Thành viên:Nhiêu Lộc/How to drive

Skills Test

This will be the start of the skills test, which every driver must do in the yard. From a stopped position, you are going to drive up to a front line. You are going to stop with your bumper, as close to, the cones as possible. You will be unable to look out of the window. From here, you are going to back into a driveway, and this time, you may look out of the window. However, try not to hit any of the cones while backing into the driveway. Get the rear of the vehicle, as close as possible, to the three cones that are in the back and then stop your vehicle. After that is completed, you will then make a right turn and get into the parallel parking position. You may move your car out or get into that position, as you see fit. Once you have your car set in the position that you want, you will back into a parallel parking area. You will go in on a 45 degree angle, as I am doing. Once your front end clears the front cones, then turn your wheel very sharply. You do not have to be dead center in the parallel parking area. This is the end of the skills test in the yard.

Exterior Inspection

Good afternoon, please start your automobile. While she is doing that, we are going to look inside to make sure that there is ample gasoline for the car. OK. I want you now to turn on your headlights, which is right here. OK. "Honk your horn". Thank you. "Left turn signal". "Right turn signal". We are now checking the tires to make sure that there is ample tread on all good tires. We can't be on low with that little spare. We get to the back of the automobile, "Put your left turn signal on". "Put your right turn signal on". "Put your foot on the brakes". We make sure that all brake lights are working, including the center brake light. If the center brake light is not working, you will not be able to go on to the road for your road test. After we have completed this inspection, we now tell the driver, in the event that their seat is in a reclined position towards the back, to please adjust your seat in the upright position. Put it where it is comfortable for you, so that we can now go on the road.

Mirror Adjustments

We are going to talk about mirror adjustments for safety while driving on the highway. Everyone has their mirrors adjusted so that they can see the whole right side of their car. This is wrong. Take your left mirror, move it out until now you see nothing but pavement. If you lean your head against the window, then you'll see the side of your car. That means it is in proper adjustment. Make sure you do the same thing to the right mirror. Move it out so that you do not see any part of your car, until you move it almost to the center. Then you can see part of your car. Now, the center mirror inside of your car, as you can see, is for the headlights, for example here, that are coming up behind you. As those headlights are coming, you can keep seeing and it will keep moving towards your left. At this point, you will lose one headlight. If you will look immediately, you will see that car right in your left outside mirror, thus eliminating all blind spots needed for safe driving.

Proper Following Distance

We're going to talk about a safe driving distance between other automobiles and in inclement weather, you want to stay at least two vehicles or vehicle and half behind the other car ahead of you. In the event that he does something irrational, you will have plenty of time to stop. And during inclement weather such as rain, snow or sleet and so on be at least five miles below the regular speed limit. This will help you stop your vehicle in time and to prevent hopefully, an accident. On drier pavement you may sneak your vehicle up and you may drive approximately this far from the other vehicle, which is a car length. A good car length and a quarter from the other vehicle will give you ample stopping time. Now in the event that the other automobile ahead of us comes up out of an exit and he comes to a stop sign, or he comes to a red light, when you drive up behind this vehicle, don't come up to him right on his bumper, stay back as far as when you can sit in a comfortable position and look and see the man's or woman's tires on the ground. This is ample space for you to do at a stop sign or your red light and in the event that he does stop, it gives you plenty of time to stop and keeps you a safe distance in the event of a back end collision.

Turns

As you are coming into an intersection, to make a left turn, get in the extreme left hand lane. Your left turn signal is on and the light is red, stop at the obedience line, which is a solid white line. After the light turns green, look to the right, come out to the middle of the intersection and complete your left turn. Left turn from left lane into left lane. Now, when we are going to make a right turn, again, approaching the right turn in the extreme right hand lane, if the light is red, stopping at the obedience line. Now when completing my right turn, look to the left to make sure that all traffic has stopped. After the light has turned green, then I'll proceed from my right to my right lane. When you are coming up to an intersection and the light is green, slow down look left and look right. When you are coming up to another intersection and the light turns red, again, stop at the obedience line, look left, look right and proceed with extreme caution. After the light turns green, make sure that all of the traffic has stopped and that you have checked your complete surrounding areas for all traffic.

Left Turns

We are going to attempt to make a left turn. At this intersection, when you plan to make a left turn, put on your left turn signal very early. Do it early enough to let everyone know that you are going to make a left turn. After the yellow line stops, then you are to get into your left turn lane, and not until the yellow line stops. Right now, we are going to stop behind traffic, and as I pointed out before, we are going to stop close enough so that I can see the rear wheels plainly on the ground. This is for safety. In the event that we ever get hit in the back, we are not going to be pushed up into that other car. Now, the light has turned green and the green arrow is on. Traffic is moving and now we will move. You'll see the obedience line is right here and if we had to stop, we'd stop there. We are going to look to the left and our left turn signal is on. We'll look to the right and make our turn from left to left. Going from the left turn lane into the left turn lane. If you notice, traffic is right on my bumper and I'm doing 35 mph. When at all possible, move over to the right lane. Drive in the right lane. Be very cautious of yellow signs, such as the one down here. This is a sign saying that the curve is 30 mph. This is a recommended speed; this is not a regulatory speed. It is recommended that you take this curve at 30 mph. You cannot receive a ticket for that. The black and white sign is a regulatory sign. When violating the speed limit of that sign, you can get a ticket. So, see the difference between the yellow sign and the black and white sign. Now, we are approaching a green light. Right now, that light has been green for an awful long while. So, if I kick my speed up to 45 mph, I know that I am never going to make it because the light has already turned yellow. So there is no sense in getting my speed up there. I should keep my speed down, being able to stop clearly and slowly, while leaving enough room behind me and the other car ahead of me. Again, looking at the car or the vehicle to make sure that I can see the tires on the ground. The light has turned green, now I am going to look to the left. If it was an open intersection, I would look to the right to make sure. I would then drive through cautiously, making sure that all traffic has stopped, and that I have a clear way.

Right Turns

At this intersection we are going to make a right turn, so you'll want to stay in your extreme right hand lane, again staying behind traffic so you can see the tires on the ground. Approach the intersection with extreme caution, as you are getting ready to make your right turn, slow down, look over to the left to make sure the traffic has stopped, turn right to right, right to right lane, ok. Make sure all traffic as stopped, now you may proceed with your speed limit, your speed limit is forty five miles per hour. If it were raining or snowing or sleet then I would have had my speed down to forty miles per hour rather than reaching the maximum speed of forty five. Again driving according to conditions. That light is green now, we're going to go through another green light in the intersection, I'm going to be able to make this light without any problems whatsoever. I 'm going to let my foot off the accelerator, look left, look right go through there with extreme caution, now get my speed back up to the proper speed limit. I wanted to make sure that I checked all traffic. In front of me, behind me and to the left and to the right.

Construction

We're going to be approaching a construction zone. You want to remember at all times keep both hands on the steering wheel. Do not drive with one hand. And you must be alert for construction zones or any other thing, watching your traffic signs, which is very important. You notice we got a blinking arrow up here telling you that the lane is ending and that we must merge to the left. We are already in the left lane. As we get up on the bridge, we see the construction barrels meaning you should know right now you're in a construction zone so start slowing down. Whatever the speed limit is, look for the speed limit, slow down. Right dead ahead of us you'll see we have a 35 mile per hour speed limit. I am now doing 35 miles per hour. You have an arrow pointing this way meaning merge over. We are in a construction zone, speed limit is 35 miles per hour. Both hands are well on the steering wheel. We're watching traffic at all times behind us and in front of us. Speeding in a construction zone is in violation of the law and a very heavy fine. Slow down in construction zones.

Right on Red & Highway Merging

As we're approaching this light we're going to be in the extreme right hand lane. Again making a right turn, right turn signal is on. The light is yellow. We're going to come to the obedience line, which at this time there isn't any here, but stay well back of the intersection. Now, we are allowed to turn right on a red light when there is no sign and traffic is not coming. Traffic is stopped, so I can proceed in making a right turn safely because, I looked over to the left and assured me that traffic had stopped. We're now going to approach another traffic light, which means we're going to go towards Ann Arbor on US 23. We're going to enter the expressway again. Make sure both hands are on the wheel, in the extreme right hand lane, northbound on US 23, as we approach the intersection taking it very slowly. Now, as we're coming around the intersection we're now going to proceed on an exit ramp. As we are getting on the exit ramp we are going to gradually start picking up our speed because we do not want to enter the expressway under forty-five miles per hour. As traffic is moving at seventy miles per hour. Now I put on my left turn signal well in advance letting everybody know that I'm going to approach the expressway. I just now reached fifty miles an hour, and now I'm merging onto the expressway. Now I am doing fifty-five miles per hour. I canceled my turn signal. At the very next exit we will make an exit. We're going to exit on I-94 going eastbound. I've taken my speed up to sixty-five miles per hour and as you can see traffic is still moving fast around me. I still have both hands on the wheel. I am now activating my right turn signal, letting traffic and everybody know I am going to exit. As I get to the exit I slow down, down to sixty miles per hour. I am now going to exit again on I-94 towards Detroit. I've got my speed down now to fifty miles per hour, my right turn signal is still on letting everybody know I'm coming off. I now will cancel my right turn signal. I'm at forty-five miles per hour. I'm going to drop my speed down to forty miles per hour because again I have a yellow sign, saying recommended speed on this entrance ramp is thirty-five miles per hour. I now have my speed at thirty-five miles per hour, the traffic behind me doesn't like it. My left turn signal is now on because, I am going to merge onto I-94. Checking my traffic in my mirror, looking in my mirrors, moving swiftly over to the left lane as safe as possible. I am now in the left lane proceeding east. I now will give you the command that I want you to move one lane over to the left when it is safe to do so. Turning on my left turn signal, letting traffic and everybody know that I am going to switch lanes. I've got a car coming around me. I'm moving very smoothly over into my left middle lane, at sixty miles per hour so as not to hold up traffic. I'm not proceeding at sixty-five miles per hour. I'm watching my mirrors, I'm checking my mirrors left and right. I am now going to move back into my right lane, again letting everybody know with my turn signals that I am going to proceed over into the right lane. So I can do it smoothly and safely, and letting everybody know. This is the only way we can communicate with the public, is turn signals. Let them know what you are going to do. Don't turn your turn signal on and then move, turn signals on as rapidly, or as safely as possible, letting everybody know well in advance of what procedures you are going to use.

Drive Defensively

Hi my name is Tony and I'm going to teach you the basics of driving. First thing we are going to talk about here is defensive driving. You always want to be alert, be aware of the other drivers that are on the road, cause you never know what they are going to do. So defensive driving more then anything is watching out for what other people might do, you know be it the right thing or the wrong thing. And a lot of the times it's the wrong thing and if you can keep your eyes out for that and make sure you know what everyone else on the road is doing then you can be a lot safer when you are driving. You always want to just you know keep an eye on your mirrors, know if someone is coming up behind you, if someone is coming up in the lane next to you. And keep your distance from driver's in front of you you know maintain a safe distance. A lot of people think that you are supposed to keep your hands at ten and two while driving, which used to be the case in older cars, but newer cars with an airbag, you want to keep your hands a little bit lower on the steering wheel, because if that airbag deploys when you get into an accident it can cause your arms to break if they are at ten and two. So you want to keep them a little bit lower so that the air bag will deploy above your arms.

Make a U-Turn

The next we're going to talk about is making a U-turn. In a lot of States you can make u-turns where it is marked that you are allowed to make a u-turn. In Arizona, you're allowed to make a u-turn any where that is not marked, no u-turns. So I'm going to try and find a nice looking spot up here, along this road. And see if I can make a u-turn. Here we go. So I'm going to get into the left turn lane, here. And signal, as if I'm turning left. And wait for the traffic to clear. And I got some people over here that are going the other way. And so, I want to watch out for them. I'm going to turn the wheel and slowly rotate around. Into the first lane, you can safely get into. And then continue down the road. And when you're making your u-turn. You want to make sure that there is no traffic approaching from the opposite direction. That you're turning in. And if it is, you really need to wait until they clear out. And a lot of times, there'll be traffic further down the road. And by the time, you complete your u-turn. They're going to be right behind you. So you want to check your mirrors. Make sure, you're aware of traffic coming up on you.

Overcome Fear of Driving

Now I'd like to talk to you about overcoming your fear of driving. A lot of people you know when they first get in a car are very intimidated by driving cause they are afraid they are going to make a mistake. You really just want to kind of relax you know cause if you are really nervous it's more likely that you are going to make a mistake so when you first are learning how to drive you might you know stick to roads near your house where you feel a little bit more comfortable. Stick to single lane roads so you don't have to deal with multiple lanes of traffic right at first because that can be a nerve racking experience for a lot of people. You know just generally be calm, be aware of what's going on around you and if you are driving down the road and there's someone tailgating you, or there's someone driving and they are making you nervous, just pull off to the side of the road, stop the car and let them pass where it's safe of course. Pull off somewhere where it's safe, let them pass and then continue down the road. I mean there's if someone is really making you nervous on the road and then it's probably better to let them go past because if you are nervous you are going to make a mistake that could result in sever damage to your car or yourself.

Changing Lanes & Merging

Alright, the next thing we're going to talk about is merging onto a freeway. We are turning on to a freeway on ramp right here and we have a lot of traffic in front of us so we want to accelerate at the same speed the rest of the traffic is. Normally what you're going to do if you're the only one on the on ramp is look at the traffic that's on the freeway and try and match their speed so that when you reach the point when you can merge, that you can just slide right over. And you want to be watching in your driver side mirror as you're approaching the merge area to see if there's anyone on your rear quarter panel. See if there's anyone there and then if it's clear, and if it's clear to the side of you as you look out your window, then go ahead and turn your blinker on and merge over. And then once you are on the freeway, if you're going a fair distance you might want to move over a lane and it's very similar. Same thing, you look in your mirror and you see if anyone is coming. If there is, you let them pass you or wait until they drop back a little bit, you signal, and you just turn the wheel ever so slightly to move you over into the next lane. Now when you're merging to the right obviously you need to check the mirror on the passenger side of your car to make sure there is no one there and he's going slow enough that I can just go ahead and merge over in front of him. He's far enough back. Slide right over there. Turn off your blinker when you get into the lane that way you're not driving down the road with your blinker on confusing other drivers. And that's about it on merging and changing lanes.

Drive in Traffic

Okay, now I'm going to talk about driving in traffic. Very often, if you're on a freeway you're going to encounter pretty heavy amounts of traffic. We've got a fair amount of traffic out here today, and the main thing to keep in mind when driving in traffic is to keep your eye out for who's in front of ya', who's behind ya', and who's on either side of ya'. Be aware of traffic that is approaching you on your right or your left, so that if you decide that you need to change lanes you already know they're there before you even look in your mirror. And then you can double check, and after they've passed you you can swing over a lane, and then you know, double check all your mirrors, and be aware, again, of who's in front of ya', who's behind ya', who's on your right, and who's on your left. And I'd also like to talk about the the carpool lane. A lot of metropolitan areas they have these carpool lanes which are reserved for certain types of vehicles. Here in Phoenix, we've, our carpool lane restrictions are that you must have at least two people in the car, and or, or if you have a a vehicle which runs off compressed natural gas or off propane you're also allowed to use these lanes, and they're they're pretty much just like any other lane on the freeway, except that a lot of times there's a little bit less traffic because there's a lot of people commutin' back and forth to work that are drivin' by themselves, and so they can't use these lanes. So, if you look in front of us here you'll see I've got you know, a good five hundred yards in front of me that's pretty clear; whereas, the lanes on the right are a little more packed with traffic and it'd be a little bit harder to get around in there; whereas, I can just stay in this lane and go all the way into town where I'm goin', so... And if you're, if you find yourself in the left hand lane, in maybe a carpool lane, and you're movin' pretty fast; faster than the traffic on your right, you really need to keep an eye out for the people that are in the lane on your right, because you know, sometimes people will pull over at the last minute without checkin' their mirror. They're not aware that you're there. Just like when you're watching your mirrors for traffic approachin' you they might not be doin' that, so they might just whip out right in front of ya, and you need to keep an eye on that traffic to make sure that you don't get in an accident because of that. A lot of times, you know, people will turn on their blinkers to let you know that they're going to move over, and then you could be courteous and and slow down and let them move over. But a lot of times people don't use blinkers and and that's why you gotta' keep an eye on em', and if you you see em' kind of movin' over, gettin' up next to the the dividing line between the lanes you can be pretty sure that they're thinkin' about movin' over cause' they're probably moving over to the line so that they can check their mirrors and see if anyone's comin'. If you're driving along the road and you happen to see an emergency vehicle stopped alongside the road it is courteous, and in some places required by law that you move over a lane to give them room if you are able. I was not able there cause' there was a a car to my left. Same thing goes for other stopped vehicles. It's just a courtesy to move out of the way, clear that right lane so that they have a little bit more room to move around, and they aren't in danger of being hit by traffic.

Back a Car into a Parking Spot

Okay, so the next thing we're going to talk about is, backing into a parking spot. Now when you're backing in, you want to stop the vehicle, make sure there's no one coming up behind you rapidly that's going to run into you as you stop the vehicle. Check your mirror, make sure there's no one else coming up behind you as you start backing up, and shift into reverse, try and line yourself up with a parking spot, so that you're just past the parking spot, turn your wheel in the direction of the parking spot that you're backing into, slowly back up, line yourself up, check your mirrors, make sure that if there's vehicles on either side of you, that you're not going to hit them, and then just slowly back into the spot. And then as you get into the spot, where you're facing straight forward, you want to straighten your wheel out, and then just roll back until you're in the spot, put your car in park, and that's how you back into a parking spot.

Parallel Park

Next we are going to talk about how to parallel park. I'm going to pull up here and parallel park behind this car. So you are going to pull up to the car and you are going t turn your signal on. You are going to pull up next to the car until your rear tires are pretty much at the rear of the car that you are going to be parking behind and then you are going to put the car in reverse, turn your wheels, and slowly start backing up and then once you get about half way back towards the curb and your front tires are clear of the car in front of you, then you are going to start steering back the other way and you should be able to just slide right in there and be right behind the car. If there is anyone behind you obviously you can keep an eye out for them as well as you are pulling into the space to make sure that someone is not going to rear end you. Sometimes people will try to go around you when you are parallel parking and not realizing that your front end is going to swing out. As you are backing up if there is a car behind you you want to make sure that you have enough clearance to get into the space. Generally you want the space that you are trying to pull into to be about one and a half times the length of your car. If it is any shorter than that it is very difficult to get into. If it is bigger than that of course no problem you can get in usually pretty easy and that is it on parallel parking. It is pretty easy.

Make a Three-Point Turn

So the next thing we are going to do is a three point turn. It is similar to a U turn in that you are going to end up going in the opposite direction than the direction you are currently going. So if you find yourself on a street that is a little bit narrower so you can't make a U turn then you are going to want to do a three point turn. So to do a three point turn you start by making sure there is no traffic coming behind you. If there is then just pull off to the side and wait for them to pass. Once they have then you are going to get to the right of the road as if you are pulling off and you are going to turn across the road so that you end up driving straight towards the other side of the road. You are then going to put it in reverse, turn your wheel the other way, back up and then you are going to put it in drive and turn your wheel back the other way and now you are going to go the opposite direction. The reason it is called the three point turn is because you start at one point, you drive across the street to the second point, you back up to the third point and you are turned around and that is a three point turn, very useful.

Drive in a Traffic Circle

The next thing we are going to do is talk about traffic circles. A traffic circle is also called a roundabout a lot of places and generally it is one way. It is always one way. You always go to your right on a traffic circle and follow the circle around. As you approach the circle if there are no other cars in the circle then you can just proceed into the circle and follow it around until you get to the turn that you need to make. If there is other traffic in the circle then you have to yield to them to let them by before you proceed into the circle. If there is another car in the circle then you have to yield the right of way to them before you enter the circle. This does not mean that you need to stop, a lot of people they approach a traffic circle, they come to a complete stop, they look both ways as if they were at a stop sign. That is not what you need to do. The only reason you should stop is if there is a heavy amount of traffic in the circle and you have to yield to several cars that are in the circle and then you would have to stop and wait for them to pass before you could enter the circle. This is a single lane traffic circle so whichever turn we need to take we can just turn right from there to make our turn to the exit that we need to get to. If there was a double lane traffic circle then generally they will have a sign informing you of which turns you can make from each lane but for the most part if you are in the right lane as you approach the traffic circle you are going to need to make the first right turn out of the traffic circle. If you are in the left lane of the traffic circle then you can either take the first right or you can take the second right or you can take the third right which would end up being basically a left turn or you can go all the way around the circle and come out the way you came in which is what we're going to do right now and that is how you drive a traffic circle although you don't need to go around quite so many times.

Park on a Hill

Next, we're going to park on a hill. There's really only a couple things that you need to remember when parking on a hill. Assuming you're pulling off to the right side, which is where you're normally going to park, you're going to pull over near the curb -- as near as you can get -- and then you're going to put your emergency brake on, put this car on park, put the emergency brake on. And then you need to remember to turn your wheels toward the curb so that when you get out and shut off the car, if the emergency brake were to fail for whatever reason, then the car, if it were to roll, would roll into the curb. And that would most likely be enough to stop it from rolling any further. Now, if you were parking, instead of facing downhill like we are here, if you were parking facing uphill, you would turn your wheels toward the street. That way, the backs of your tires would be facing towards the curb. And if your car started to roll, it would, again, roll into the curb and keep you from rolling down the hill.

Turning Left Across Traffic

The next thing we are going to talk about is turning out left into traffic. If you have got a multi lane road usually there is a center lane between the yellow lines that you can use to get out into traffic if you have traffic coming from the direction that you are trying to travel but not from the other direction. Then you can just wait until traffic coming in the opposite direction clears and once you have got an opening you can turn out into the center lane, check your mirror and make sure there are no cars coming in the lane to the right and then gently merge over into that lane and continue down the road.