DMV Test Questions (Pages 43-63)

Vehicles with Hazardous Loads

- A diamond-shaped sign on a truck means that the load on the truck is potentially dangerous (gas, explosives, etc.).

Avoid these mistakes when driving around large trucks:

- cutting off a truck in traffic or on the highway to reach an exit or turn -Lingering alongside a truck when passing. - Following too closely or tailgating - underestimating the size and speed of an approaching tractor-trailer.

People who present dangers

- drivers who cannot see you because their view is blocked by buildings, trees, or other cars. - drivers backing out of driveways or parking spaces. -drivers who pass you when there is a curve or oncoming vehicles ahead. -drivers about to be forced into your lane to avoid a vehicle, pedestrian, bicyclist, obstruction, or because of fewer lanes ahead. - Pedestrians with umbrellas in front of their faces or hats pulled down over their eyes. -Distracted people -Confused people

What do i do if I experience vehicle trouble?

- pull off the road away from traffic - If cannot get completely off the road, stop where people can see you and your vehicle from behind. Do not stop just over a hill or just around a curve. - Turn on emergency flashers if you are not moving. If vehicle doesn't have emergency flashers, turn signals may be used instead. - if it safe, lift the hood to signal an emergency - give other drivers plenty of warning. Place emergency flares or triangles 200-300 feet behind the vehicle. This allows other drivers time to change lanes, if necessary. - if do not have emergency flares, follow the rules listed above and stay in vehicle until help arrives. Be careful for your safety and stay off the road.

Use Your Headlights

- when it is cloudy, raining, snowing, or foggy - on frosty mornings - any time conditions prevent you from seeing other vehicles. - on small country or mountain roads, even on sunny days. - to get another driver attention

Merging In/Out of Traffic

- whenever you enter traffic, signal and be sure you have enough room to safely enter the lane. - You have to share space with traffic already on the road, and you must know how much space you need to merge with traffic, cross or enter traffic, and exit out of traffic.

During darkness, bicyclists should avoid wearing dark clothing and must have the fol- lowing equipment:

-A front lamp emitting a white light visible from a distance of 300 feet. • A rear red ref lector or a solid or f lashing red light with a built in reflector that is visible from a distance of 500 feet. •A white or yellow reflector on each pedal or on the bicyclist's shoes or ankles visible from a distance of 200 feet. • A white or yellow reflector on the front wheel, a white or red reflector on the rear wheel, or reflectorized tires.

Here are some suggestions for helping pedestrians who are blind:

-At a stop light or sign, do not stop your vehicle more than 5 feet from the crosswalk, unless there is an advance stop bar (line). -Stop at all crosswalks where pedestrians are waiting. -Do not stop in the middle of a crosswalk. -Do not give the blind pedestrian verbal directions. -Do not turn right without looking first. -Do not honk your horn at a blind person. -Do not block any sidewalk.

Double Fine Zones

-Due to increased collision-related injuries and fatalities, certain roads are designated as "Safety Enhanced-Double Fine Zones." -Fines for violations are doubled in these zones and also in highway construction or maintenance zones when workers are present

Slow-Moving Vehicles

-Farm tractors, animal-drawn carts, and road maintenance vehicles usually travel 25 mph or less. -Slow-moving vehicles have an orange/red triangle on the back of the vehicles.

Emergency Vehicles

-If you are in an intersection when you see an emergency vehicle, continue through the intersection and then, drive to the right as soon as it is safe and stop. -It is against the law to follow within 300 feet behind any fire engine, police vehicle, ambulance, or other emergency vehicle with a siren or flashing lights -If you drive for sight-seeing purposes to the scene of a fire, collision, or other di- saster, you may be arrested.

Text Messaging and Cell Phones

-It is illegal to drive a motor vehicle while using an electronic wireless communication device to write, send, or read text messages, instant messages, and emails unless you are 18 years old or older and using an electronic wireless communications device designed and configured to allow voice operated and hands free operation to dictate, send, or listen to text-based communications when operating a vehicle.

Parking on a Hill

-On a sloping driveway=turn the wheels so the vehicle will not roll into the street if the brakes fail. -Headed downhill=turn your front wheels into the curb or toward the side of the road. Set the parking brake. -headed uphill= turn your front wheels away from the curb and let your vehicle roll back a few inches. The wheel should gently touch the curb. Set the parking brake. -Headed either uphill or downhill when there is no curb=turn the wheels so the vehicle will roll away from the center of the road if the brakes fail.

Road workers and Work Zones (Cone Zones)

-Reduce your speed and be prepared to slow down or stop for highway equipment. -In work zones where lanes are narrow or where the shoulder is closed, watch for bicycles and "share the road" when they are present. -Watch for work zone speed limit and reduced speed limit warning signs. -Fines for traffic violations in a work zone can be $1,000 or more. -Anyone convicted of assaulting a highway worker faces fines of up to $2,000 and imprisonment for up to one year.

special parking rules

-When you park alongside a curb on a level street, the front and back wheels must be parallel and within 18 inches of the curb. Park parallel to the street if there is no curb. • Never leave your vehicle while the engine is still running; stop the engine and set the parking brake. • When you are ready to exit your vehicle, look carefully for passing vehicles, bi- cyclists, and motorcyclists. Do not open the door unless it is safe and you do not interfere with traffic. Do not leave the door open longer than necessary.

nEighBorhood ElEctric vEhiclEs (nEv) and loW-spEEd vEhiclEs (lsv)

-When you see these signs or markings, watch out for slow-moving vehicles in the roadway. - NEVs and LSVs are restricted from roadways where the speed limit is greater than 35 mph -NEV and LSV vehicles reach a maximum speed of 25 mph.

Parking at Colored Curbs

-White= stop only long enough to pick up or drop off passengers or mail. -Green= park for a limited time. Look for a posted sign next to the green zone for time limit painted on the curb. - Yellow= stop no longer than the time posted to load or unload passengers or freight. -Red= no stopping, standing, or parking -Blue= parking is permitted only for a disabled person or driver of a disabled person who displays a placard or special license plate for disabled persons.

Do not pass

-if you are approaching a hill or curve and you cannot see if there is other traffic approaching. - within 100 ft of an intersection

Parallel Parking

1) Find a Space - look for a space at least 3 feet longer than your vehicle. When you find a space, signal that you intend to park. 2) Pull your vehicle alongside the space or vehicle in front of where you intend to park. - leave approx 2 feet between the vehicle or space next to me and stop once rear bumper is aligned to the front of the space where you want to park. 3) Lift your foot off the brake - before backing up, check mirrors and look over your shoulder for any hazards. 4) Straighten Out 5) Check for hazards

Any time you merge with other traffic, you need a gap of at least _ seconds, which gives both you and the other vehicle only a _ second following distance.

4, 2

Dealing with Traffic Congestion

Avoid the following driving behaviors: • Rubbernecking-slowing down to look at collisions or virtually anything else out of the ordinary. • Tailgating-followingtooclosely. • Unnecessary lane changes-weaving in and out of freeway lanes. • Inattention-eating, grooming, talking on a cell phone, text messaging, reading the newspaper, etc. • Operating a poorly-maintained or malfunctioning vehicle or running out of fuel.

Space to Merge

Enter the freeway at or near the speed of traffic. Do not stop before merging into freeway traffic, unless it is absolutely necessary. Freeway traffic has the right of way.

Persons who Present Dangers to Drivers

Increase your following distance and allow a bigger space cushion for drivers who may be potentially dangerous.

One Hand Steering

NHTSA recommends using one hand steering only when turning while backing, or when operating vehicle controls that require removing a hand from the steering wheel. The only time that a 12 o'clock hand position is rec- ommended is when backing a vehicle while turning, as the driver must turn in his/ her seat to see the path of the vehicle. The placement of hands at 9 and 3 o'clock, or slightly lower at 8 and 4 o'clock, on the wheel is critical to vehicle balance.

How to pass

Never drive off the paved or main-traveled portion of the road or on the shoulder to pass. The edge of the main-traveled portion of the road may have a painted white line on the road's surface. Passing other vehicles at crossroads, railroad crossings, and driveways is dangerous.

Pedestrians Who Are Blind

Pedestrians using guide dogs or white canes with or without a red tip must be given the right-of-way at all times.

Splitting the Difference

Sometimes there will be dangers on both sides of the road at the same time. - steer a middle course between the oncoming cars and the parked cars. - if one danger is greater than the other, give the most room to the most dangerous situation.

What do I do if I am on a two-lane road with an oncoming vehicle approaching and a bicyclist ahead to my right?

Take 1 danger at a time. - Slow down and let the oncoming vehicle pass. - Move to the left to allow plenty of room (at least three feet) to pass the bicyclist.

Hand-over-Hand Steering

This method of steering can be used when turning at low speeds, when parking, or when recovering from a skid. When using this method, start with your hands at 9 and 3 o'clock, or slightly lower at 8 and 4 o'clock. Depending on the direction you are turning, one hand will push the wheel up, while the other hand will let go, reach across the other arm, grasp the wheel and pull up.

Hand to Hand Steering

This steering method may also be called "push/pull" steering. Using this steering method, your hands do not cross over the face of the steering wheel, and therefore there is less chance of injury to your face, arms, or hands in the event of an air bag deploying. When using this method, start with your hands at 9 and 3 o'clock, or slightly lower at 8 and 4 o'clock. Depending on the direction you are turning, one hand will push the wheel up, and the opposite hand pulls down.

Use your emergency signals

if see a collision ahead, warn the drivers behind you by turning on your emergency flashers or tapping your brake pedal quickly 3 or 4 times. You can also use the hand signal when slowing and stopping. - never stop on the road unless necessary for safety or to obey a law. - If need to stop, start braking early as a signal to the cars behind you.

Illegal Parking

never park or leave your vehicle: - where a no parking sign is psted -on a marked or unmarked crosswalk, sidewalk, partially blocking a sidewalk, or in front of a driveway - within 3 feet of a sidewalk ramp for disabled persons or in front of or on a curb that provides wheelchair access to a sidewalk. - In a disabled person parking space, unless you are disabled and display a placard or disabled license plates. - In the space next to a disabled person parking space, if it is painted in a cross hatched pattern.

Here are some critical points for drivers and bicyclists to remember. Motor vehicle drivers must:

• Always look carefully for bicyclists before opening doors next to moving traffic or before turning. • Pass bicyclists allowing enough room to avoid forcing them into parked vehicles or doors that are open into traffic. • Merge toward the curb or into the bike lane only when it is safe. • Merge safely behind a bicyclist when preparing to make a turn. • Only enter a bike lane no more than 200 feet before starting a turn. • Make a visual check for bicyclists when changing lanes or entering traffic. Bi- cycles are small and may be hidden in a vehicle's blind spot. • Be careful when approaching or passing a bicyclist on a two-lane roadway.

Bicyclists have the right to operate on the road and may:

• Lawfully be permitted to ride on certain sections of freeways where there is no alternate route and bicycling is not forbidden by a sign. • Move left to avoid hazards such as parked or moving vehicles, bicycles, animals, or debris. •Choose to ride near the left curb or edge of a one-way street.

Bicyclists traveling slower than the flow of traffic must ride as close as practicable to the right curb or edge of the roadway except in the following situations:

• Passing a vehicle or another bicycle in the same direction. • Preparing to make a left turn at an intersec- tion, into a private road, or at a driveway. • When necessary to avoid a hazard or road condition (i.e., pedestrians, animals, surface hazards). • When a lane is too narrow for a bicycle and a vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane. • When approaching a right turn. • If the roadway is a one-way road with two or more lanes. In this case, a bicyclist may ride near the left curb or edge of roadway as practicable.