CLASS SIX

SPECIAL SUBJECTS AND INTERESTS FOR DRIVERS
SPECIAL DRIVING CHALLENGES

SPECIAL DRIVING CHALLENGES

1. Night Driving - Driving at night is harder and more dangerous than driving in daylight. The distance you can see is limited.

Turn on your headlights no later than half an hour after sunset and keep them on until half an hour before sunrise.

Use your headlights any time conditions keep you from seeing 1,000 feet ahead of you.

If your vehicle's high beam lights are on and a car is coming toward you, dim your lights before you get within 500 feet of the oncoming car.

If you are following a car at night, dim your high beam when you are within 300 feet of the vehicle ahead of you.

Dim your high beams for oncoming traffic

If an oncoming vehicle does not dim their high beam, look at the right side of the road to avoid being blinded by the oncoming vehicle high beam

Duration: 2:00 minutes
Night Driving

2. Rural Roads - driving on rural roads can be dangerous. Stay alert, watch for warning signs and obey the speed limit.

Gravel or dirt - there is less traction on gravel or dirt roads. Slow down and increase your following distance, you may skid when stopping your vehicle.

Narrow roads - rural roads are narrower and may have ditches or drop offs instead of shoulders. Slow down and center your vehicle in your lane. Look out for oncoming traffic that may be in your lane.

Narrow bridges and single lane bridges - the first driver to the bridge has right-of-way. Take turns crossing the bridge.

Open bridge gratings or steel bridges - reduce your speed, increase your following distance and keep a firm grip on the steering wheel.

3. Winter Driving - Winter is the most difficult driving season.

Before winter weather arrives, make sure your vehcile is in good condition.

Make sure your vehicle has good snow tires. Snow tires with metal studs may be used October 15 through March 31 of each year.

Drive slowly. When sleet, freesing rain or snow starts to fall, remember that bridges, ramps, and overpasses are like to freeze first.

Be prepared with a survival kit such as inflated spare tire, a shovel, jumper cables, tow and tire chains, a bag of salt or sand and a tool kit.

Working flash light and extra batteries, reflective triangles, and brightly colored cloth, compass, first aid kit, exterior windshield cleaner, ice scraper, snow brush, blankets, woolen gloves, socks, hat, water and non-perishable foods.

Duration: 3:16 minutes
Car Sliding In The Snow

4. Skidding, Wet Roads, Hydroplaning and Black Ice

Skidding can occur on wet road, when snowing, and on icy road

Your car may start to hydroplane at speeds over 35 mph

Hydroplaning occurs when your front tires start to ride on water instead of the road.

The faster you go in a rainy weather the odd of your car hydroplaning increases.

Many crashes occur each year in Utah from skids caused by black ice.

The best policy is to keep a skid from happening.

Slow down to a speed at which you can control the car.

If you do skid, slowly take your foot off the gas pedal.

If your rear wheels skid to the right, turn your front wheels to the right

If the rear wheels skid to the left, turn left.

Do not slam on your brakes

Duration: 1:51 minutes
What To Do When Your Car Hydroplane

5. Rain, Flood, Tornados, and Lighting

Vehicles are notorious as death traps in tornadoes because they are easily tossed and destroyed. If you ever spot a tornado either leave the vehicle for sturdy shelter or drive out of the tornado's path.

Do not drive through flooded areas. If you a flooded roadway ahead, turn around and find another route to get to your destination.

Remember, six inches of water will reach the bottom of most passenger cars, causing loss of control or possible stalling.

Two feet of moving water can carry away most vehicles including sport utility vehicles and pick-up trucks.

Only a hard-topped vehicle will protect you in a lightning storm.

Make sure all doors are closed and windows are up.

Do not touch any metal surfaces, do not use radios connected to an external antenna mounted on the vehicle.

6. Driving in Very Hot Weather - When driving in very hot weather pay special attention to"

Tires - check the tire mounting and air pressure

Engine Oil - engine oil helps keep the engine cool, make sure there is enough oil in your engine.

Engine Coolant - before driving, make sure the engine cooling system has enough water and antifreeze.

7. Mountain Driving - Mountain driving can be very different from normal driving conditions. Some hazards you should be aware of are steep hills, wildlife, rocks in the roadway, and changing weather conditions.

Gravity plays a major role in mountain driving because it slows your vehicle down on an upgrade.

To drive up hills and mountains that are steep, you need to use lower gears.

When coming down steep hills or mountains gravity causes the speed of your vehicle to increase, therefore, you must select a safe speed, use proper braking techniques and use a low gear.

Do not coast downhill by shifting into neutral or disengaging the clutch.

Stay close to the right edge of the road to stay away from oncoming traffic.

Sound the horn when approaching any sharp curve on a narrow road where the view is obstructed.

8. Desert Driving - Some tips to use when driving in the desert:

If you have to drive through the desert in the summer, stay on the freeways and use a vehicle with air conditioning.

Always carry enough water for you and your passengers to survie in the desert if your vehicle breaks down.

Carry extra water or coolant for your vehicle radiator. The vehicle cooling system can be affected, so watch the radiator temperature and coolant levels.

When you are off the freeways or major highways, make sure you have enough gas and water.

Duration: 7:02 minutes
Driving in Bad Weather

EMERGENCIES AND AVOID CRASHES

Emergencies happen, you will be less likely to panic and will know what to do if you think about emergencies and plan for them before they happen.

When you are driving, it is very important to pay attention to the road and other cars and objects around you.

You never know when something unexpected is going to happen.

Motorists have been seriously injured or even killed when attending to vehicle malfunctions such as a flat tire, out of gas, and other equipment problems on and off the roadways.

The majority of these incidents are preventable in an effort to minimize death or injury following these simple rules:

a) Ensure that your vehicle is properly maintained, including the internal engine componets.

b) Maintain adequate tire pressure and tread

c) Be sure your vehicle has a sufficient amount of fuel.

d) If you do experience a vehicle malfunction pull off the road as far as possible or exit the freeway completely if possible. A shredded tire or bent rim is better than putting your life in danger.

e) If you are off to the side of the road and need help, stay in your vehicle as much as possible and keep walking on the road to a minimum.

f) Use your mobile device to call the local dispatcher if you need assistance. If you do not have access to a mobile device, leave the hood of your car up and your hazard lights on. This will advise the traveling public that you need assistance.

g) Have an emergency kit in the trunk of your vehicle with blankets, extra food and water to sustain you and your family.

Tire Safety

Once every month, or before you embark upon a long road trip, check your tires for wear and damage problems.

One easy way to check for wear is by using the penny test. Take a penny and hold Abraham Lincoln's body between your thumb and forefinger,
select a point on your tire where the tread appears to be lowest and place Lincoln's head into one of the grooves.

If any part of Lincoln's head is covered by the tread, you're driving with the safe amount of tread.

If your tread gets below that, your carf's ability to grip he road in adverse conditions is greatly reduced.

Tire Blowout

Do not slam on the brakes. Let your car roll so that you can steer more easily.

Hold the wheel tightly and slowly apply your brakes.

When you have slowed down enough, pull all the way off the road.

Pick a level spot if possible and turn on your emergency flashers and change the tire.

Brake Failure

If your brakes stop working while driving use the parking brake.

Apply the parking brake slowly to avoid locking the rear wheels.

If the parking brakes fails, turn off the engine and look for a safe place to stop.

Do not drive without brakes.

Duration: 7:32 minutes
How to Handle Vehicle Emergencies

Power Failure

If the engine shuts off while you are driving keep a strong grip on the steering wheel.

The steering wheel may be hard to turn, but you can turn it.

Look for a safe place to pull off, brake gently and use steady pressure on the pedal.

Slow down and pull off the road.

Try to start the engine, if it won't start, raise the hood and turn on the emergency flashers and call for help.

Stuck Gas Pedal

If your vehicle is speeding out of control shift to neutral

Look for a safe place to pull off and steer smoothly

Brake gently, and pull off the road.

Breakdowns

If your vehicle breaks down, make sure that other drivers can see it.

Crashes often happen because drivers do not see a disabled vehicle until it's too late to stop.

If you have a breakdown get your vehicle off the roadway and away from traffic.

Turn on your emergency flashers and get everyone out and away from the car.

Put emergency flares or emergency triangles 200 to 300 feet behind your vehicle and give other drivers time to change lanes or slow down, and call the police about the breakdown.

Duration: 8:55 minutes
Basic Car Maintenance

Physical Health Problems and Driving Safety

1. How does our emotional state affect our driving?

Mental and emotional conditions are just as important as physical health concerns.

If your mind is not on your driving, you are probably not driving safely.

2. What are the possible hints of unstable emotional state?

Finding that you are always mad at other drivers and sometimes try to “get even”

Having a tendency to be excessively confused or frustrated when traffic becomes heavy

Being so depressed and worried about things that your attention is not always on the road

Finding that you are frequently getting traffic tickets

Having trouble adjusting to an emotional shock such as the loss of a loved one.

3. What should you do when you are angry or excited, before driving?

Give yourself time to cool off

Take a walk or talk to a friend

Do anything, but stay off the road until you have cooled down

4. What should you do if you are worried about something?

Do something that will allow you to concentrate on your driving

Listen to the radio or sing to yourself

5. What do you do if you’re the impatient kind?

Give yourself extra time, leave a few minutes early

That way you will not feel the need to speed, beat traffic signals

Or do other things that can get you a traffic ticket or cause a crash

DRIVING AND USING ALCOHOL OR DRUGS
6. What are the effects of alcohol/drugs on one’s ability to drive?

Driving after even one drink is asking for trouble.

The bottom line is that when you drive after drinking, you are driving with impairment.

7. How long does it take alcohol to reach your brain?

Twenty (20) to

forty (40) minutes

8. What parts of your brain does alcohol controls

Judgment

Motor skills

9. The more alcohol you drink the more difficulty you have in doing what?

Judging distances

Speeds and movement of other vehicles

You will have difficulty controlling your own car.

10. How does over the counter drugs may affect one’s driving?

Most of the drugs for headaches, colds, hay fever, allergies or nerves can make you sleepy and affect your control of the vehicle

Be sure you know how any drugs or medication you take may affect your driving and ability to operate a vehicle safely on our highways

11 List about six facts about drinking and the use of drugs that can affect your ability to drive

If your blood or breath alcohol concentration level is .05 grams, you are legally intoxicated, and you are six times more likely to have a crash.

Almost half of the crashes in which people are killed nationally involve drinking. There are more than 16,000 of these crashes each year

The average person is likely to be legally intoxicated after consuming three mixed drinks, three glasses of wine, or three cans of beer in one hour, and will stay drunk by having only one additional drink every hour

Drugs and alcohol should not be taken at the same time. Alcohol can have an unpredictable effect on drugs, which in turn, will react much differently in you

If any officer requests you to take a test to see if you have alcohol or drugs in your system (including prescription medication) and you refuse to be tested, your license may be revoked for 18 months for the first offense.

36 months for the second or subsequent offense.

If you are under the age of 21, your license will be revoked for either 18 months for a first offense

36 months for a second offense; or until you reach the age of 21, whichever is longer.

Studies show that people who use marijuana

Make more driving mistakes

Are arrested for more traffic violations

Are more likely to be bothered by headlight glare

12. What is the Utah law concerning Identify theft?

Utah law states a person is guilty of identity fraud when that person knowingly or intentionally

Obtains personal identifying information of another person and users , or attempts to use, that information with fraudulent intent

Including obtaining, or attempting to obtain, credit, goods, services

Any other thing of value, or medical information.

13. What is the penalty for identity theft?
Identity theft is a felony

14. What is the Driver License Division doing about identity theft?

Train its employees to identify fraudulent documents

Use technology to safeguard the documents issued by the division

Cooperates fully with all local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in identifying and prosecuting cases of identity fraud

15.What can you do to protect yourself against identity theft?

Keep your personal identification documents such as birth certificates, social security card, and marriage certificates in a secure location.

Carry with you only the information and bankcards that you need

Guard your mail and trash from theft

Don’t give out personal information over the phone, through the mail, or over the internet unless you have initiated the contact or are sure you know with whom you are dealing with.

Before giving out any personal information ask how that information will be used and secured.

Annually review your credit report and closely examine all your financial statements.