Feeling tired before driving
Avoid driving until you are fully rested. Driving while fatigued significantly impairs reaction time and judgment, increasing the risk of accidents. Prioritizing rest before driving is crucial for safety.
A warning light stays on after you start driving
Pull over and check the vehicle, as it could indicate a serious problem. Warning lights signal potential malfunctions that could compromise the safety of the vehicle or performance. Ignoring them can lead to further damage or dangerous situations.
Meters of ground you should see in front of your vehicle when seated properly
Four meters. Maintaining a visual lead of at least four meters allows sufficient time to react to immediate hazards directly in front of your vehicle. Proper seating position contributes to this visibility.
Consequences for drivers who do not buckle up
They can be fined and receive demerit points. Seat belts are a primary safety restraint, and failing to use them is a traffic violation. Fines and demerit points serve as penalties to enforce this crucial safety measure.
Proper way to wear a seatbelt
Shoulder strap over the shoulder, lap belt low over the hips. Wearing the seatbelt correctly ensures that the force of a collision is distributed across the stronger bones of the body, minimizing the risk of serious injury.
Correct time to use your vehicle’s headlights
Between one-half hour before sunset and one-half hour after sunrise, and in poor light conditions. Headlights improve visibility for the driver and make the vehicle more visible to other road users during periods of low light or adverse weather, enhancing overall safety.
Adjusting your side mirrors to reduce blind spots
Position them so you can see just the rear of your car. Properly adjusted side mirrors minimize the areas around your vehicle that are not directly visible, reducing the risk of collisions when changing lanes or merging.
Action if your headlights are not properly aimed
Have your headlights checked and adjusted regularly. Misaligned headlights can reduce the visibility of the driver and potentially blind oncoming traffic. Regular adjustments ensure optimal illumination of the road ahead.
Primary purpose of traffic laws
To help traffic move safely and prevent collisions. Traffic laws establish rules and regulations for road users to follow, creating a predictable and organized system that minimizes the likelihood of accidents and promotes smooth traffic flow.
Basis of defensive or strategic driving
Visibility, space, and communication. Defensive driving involves actively anticipating potential hazards by maximizing visibility, maintaining a safe space around the vehicle, and clearly communicating intentions to other road users.
Consequences of driving with a suspended license
Your vehicle may be impounded. Driving with a suspended license is a serious offense, as it indicates a legal restriction on your driving privileges. Vehicle impoundment is a measure to enforce this restriction.
Importance of managing the space around your vehicle
To see and be seen, and to give yourself time and space to avoid collisions. Maintaining adequate space around your vehicle provides a buffer zone to react to unexpected events, increases visibility of surrounding traffic, and makes your vehicle more visible to others.
Communication with other road users
By making eye contact, signaling, and using your horn when necessary. Clear communication of your intentions through signals, eye contact, and the horn helps other drivers anticipate your actions, contributing to safer and more predictable traffic flow.
Recommended visual lead time when driving in urban areas
12 to 15 seconds ahead. In urban environments with higher traffic density and more potential hazards, a longer visual lead time allows drivers to anticipate and react to situations developing further down the road.
Emergency vehicles
A variable hazard that you may encounter while driving. Unlike fixed hazards, the presence and movement of emergency vehicles (ambulances, fire trucks, police cars) are unpredictable and require drivers to react appropriately and yield the right-of-way.
Action if a vehicle is following too closely behind you
Slow down to encourage the vehicle to pass. Reducing your speed can create more space in front of you and may prompt a tailgating driver to overtake, thus increasing the safety margin for both vehicles.
Minimum following distance under normal road conditions
2 seconds. The two-second rule provides a general guideline for maintaining a safe following distance, allowing sufficient time to react and stop if the vehicle ahead brakes suddenly.
The Two-Second Rule
Count one-thousand-and-one, one-thousand-and-two when the vehicle in front of you passes a fixed object. This method helps estimate the time gap between your vehicle and the one ahead. If you pass the same object before finishing the count, you are likely following too closely.
If the view from your inside rear view mirror is blocked
Attach an outside rear view mirror on each side of the vehicle. If the primary rearview mirror is obstructed, additional side mirrors are essential to maintain adequate awareness of traffic approaching from behind and to the sides.
Legality of a person riding in a trailer while being towed
No, it is against the law. Allowing passengers in a towed trailer is generally illegal due to the lack of safety features and the increased risk of injury in the event of sudden stops or accidents.
First thing you should do inside your vehicle before driving
Lock your doors. Locking the doors is a basic safety precaution that can prevent unauthorized entry and reduce the risk of doors opening unexpectedly during a collision.
Optimal hand position on the steering wheel
9 o-clock and 3 o-clock. This hand position provides balanced control over the steering wheel and minimizes potential injury from airbag deployment in the event of a crash.
Correct position for the head restraint
Level with the top of your ears. Properly adjusted head restraints minimize whiplash injuries in rear-end collisions by supporting the head and neck.
Adjusting your outside rearview mirrors to reduce blind spots
Position them so that you can see a small portion of your vehicle. This adjustment technique expands the field of view to the sides and slightly overlaps with the rearview mirror, minimizing the size of blind spot areas.
Using shoulder check
Before changing lanes or moving into traffic. A shoulder check is a quick glance over your shoulder to visually confirm that the blind spot area is clear before making a lateral movement with your vehicle.
Action when moving away from the right side of the road
Use your left turn signal and check your mirrors. Signaling your intention and checking mirrors ensures that other road users are aware of your plan to re-enter the traffic flow, reducing the risk of a collision.
Using hand-over-hand steering method
When performing a left or right turn. The hand-over-hand steering technique allows for greater steering wheel rotation while maintaining control during turns, especially at lower speeds.
Controlling your vehicle’s speed
Gradually press on the accelerator and hold it at the proper position for the selected speed. Smooth and controlled acceleration allows for better management of the vehicle power and helps maintain stability and traction, especially in varying road conditions.
Positioning front wheels when parking uphill with a curb
Turn the front wheels to the left, away from the curb. This maneuver ensures that if the brakes fail, the front wheels will roll into the curb, preventing the vehicle from rolling downhill into traffic.
Action when leaving a parallel park position with a vehicle in front
Check all mirrors, reverse while looking over your right shoulder, and signal left before moving forward. A thorough check of the surroundings, including blind spots, and signaling your intention are essential to safely re-enter the traffic flow from a parallel parking spot.
It is prohibited to park your vehicle
On a bridge or underpass, or the approaches to a bridge or underpass. Parking in these locations can obstruct traffic flow, reduce visibility, and create hazardous situations for other road users.
Safety when driving near large commercial vehicles
Be extra cautious as these vehicles have large blind spots on the sides and back. Due to their size, large trucks and buses have significant areas where the driver cannot see other vehicles. Awareness of these blind spots is crucial for avoiding accidents.
Checking your mirrors while driving
Check every 5 seconds. Regular mirror checks provide continuous awareness of the traffic situation around your vehicle, allowing you to anticipate and react to potential hazards promptly.
Using turn signals
Before stopping, slowing down, turning, changing lanes, leaving the road, or moving out from a parked position. Signaling your intentions clearly and in advance is essential for communicating with other road users and preventing misunderstandings or collisions.
Action if a police officer signals you to pull over
Pull over as far to the right as you safely can and come to a complete stop. Complying promptly and safely with a police officer signal is a legal requirement and ensures a safe interaction.
Turning on the headlights
Required in poor light conditions like fog, snow, or rain. Using headlights during these times and conditions improves your visibility of the road and makes your vehicle more visible to others, enhancing safety.
If your turn signals or brake lights are not working
Use hand and arm signals. If your signaling devices malfunction, using internationally recognized hand and arm signals is crucial for communicating your intentions to other drivers.
Recommended action if you must stop on a road
Park on the shoulder of the road. If an unexpected stop is necessary, pulling onto the shoulder removes your vehicle from the active traffic lanes, minimizing the risk of rear-end collisions and traffic obstruction.
Action when parking facing downhill
Turn your front wheels towards the curb. When parking downhill, turning the wheels towards the curb acts as a physical barrier, preventing the vehicle from rolling into traffic if the brakes fail.
Action before moving into traffic when pulling out from a roadside stop
Check your mirrors and blind spot. Before re-entering the flow of traffic, a thorough check of mirrors and blind spots is essential to ensure that the adjacent lanes are clear and it is safe to proceed.
Parking on a hill without a curb
Turn wheels sharply to the right. On a hill without a curb, turning the wheels sharply to the right will cause the vehicle to roll off the road and into the embankment if the brakes fail, preventing it from rolling into traffic.
Recommended speed for reversing a vehicle
Crawl or slow walking speed. Reversing at a slow speed allows for maximum control and provides more time to react to unexpected obstacles or pedestrians behind the vehicle.
Action required for reversing
Look behind the vehicle. Directly looking behind the vehicle, rather than relying solely on mirrors, is crucial for identifying any immediate hazards, especially pedestrians or small objects that might be in the blind spots.
Positioning your left hand when reversing in a straight line
Top of the wheel. Placing your left hand at the top of the steering wheel provides better control and allows for smoother, more precise steering adjustments when reversing straight.
Positioning your right hand when reversing in a straight line
On the back of the passenger seat. This position allows you to turn your body and head to look directly behind the vehicle, providing a clearer view of your intended path.
If you need to reverse to the left
Look over your left shoulder. Looking over your left shoulder provides a direct view of the area you are reversing into, minimizing blind spots and potential collisions.
When reversing a vehicle, it is illegal to
Reversing into an intersection. Reversing into an intersection is generally prohibited due to the high risk of collisions with oncoming traffic that may not expect a vehicle moving against the flow.
Action when reversing out of a driveway
Steer into the nearest traffic lane and then go forward. This maneuver allows you to establish your position in the correct lane of travel before proceeding forward, minimizing disruption to traffic flow and enhancing safety.
White reverse lights indicate
The vehicle may move backwards. White reverse lights serve as a clear visual signal to other road users that a vehicle is in reverse gear and is likely to start moving backward.
Before turning a corner, you should
Check your mirrors and blind spots, then signal well before the turn. A comprehensive check of your surroundings and signaling your intention early provides ample warning to other drivers and helps prevent accidents.
A right turn at a red light
Stop completely, check for pedestrians and other vehicles, then turn right if the way is clear. Before proceeding with a right turn on a red light (where permitted), a full stop and thorough check are necessary to ensure the intersection is safe and clear of cross-traffic and pedestrians.
Correct way to turn left at a two-way to two-way road intersection
Turn from the lane closest to the center line into the lane right of the center line, then move into the right curb lane when possible. This ensures a safe and predictable turning path, avoiding cutting corners and maintaining proper lane positioning after completing the turn.
Action when two vehicles from opposite directions both intend to turn left
Each vehicle should turn left behind the other vehicle, allowing a smooth flow of traffic. This pass back-to-back method prevents collisions by ensuring that the turning paths of the two vehicles do not intersect.
Correct steps to use a two-way left-turn lane
Signal and enter the center lane before your turn, slow down, move to a spot opposite your turn, and turn when clear. Using a two-way left-turn lane properly involves early entry and positioning to avoid blocking through traffic, followed by a safe left turn when the oncoming lane is clear.