Chapter 14
 Traffic
death rates are 3 times higher at
night than the day
 90 percent of a driver’s ability to react
depends on vision, which is severely
limited at night
 Harder to determine size, speed, color,
and distance of objects ahead of you

Looking beyond your headlights
• Headlights can give you a false sense of
security
 At night, a person with 20/20 daylight
vision can be reduced to 20/50
 Narrow width of headlight beams can limit
your view
• Always try to look beyond your
headlights
 Scan beyond the center of the lane
 Reduce your speed and increase your
space cushion
 Look for flashes of light in the distance to
signal the presence of another vehicle or
traffic signals
 Watch for reflections off of signs, roadway
markings, and pedestrian clothing

Looking beyond your headlights
(cont.)
• Avoid using lights inside your vehicle
while driving at night
 Reduces vision
 Breaks concentration

Overdriving Your Headlights
• Traveling at speeds that prevent you
from stopping within the distance
lighted by your headlights
 1. select a fixed object ahead of your
vehicle the moment your headlights pick it
up
 2. count off 6 seconds
 3. is the object in front of you or behind
you?
 Cont.
• Understand that while speed
limits are posted, they may
not be ideal for nighttime as
they are for daytime
• Make sure headlights are
aimed and working properly
 Aiming too high or too low
affects your vision and others
as well
 Replace lights if they get
burned out
 Illegal and dangerous

High and Low Beams
• When traveling on dark or poorly lit
roads with little oncoming traffic, use
your high beams
• Switch to low beams when oncoming
traffic gets close, or you see taillights
of vehicles in front of you

Blinded by the Light
• If you approach someone with their
high beams on, reduce speed and
look to the right side of the road
• If someone behind you has their high
beams on, use the “night” setting of
your rearview mirror
• Don’t wear sunglasses or have
excessive tint
 Dawn
and Dusk
• Lights should be turned on
from a ½ hour after sunset to
a ½ hour before sunrise
Or
• Any time your cannot see
1,000 feet in front of you
• If you are not sure, turn them
on
 Sunshine
Glare
• Can affect your vision and contribute to driver
fatigue
• Maintain extra space cushioning
• Look in each direction one extra time at an
intersection
• Activate signals sooner
 Unpaved or Gravel Roads
• Dirt and loose gravel can
reduce traction
 “Fishtailing”
• Stopping distance is
increased, as well as
following distance
• Use tire tracks used by other
vehicles
• Possibly have headlights on
when driving through dirt
clouds
 Deep Sand or Mud
• Unpaved roads may have stretches of deep sand
• Rain can also cause unpaved roads to be undrivable
muddy messes
 Even a small amount can make unpaved roads slippery
• Always approach muddy roads with caution
 Avoid sudden stops and sharp turns
 Maintain a fast enough speed so that the vehicle keeps its
traction

What if you get stuck?
• First, try to back out using the tracks you just
created
• If that doesn’t work…”Rock Out”!
 Using a low gear, slowly start the car forward
keeping the wheels straight. Gently step on the gas
pedal. Do not spin the wheels
 Go forward as far as you can. Press the brake and
hold the car in place as you shift quickly into reverse.
 Back up slowly as far as you can, step on brake and
hold, shift back into low gear and go forward again.
 Repeat rapidly, rocking the vehicle free
• If “Rocking Out” doesn’t work
 Find some rough materials and stick them under the
stuck tire(s) to give you better traction
 Make sure no one is behind the vehicle, as these
materials can be thrown

Potholes
• A hole in the roadway surface caused by
weather, overuse, or a combination of
both
• Hitting a pothole can do serious damage
to the vehicle
• If you hit a large pothole, reduce speed,
pull over, and check your vehicle
 If tire pressure gets lost, go to a gas station
or mechanic to get it checked

Dips
• Usually marked with warning signs and
speed reduction signs
• Some are natural and others are
intentionally put there to promote runoff

Shoulders and Drop-Offs
• Shoulders
 Shoulders are a continuation of the pavement or other
stable surface that extends beyond the road boundary
lane
 Designed to provide space for disabled vehicles, work
crews, and evasive maneuvers in emergencies
 Reduce hydroplaning and channel water away from
the travel lanes
 Increase distance between motorists and pedestrians
or bicyclists
• Soft Shoulders
 Shoulders that either slope downward or do not
provide any traction
 Found on old rural roads that have not been upgraded
 Avoid driving on these unless necessary
• Drop-Offs
 Areas where terrain literally drops off from the edge of
the roadway without any shoulder
 Most commonly found on mountain roads and on
elevated roadways
 Narrow Roads
• Very little room for error
• Sometimes there is not enough
clearance for two cars
 Communicate to other drivers
 Bridges and Tunnels
• Both can be noisy, making it
difficult to hear other vehicles
• Don’t look over the edge of a
bridge
• They often have narrow lanes

Hills
• Consider the force of gravity on
your vehicle
 Steepness of the grade, speed you
are traveling, and weight of your
vehicle can affect how you drive
• When driving uphill, you are
driving against gravity
 You need more power to keep
moving at the same speed
 Once you find a comfortable speed,
keep your foot there until the road
starts to level off
• When driving uphill, you are
driving with gravity
 You need less power to keep moving
at the same speed
 Coast or brake if needed until the
road levels out