Driving Tips

BLOWOUTS: A thumping sound may be a warning of a blowout. If this happens, ease your foot off the accelerator pedal and keep a firm grasp on the steering wheel. Do not brake suddenly. Pull safely off the road and check your tires.

LOSS OF A WHEEL: React as you would with a blowout. Ease off the gas pedal and pull off the roadway.

STEERING FAILURE: If you suddenly have no control of the steering wheel, ease your foot off the gas pedal. Turn on your emergency flashers and allow your vehicle to come to a slow stop. Brake very gently to prevent your vehicle from spinning.

BRAKE FAILURE: If your brake pedal suddenly sinks to the floor, pump it to build pressure. If that does not work, use your emergency or parking brake. To slow down, shift your vehicle into a lower gear.

HEADLIGHT FAILURE: If your headlights fail suddenly, try your emergency flashers (Hazards), parking lights and/or indicators. Pull off the road. If your lights begin to dim, drive to a service station or pull off the road and seek help.

STUCK GAS PEDAL: If the gas pedal becomes stuck, hook your toe under it to free it! If it does not become free, shift your vehicle into neutral and brake gently to slow down. If you have power steering or a locking steering wheel, do not turn off the ignition, you will lose either your power steering or your ability to steer.

BLOCKED VISION: If for any reason your vision becomes blocked, roll down the side window to see! Turn on your emergency hazards and then pull your vehicle off the road.

NIGHT DRIVING: Night driving is difficult because things appear differently than in daylight. Also, glare from lights may interfere with vision. Courtesy and common sense should be used when driving at night.

• Never overdrive your headlights. Always keep them clean and aimed properly. Use them at dusk and dawn. Bright lights must be dimmed 500 feet before meeting an oncoming vehicle or 300 feet before passing a vehicle.
• If street lights cause a lot of glare, dim your dashboard lights and use your sun visor. Avoid using any other light inside your vehicle.
• Roadway signs are more difficult to see at night.
• Use edge lines and center lines of the roadway as guides.
• Do not stop on the roadway. If you must stop, carry and use a red warning light.

RURAL INTERSECTIONS: Depending on the time of the year, it may be difficult to see other drivers. Some rural intersections may be marked with warning signs (stop, yield, etc.), while others may not. When approaching any rural intersection, slow down and look both ways before entering the intersection. Be safe and enter all rural intersections with caution.

CURVES: Slow down before beginning the curve. Do not brake suddenly locked wheels may cause skidding or. Never drive over the center line.

HEAD-ON APPROACHES: When a vehicle is approaching head-on in your lane, slow down immediately. Pull over to the left sound your horn.

SKIDDING: Skidding occurs when tires lose traction. If you skid, ease off the accelerator pedal or brakes. Steer into the direction of the skid until you feel you have regained traction and then straighten your vehicle.

FIRE: If smoke appears, pull off the road. Turn off the engine, move away from the vehicle and call the fire department. Vehicle fires can be very dangerous. Do not fight the fire yourself.

WATER ACCIDENTS: If your vehicle runs off the road into water but does not sink right away, try to escape through a window. Because of differences in water pressure, you may not be able to open your car door. If your vehicle does sink, move to the back seat area where an air pocket usually forms. Take a deep breath and exit from a rear window.

CELLULAR PHONE USAGE: if you ever use your cell phone which is illegal anyway Persons are prohibited from using a cell phone while driving except in an emergency, using your cellular phone while driving, always remember your number one responsibility is driving.. If you do use a cellular phone, take the following precautions:

• Always assess traffic conditions before calling.
• Be familiar with the phone's keypad - use speed dial if possible.
• Place calls when stopped, or have a passenger dial.
• Make sure phone is within easy reach.
• Use speaker phone/hands-free device.
• Avoid intense, emotional or complicated conversations.
• Avoid talking on phone in congested traffic or bad weather.
• Pull off road to dial or complete a conversation.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Carbon monoxide is a deadly poison. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are weariness, yawning, dizziness, nausea, headache and ringing in the ears. You can prevent carbon monoxide poisoning by having the exhaust system checked regularly. Also, leave the window partially open when starting the engine, while driving the vehicle or when running the engine while parked. Never run the engine in your garage or enclosed room.

Vehicle Following Distances

TWO-SECOND RULE: Following a vehicle too closely is called "tailgating". Use the two-second rule to determine a safe following distance. Select a fixed object on the road ahead such as a sign, tree or fly over when the vehicle ahead of you passes the object, count "one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two". You should not reach the object before you count to one-thousand-two. If you do, you are following too closely. Most rear-end collisions are caused by the vehicle in back following too closely.

The two-second rule also applies to your speed when you are on a good road and during good weather conditions. If the road and/or weather conditions are not good, increase your distance to a four- or five-second count. If you are being tailgated, move to another lane or slowly pull off the road and allow the vehicle to pass.

Vehicle Speed	Approximate Feet Vehicle will Travel in 1 Second	2 Second Rule Distance
25 mph	11M	23 Feet back
35 mph	16M	32 feet back
45 mph	20M	40 feet back
55 mph	25M	50 feet back

Vehicle Speed

MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM SPEEDS: Driving too fast or too slowly may create a dangerous situation. Regardless of the posted speed limit, weather and traffic conditions may make it necessary to drive more slowly. However, driving too slowly also can be dangerous. Your speed should be adjusted for the conditions and match the flow of traffic, as long as it does not surpass the maximum posted speed.

STOPPING: The ability to stop your car safely should be considered when deciding your speed. Consider the following:

• How quickly you can react physically and mentally.
• The type and condition of the roadway. It will be more difficult and take longer to stop on wet asphalt (tarmac)
• The kind of tires you are using and the condition of the tread. Large, wide tires with good tread will stop a vehicle faster than small, narrow tires with little tread.
• The type, condition and adjustment of your brakes.
• The direction and speed of the wind. A strong tail wind can make it very difficult to stop.
• Vehicle design, weight distribution, suspension and shock absorbers.
• Remember that control rests on four little rubber "contact pads" where your tires touch the pavement. If rainwater builds up between tire and road, your traction is broken.This is hydroplaning,