View the short videos showing real life driving situations. Entering into a school zone. Select your state to get started. Checking the intersection blocked on our left. If I cant see the drivers rear-view mirror, he cant see me, Solomon says. (Kitty litter may also work for traction, but the mats are reusable.) Pedestrian up ahead. An experienced commentator points out potential hazards facing drivers and suggests ways that drivers could respond safely. Boblett says the key to fleet safety is to pay attention and be proactive when driving. Crest of the hill, looking down the hill. Bus shelter. Driving at night is far more difficult and dangerous than driving during the day, primarily because your visibility is dramatically reduced. Headlights should be switched on to improve visibility and make sure your vehicle is seen by other road users. But never, ever park under an overpass. Fleet safety: how to stay safe when driving downhill | Motive Parked car on our right. Person waiting at a bus stop. Cyclist on the footpath on the left. When your visibility or vehicle control are impaired by adverse conditions, the guidance provided here and in your states driving manual will help you handle the situation. Never leave children or animals in a car unattended on a hot day. Watch for bicyclists near the right edge of the road. Pull over to the side of the road if you encounter glare severe enough to completely obscure other vehicles or road signs. When you see those signs, it wasnt because the state or county had some extra money and thought theyd go put them up, Solomon says. Due to the force of gravity, a car travelling downhill: May accelerate on its own if not controlled properly. (The bottom should still be pointed away from you and toward the windshield. In a low gear, gently increase pressure on the accelerator to move the vehicle as far forward as possible, without allowing the wheels to spin. Always check your pressure and bring a spare if possible. Youll have enough time to get up, clean your car off, and drive slowly.. Check the intersection on our left. If you ask us, we would rather take the uphill part of the drive because going downhill is harder. To compensate for low visibility, reduce your speed and make sure your headlights, taillights and windshield are all clean. Unsecured Loads. The onus for safety does not lie solely with the truck driver. What to Do: First, dont assume your brake lights are still working. Some states permit the use of fog lights; check your drivers manual for details. Many parked cars on our left. Many parked cars, looking through the corner. Looking through the trees up ahead. Thick fog makes for extremely poor visibility. Car parking on our left. Contrary to common belief, vehicles can hydroplane on a film of water just one-tenth of an inch deep. Scanning through the corner. Car pulling out on the right up ahead. Car approaching on the right. Looking on the footpaths, scanning between the cars. Hazardous Driving Conditions: Road Rules for Handling Adverse Weather If this happens, the car could roll-over and fill up before you have a chance to react. Head on collisions happen for a multitude of reasons from distracted driving to drunk driving to fatigued driving and more. Multi-lane road. Watch for steep grade signs along the highways as well as speed limits. In front-wheel skids, this logic does not apply. As the winter months approach and the days grow shorter, you will often need to compensate for poor visibility and additional hazards. All fluids must be topped up, tires must be appropriately pressurized, and your battery should be in good condition and corrosion-free. Pedestrian walking down the road on our left. While skidding is often caused by rain, mud, snow or ice, it can also happen when you turn, change lanes, brake or accelerate suddenly, as this can throw weight from one part of the vehicle to another. Car turning on our left. Car braking in front. If your vehicle experiences difficulties traveling up steep roadways, pull off the road at the first place you may do so safely, or stay in the right lane to allow other vehicles to pass. Of all the adverse weather conditions you may have to deal with while driving, fog is the most dangerous. Further training as necessary in the actual workplace. Your owner's manual or a label inside of the driver's side door will tell you the correct tire pressure for the vehicle. Again many cars parked. Unfavorable weather and road conditions can create hazards that make driving difficult, and more dangerous. This blog discusses 15 common road hazards and the best ways to prevent them. If traffic is high or the road is narrow, go through the passengers side door. Cars approaching. Which of the two options would you choose? Make sure you know how to fit and use your snow chains before you must do so in an emergency. When you are going down, gravity works against your intent to slow down . Driving Hazards | Teen Driver Source While some tires may pick up a stray nail or sharp object and deflate slowly, others lose pressure suddenly. One strategy for assessing the validity of the scores generated by a hazard perception test is to determine whether they can predict on-road driving performance. Maintaining a safe following distance. Snow, ice, fog and heavy rain are all likely to significantly affect journey times but are also direct contributory factors in many vehicle incidents. Parked cars on the right. Workman at the back of a vehicle. When your rear wheels skid, this is known as oversteering. 1. Simply, the risk is the probability, no matter its degree, of causing injuries or disease, i.e harming someone. Entering intersection, through green light. Trust me, this is one of the best downhill driving tips if you want to: Save your brakes a lot of unnecessary wear & tear. Car turning on the left. Big truck in front, obstructing our vision of forward traffic. Improper Maintenance. Turn on your headlights, activate fog lights, activate your windscreen wipers and reduce speed. What are the 3 risk categories associated from driving at work? Get to the side of the road immediately and exit the car. During winter months in colder states, some roads will be impassable without snow chains. fisheye) mirrors to increase visibility. Gradients or other changes in level should be kept to a minimum. Solomon cautions to watch out for passing traffic, as other drivers might have trouble spotting you. In the worst case scenario, vehicles can roll over due to load shift as the vehicle can become unbalanced and overturn. If you have an automatic braking system (ABS), which is pretty much standard in most newer cars, you want to push the pedal down and wait for the car to regain traction. Pedestrian crossing. During rear-wheel skids, this will be in the same direction as the skid. A fleet safety solution that gets results. In this case, responsibility falls strictly on you to avoid an accident. Use the following tips to help you: If necessary, clear space around your tires. 2023 National Safety Council Car waiting to pull out in front. Reduce your speed and keep to the right-hand side of your lane, as it is common for drivers in this situation to drift too close to the centerline. Back roads can often be nestled directly in the path of deer, animals that have no understanding of passing traffic and can appear out of nowhere. If you see a deer up ahead, take your foot off the gas to slow your speed, then flash your lights. All it takes is a split second for someone to come into your lane without warning. People dont always think of a torrential downpour the same way they think of a snowstorm, but heavy rain can impede visibility and cause hydroplaning, where the wheels come off the pavement and onto the surface of the water, causing drivers to lose control. 1. Car entering our lane. Vehicle may be turning opposite directions in front of us. Bus approaching. While traveling in extreme heat, stay hydrated and cool by drinking plenty of water and using the air con, or open windows to ventilate the car. One hazard associated with driving downhill is: A.) Hydroplaning or Skidding Out of Control Skidding or sliding of cars occurs when there is a lack of friction between tire and road. If it sounds like there might be inclement weather the next day, Solomon tells Mental Floss, set your alarm an hour early. Road on the left. If youre at full capacity, know that the weight is going to be pushing you downhill. An overinflated tire can cause the side tread to leave the surface, leaving only the center tread in contact with the road. Pull off the highway if your vehicle engine is in the red zone (too hot). Vapor lock and tire blowouts are the two most common mechanical failures which drivers experience in extreme heat. If youre down to three good tires, youre no longer in a position to drive safely on the road. Car pulling out. Subscribe to get the latest news, industry trends, blog posts, and updates. Boblett states that rookie drivers, who have improper training, often panic, overreact, or make wrong decisions. Checking on the footpath. Brake or steer to safety if a hazard enters your downhill driving path. You will never be going too fast by doing this. All or part of the load may be damaged if it falls from the trailer. Drivers Ed Flashcards | Quizlet If you ask us, we would rather take the uphill part of the drive because going downhill is harder. Even if you manage to avoid hitting one, a yearling could be nearby, ready to do serious damage in a collision. No vehicles approaching. On average, a pedestrian was killed every 81 minutes and injured every 10 minutes in traffic crashes in 2020. HIABs) to load or unload vehicles can be hazardous.Working at heightThis can be an issue when working on a loading bay or perhaps the trailer or tail-lift of a vehicle. If I can, Ill signal, move to the right-hand lane, and that will generally take care of it. If you cant, wait for an intersection so you can make a right turn or drive into a service station. Two lanes in the one direction. Some of the hazards mentioned above (e.g. This means you will have to apply them harder and harder to get the same stopping power. Check traffic through your mirrors. If you are going too fast, it is often too late to downshift. After a heavy snowfall, you might return to your car to find the wheels surrounded by snow. 15 Common Road Hazards and how to deal with them - School Bus Tracking licence entitlement for class of vehicle, ongoing competence assessments); and any risks that might be specific to individual drivers or their driving circumstances (e.g. Car approaching. Vehicle approaching. A floating vehicle may be swept off the roadway into a deeper body of water. Solomon also recommends changing your wipers regularly: a more durable winter blade, a March rain blade, and another August rain blade. This can quickly be rectified by pulsing the brakes in a low gear to shake off the excess water. Of those, 13% say they fall asleep while driving at least once a month, and 4% say they have caused a crash by falling asleep while . Looking through the corner. Low to zero-visibility, freezing temperatures and extremely slippery roads make blizzards the worst weather conditions for driving, by far. parked car door opening. Know what gear you need to be in before going downhill. You should also keep a snow shovel and set of snow chains in your vehicle for emergencies. The hill descent assist will ensure your vehicle doesn't reach an unsafe declining speed by further applying the brakes if needed. Suitably designated parking areas for vehicles should be provided, preferably away from pedestrian or working areas. Going over the crest of a hill. Frequent intersections B. Pedestrians and truck drivers in the road C. Soft shoulders Tell your friends and family (using #MyCarDoesWhat on Facebook and Twitter). Is it safer to drive up or down a dangerous mountain road? Clear the snow away from the wheels and try moving forward or in reverse. ; In fact, you will increase the life of your brakes by a few months (or even years, depending on how much steep downhill driving you do) if you simply use engine braking whenever possible rather than actually pressing the . Car may turn, car is crossing our path. Additional hazards could include stored energy in the form of compressedair, hydraulic systems or heat from engine components. Like fog, driving through smoke can dramatically reduce visibility. Looking through the corner. In instances like these, fleet and safety managers that use Motives fleet management system would be alerted when aggressive driving events (hard cornering and braking) are triggered. Lots of pedestrians, lots of vehicle movements. That's especially sound advice for a good part of the country, as the winter season means more driving perils, including poor visibility, snowbanks, and ice. Choosing not to drive in rain, snow or fog, at night or during any other hazardous conditions is always the smartest decision. Water on the roads surface can seriously impede your vehicle control, while the rain itself impacts visibility. When driving on mountain roads, your most important considerations are: Vehicle condition: your brakes, steering, suspension, and cooling systems must be in good condition. The value of loadsThe value of the load, and the subsequent risk of theft, can increase the threat of violenceVehicle repair and maintenanceMaintenance and repair can also be hazardous, and as with all such work, the risks can sometimes be greater because ofthe perceived urgency of the situation. Dual lane, one way road. Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts. one hazard associated with driving downhill is:i miss you text art copy and paste. This is a steep grade mountain coming down into Denver on I-70. Copyright Carmudi 2014-2023. A great deal can be done to minimize the risk of being involved in a highway accident though we cannot eliminate that risk altogether. Commercial fleets save up to 13% on fuel costs, study shows. Youre stopped with a guardrail or pillar next to you and your transmission locked. If a driver is not paying attention, it may be easy to lose control. A hazard can be any possible source of danger on or near the road that could lead to a crash, and it can come from any direction. You must learn how to identify and compensate for these hazards, to protect yourself and other road users from harm. The grip between your tires and the roads surface is called traction. Cars waiting to turn right. Multilane carriageway. No vehicles passing us on the left. Parked vehicles on the left. Media Room, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Q&A on the present and future of crash avoidance technologies, AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety information on in-vehicle safety technology. Vehicle suddenly turning across oncoming traffic. A blown front right tire will cause the vehicle to drift left, for example. ; Actually HAVE brakes at the end of the hill! brakes / tyre bursts. You can avoid hydroplaning by reducing your speed on wet and rainy days. Keep speed to a minimum and drive gently when using snow chains. Look through the corner. On rural roads and open highways, your high-beam headlights will maximize visibility. Every driver must have a basic understanding of the tactics required to free a vehicle that has become stuck in snow, ice or mud. Looking over the crest of the hill. Vehicle turning across our path up ahead. Preventive Measures: This feature uses the engine and transmission to down shift to help keep the vehicle speed under control so you dont rely solely on the brakes. Watching the van, keeping an eye on that. Car approaching. Limit driving to daytime hours if necessary; Fatigue. Blind spots. Fleet safety is a shared goal. Hill Descent Assist - My Car Does What If a collision cannot be avoided, you must know how to minimize the impact of the crash to protect yourself and other drivers. Pedestrians crossing the road, still trying to cross the road. Dealing with the vehicles coming towards us. Be mindful of slick roads and reduce your speed when the roadway is wet. Parked cars, people may step out, their vision is obscured. If youre behind one, they can make it difficult to see whats ahead.
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