DRIVING UNDER ADVERSE CONDITIONS NIGHT DRIVING RAINY WEATHER SNOW,SLEET,ICE FOG.

DRIVING UNDER ADVERSE CONDITIONS

NIGHT DRIVING

RAINY WEATHER

SNOW,SLEET,ICE

FOG

Reduced Visibility• Headlights must be used from dusk until

dawn or visibility is Less than 500 feet

• Rain- wipers on

Headlights on

Fog – low beamsBright beam use –

Open country

driving

Tips for Driving at Night• Stopping Disatance is increased because

your reaction time goes from .75 secs. To 1.5 secs.

• Increase following distance from 3 seconds to 4 seconds

• Pay closer attention to road signs and pavement markings

Driving at Night Rules• Use low beams as a general rule

• You may use HIGH BEAMS in OPEN COUNTRY DRIVING

• Dim HIGH BEAMs to LOW BEAMS when

• Approaching or overtaking another Vehicle

• At night slow down and Drive at a speed to be able to stop within the distance lighted by your headlights

FOLLOWING DISTANCE• Space cushion- Make sure you have sufficient

room on all sides. Don’t tailgate, drive in other blind spots or allow people to tailgate you

• If you are being tailgated slow down and move to the right and allow other car to pass

• 3 SECOND RULE• CHOOSE A FIXED OBJECT, WHEN CAR IN

FRONT PASSES IT START COUNTING

ROAD CONDITIONS AND FOLLOWING DISTANCE

• WET ROADS DOUBLE THEM• Snow covered road following distance should be 6

seconds

• FOLLOWING DISTANCE AT NIGHT • BE ABLE TO STOP WITHIN RANGE OF

HEADLIGHTS • 350’ LOW BEAMS 600’ HIGH BEAMS

STOPPING DISTANCE FACTORS

• REACTION TIME

• WEATHER CONDITIONS

• VEHICLE WEIGHT

• BRAKE CONDITIONS

• ROAD CONDITIONS

• TIRE CONDITIONS

• ABS BRAKES/ REGULAR BRAKES

PROPER BRAKING• DON’T PUMP ABS BRAKES

• MOST COMMON MISTAKE FOR NEW DRIVERS – THEY SLAM DOWN ON THE BRAKE PEDAL

RAIN• WET ROADS - FIRST FEW MINUTES OF RAIN

ROADS BECOME VERY SLIPPERY DON’T HIT BRAKES

• HYDROPLANING- TIRES LOSING CONTACT WITH ROAD/ WATER+SPEED (35mph)

• Slow down drive on highest part of the road near center*

• Don’t TURN OR SPEED UP• MAINTAIN LANE POSITION LET UP ON GAS

PEDAL• TEST BRAKES AFTER DRIVING THROUGH A

PUDDLE*

SNOW• REMOVE ALL SNOW/ICE FROM CAR• ALL WINDOWS, ROOF,LIGHTS• DRIVER IS RESPONSIBLE

• SKID STEER IN THE DIRECTION THE CAR IS SKIDDING

FOG• USE LOW BEAMS

• HIGHWAY HYPNOSIS- EYES BECOME TIRED

• How to avoid

• REST BEFORE TRIP

• Avoid looking at one thing for more than a few seconds

PARKING REGULATIONS

• INTERSECTION or CROSSWALK 25’

• STOP SIGN 50’

• FIRE HYDRANT 10’ either side

• FIRE HOUSE 20’ same side, 75’ opposite side of street

• Never park in a driveway or any parking space provided for the handicapped

WHEN YOU MUST STOP

• When a police officer tells you to do so• Stop sign• Red light, Flashing red• Yield sign When other cars or pedestrians are

present• School Bus 25’ either direction• Exceptions at a school pass at 10mph• On a highway with a median 10mph

Stopping continued

• Emergency vehicles, Police cars, Ambulances, fire trucks

• Pull over to the right curb and wait for them to pass, check your blind spot before pulling back out into traffic

• Before entering the road from a private driveway• Pedestrians in crosswalks• For blind people With walking cane and seeing

eye dog.

State Test Library (Weather)

• SKID – Take your foot off the gas pedal

• At 35 MPH wet roads may cause your tires to HYDROPLANE and you loose control of the car

• After driving through a deep puddle you should test your brakes

• To avoid a spin, while in a skid, turn in the same direction the vehicle is skidding

• Truck stopping distance in ADVERSE CONDITION is 25% longer

• Headlights must be used ½ hr. after sunset until ½ hr. before sunrise or if visibility is less than 500’

• At night be able to stop within the distance you can see ahead

• Snow covered road following distance should be 6 seconds or more

State Test

• Drive through a Deep Puddle Test Your Brakes• To avoid HYDROPLANING Slow down and drive on

the highest part of the road• 3 second plus rule is for maintaining proper (safe)

following distance. This gives the driver time to react to emergencies.

• If your car begins to skid take your foot off the gas pedal

• Road surfaces are most slippery during the first few minutes of a rainfall

• The best way to “talk to other drivers is to use your horn, lights and hand signals

State test• When entering a curve your car wants to keep going

straight.• Slow down before you enter the curve.