first thing she must do?

Get into the exit lane

Where should you position your car to start parallel parking?

Line up even with the car in front of your spot

Pete is being passed by a vehicle on his left. What should he do?

Stay to the right of his lane and maintain or reduce his speed

When passing a vehicle, when can you move back over?

When you can see the car in your rearview mirror

Following Interval

- A good rule to remember is to always stay three seconds behind a vehicle. This way you have plenty of time to stop and react to traffic.

Parallel Parking: Step Two

- Check that you aren't interfering with oncoming traffic, turn your front wheels all the way the right, and start backing towards the curb.

Highway: Once You've Entered

- Choose the best lane for you to drive above the minimum speed limit. - Use the middle or left lane if you are traveling faster than other traffic. - If you are planning on leaving the highway anytime soon, change to the exit lane as soon as possible. Keep an eye on the highway signs so you know what lane you should be in.

Turning

- Decide where you are turning before you get there. It's pretty dangerous to make a last-minute turn. - Use your mirrors to know if there are any cars in your desired turn lane before you change lanes. - Get into your turning lane as soon as possible, especially if traffic is moving quickly. If you can't get into your lane at least a half block before your turn, just keep going. It's not worth it. - Signal at least 100 feet before your turn. If you are using hand signals, hold it as you are approaching your turn, but then put both hands on the wheel to complete the turn. - You should slow down to a reasonable turning speed. You should not be using the brakes or clutch while turning. - Turn correctly. Should be simple if you are in the correct lane and have slowed down enough. - Finish the turn in the proper lane.

When You Skid:

- Don't panic and slam on the brakes. Instead, take your foot off the gas pedal. - Turn your steering wheel in the direction you desire to go. For example, if you are skidding to the right, gently* steer back to the left. After you recover, gently straighten out. - And just remember that a skid can be avoided by slowing down in weather conditions where the road is slippery or wet. Make sure your tires are in good condition. *In a skid situation, don't overreact and overcompensate by severely turning towards the desired direction.

And when you are being passed:

- Don't speed up. - Stay in your lane. - If you are being passed on the left side of an unmarked road, move as far to the right as you can. - Make sure there is enough space for the other driver to pass you easily.

Highway: Entering

- First, you are giving the right of way to drivers already on the highway. - Get in the speed change lane, stay to the right, signal left, and when it's clear, speed up to merge on with the flow of traffic.

Highway: Leaving

- Get into the exit lane. If the traffic is heavy, you may want to get over earlier. Exit signs are usually put 1000 yards before the exit. - Slow down on the exit ramp so you will be within the new, slower speed limit. Until you get used to the new speed limit, keep an eye on your speedometer.

Driving Down a Steep Hill

- If you are driving down a steep hill, keep your car in a lower gear to help slow your vehicle. - Do not coast in neutral or keep your foot on the clutch.

Vehicle Breakdowns

- If you can't get the car off the paved road, get everyone out of it, and use portable warning devices (like a reflective triangle) to warn the other drivers that your car is there. - Move the car off the pavement to the side of the road. If you have a flat or blowout, your car can be slowly driven off. - Turn on your emergency lights. If you don't have those, turn on your taillights. If you are stuck at night, you should leave the lights on in your car as well. - Tie a white cloth to your radio antenna or some other place where it can easily be seen. If you do not have one, open your hood.

Running Off Pavement

- If you drive off the pavement, don't slam on your brakes. Grab your wheel tightly and take your foot off the gas pedal. - Carefully apply your brakes. After you've slowed down and checked for traffic, you can turn back onto the road.

Highway Safety Tips

- Keep a window open so the fresh air can keep you alert and awake. - If it's sunny, bring out the shades. Just don't wear them at night. - Like I told you before, stay out of other drivers' blind spots. - Don't use your cell phone while driving. It's illegal for you to do so.

To Pass on a 2-Lane Road: Step Two

- Look ahead for a "no passing zone" (indicated by the lines on the road), and make sure that there are no cars coming. You need to have enough time to get back over before one gets within 200 feet of you.

To Pass on a 2-Lane Road: Step One

- Make sure you are clear to start passing by checking your rearview and side mirrors. Also turn your head to make sure no one is passing you. After that, signal left.

Parking On A Hill

- Parked facing downhill, point your wheels to the curb or the side of the road (doesn't matter if there is a curb). - Parked facing uphill, point your front wheels away from the curb (if there is a curb) Parked facing uphill, point your front wheels toward side of road (if there is no curb).

To Pass on a 2-Lane Road: Step Four

- Pass on the left, and wait until you have completely cleared the car you are passing. You should be able to see the car in your rearview mirror before moving back over.

Stay Right Except When...

- Passing someone on a two or three lane street. - Driving on a one-way street. - The right side of the road is closed or blocked.

Parallel Parking: Step One

- Pull up even with the front car, about two feet out from the space. Make sure to signal to approaching drivers that you are taking that spot.

To Pass on a 2-Lane Road: Step Five

- Put your right turn signal on and move back over (don't forget to turn it off).

Brake Failure

- Remember that you have your parking brake and shift to a lower gear. - In these situations, use your parking brake cautiously because you don't want to cause your car to skid.

Left Turns

- Signal to get in the left turning lane, moving close to the center lane when it's safe. - Signal left at least 100 feet before your turn. - Look in all directions before taking your turn (remember, you'll need to yield the right-of-way to oncoming traffic). Stay to the right of the center line when you enter the intersection. - When you complete your turn, you should be turning into the left part of the lane you are turning into, but still to the right of the center line. - Afterwards, you can signal to change lanes if you need to.

Right Turns

- Signal to get in the right lane. - Signal right at least 100 feet before your turn. - Look both ways before making the turn. - Stay as close as possible to the right edge of the turn. - Turn with both hands on the wheel.

Slowing/Stopping Signal

- Slowing down/stopping should activate your brake lights, but you could also point your arm straight down out the left window.

Highway: Once You Pick Your Lane

- Stay in the middle of your lane. - Don't weave in and out of traffic. - Stay with the flow of traffic and don't speed up or slow down unnecessarily. - Slow down to allow other drivers to get on the highway safely (yield to oncoming traffic). - Unless you are in the far right lane, which is for slower traffic, you need to be prepared to move over to allow faster traffic to pass.

Avoid Highway Hypnosis

- Stop often. Like every 2 hours or 100 miles. Stretch your legs, use the bathroom, buy a cookie. - Don't drive more than 8 hours per day. Go read a book or something. - Keep shifting your eyes. Look at signs, your rearview mirror, other cars, maybe the occasional bumper sticker. Just pay attention to the road.

If you are turning left from a one-way into a two-way:

- Turn from the left lane

Parallel Parking: Step Three

- When your front seat is opposite the rear bumper of the car ahead, turn your wheel all the way to the left and start backing towards the car behind you without hitting it. You should be about 6 inches from the curb. Never park more than 18 inches from the curb

When should you avoid passing a vehicle on the highway?

- You are within 100 feet of an intersection or railroad crossing. - You are within 100 feet of a bridge or tunnel. - You are on a hill or curve.

To Pass on a 2-Lane Road: Step Three

- You can tap your horn if you feel it's necessary to let the driver in front of you know you are passing.

Handicap Parking: Texas Law

- You can't park there unless you have a handicap license plate or removable windshield card. - You can't use that removable windshield card unless you are driving the person for whom the card was given. - You can't let someone borrow that windshield card. - You can't block an access or curb ramp. - You can't make, sell, or have a fake handicap windshield card. You also can't alter an existing one.

Headlights

- You have to turn them on 30 minutes after sunset and ending 30 minutes before sunrise, or whenever you can't see individuals and vehicles up to 1000 feet. - Look away from the light. Don't look right into another driver's headlights. - If your vehicle is parked or disabled, don't just put on one of your turn signals, but use your hazard lights instead.

Winter Driving

- equip vehicle with chains or snow tires (don't get cocky) - maintain a safe interval (bigger space than normal) - reduce speed to correspond with conditions - keep windows clear - watch for danger spots ahead (aka turns) - get a feel for the road (start slow and determine the necessary traction)

Coasting Downhill

- it is illegal to coast downhill with the transmission or gears in neutral.

Riley needs to park on the paved highway at night. What is one thing eh should do?

- leave room for vehicles to pass - make sure he can be seen from at least 200 feet in both directions - leave his parking lights on and headlights on dim

When should turn signals be used?

- pulling away from the curb - turning - changing lanes

Left Signal

- turning left could either be your left signal light or sticking your arm straight out the left window.

In which situation should you lower your headlights?

- within 300 feet behind a vehicle - when driving in fog, heavy rain, snow, sleet, or dust - within 500 feet of an approaching vehicle

Passing On The Right

In Texas, you can also pass someone on the right when - The road is clear of parked cars and is wide enough for two or more lanes in each direction. - You are on a one-way road. - You can also pass on a paved shoulder if the person in front of you is slowing or stopped on the main part of the highway, disabled, or is making a left turn. Don't pass on the right if it is an unpaved area of the highway.

Increase Your Following Distance

Increase it when: - The road is wet. Many drivers find out too late what driving on a wet road can do to vehicle control. - The road is crowded. - When your vision is limited as well. If it's dark or bad weather, you don't want to over-drive your range of vision. You should be able to stop within the distance you can see in front of your car. I recommend you choose your following distance based on this rule: 1 car length for every 10 miles per hour.

Handicap Parking: Consequences

It's also against the law to park, stop, or stand your car in a handicap parking spot. Doing so is a misdemeanor. - first offense will be a fine of $500 to $750 - That fine will keep increasing each time, with up to $1250 for five or more offences. - Additional ones also include community service.

What about parking on a highway?

Never park on the paved highway near a business or residential area, when you can just park off the road. If you can't park off the road, you should: - Leave room for others to pass you. - Make sure people can see you from at least 200 feet in both directions. - If it's at night, leave your parking lights on or your headlights on dim.

Pete's mother has a physical disability. He borrows her car to go to the grocery store and parks in one of the spaces reserved for customers with disabilities up front. Was this correct?

No, he is not driving his mother, who has a disability.

When parallel parking, what is the first thing you must do?

Pull up even with the front car, about two feet from the space.

You're driving on the highway an hour before sunset, but you can barely make out the vehicle 500 feet in front of you. What should you do?

Turn on your headlights

Lower Your Headlights

You are going to want to lower your headlights when: - You're within 500 feet of an approaching vehicle. - You're within 300 feet behind a vehicle. - You're on a lighted road. - You're driving in fog, heavy rain, snow, sleet, or dust.

Blowout

You can also get a flat tire or blowout. To avoid that, you should check the air pressure frequently when the tires are cool. But it happens, and if so: - Don't slam on the brakes. - Take your foot off the gas and ever so gently apply the brakes. - Drive straight forward until you reach a stop.

No Parking

You can't park, stop, or idle your car: - Next to a car that's already parked or stopped on the side of the street - On a sidewalk or crosswalk - In an intersection - Between a safety zone and the curb, or within 30 feet of a place on the curb immediately opposite the safety zone - Along or opposite any evacuation or obstruction, when parking, stopping, or idling would obstruct traffic - On a bridge, raised structure on a highway, or in a highway tunnel - On a railroad track - Wherever a sign tells you not to - In front of someone's private or public driveway - Within 15 feet of a fire hydrant - Within 20 feet of an intersection or crosswalk - Within 30 feet of any flashing signal, yield sign, stop sign, or other traffic control signals on the side of the road - Within 20 feet of the driveway to a fire station, or within 75 feet opposite the entrance of a fire station - Within 50 feet of a railroad

You are driving on the highway and wish to pass the vehicle in front of you. What is the first thing you should do?

check to see if everything is clear

When passing on a two-lane road, you must first make sure you are clear to start passing by ___.

checking your rearview AND side mirrors

If the road becomes wet or crowded, you should ____.

slow down and increase your following distance

When driving on the highway, you should NOT ___.

speed up to the flow of traffic

Where are your blind spots?

Blind spots are on the left and right sides of your vehicle and are not visible in your mirror.

What must you do if your car starts to skid?

Ease pressure off the gas pedal and turn your steering wheel in the direction you want to go

Blind Spots

While making sure there is not a car in your blind spot, you should also avoid other car's blind spots. -Either pass the driver or stay back. - If you are passing the driver, approach carefully to make sure they are not changing lanes into your lane, and then speed up to quickly to get out of the blind spot.

If you drive off the pavement, you should __________.

grab your wheel tightly and take your foot off the gas pedal

Stella is driving down a steep hill. She should keep her car __________ to help _________.

in a lower gear, slow down her vehicle