Driving Safety Techniques Quiz

One-Hand Steering

• Steering with one hand is only necessary for backing up or when operating vehicle controls
• When backing up, place your hand in the 12 o’clock position on the steering wheel

Signals, Horns, And Headlights

• Use your vehicle’s signal lights or hand-and-arm positions to communicate with other drivers
• Always signal when you turn, change lanes, slow down, or stop
• Signal at least 100 feet before turning
• Signal five seconds before changing lanes on a highway
• Signal before pulling up to the curb or away from the curb
• Use your horn to let other drivers know you are there or to warn of a hazard
• Use your horn to avoid collisions
• Use your horn for oncoming traffic on narrow mountain roads where you cannot see at least 200 feet ahead
• Use your headlights to see the road ahead and make your vehicle visible to other drivers
• Dim your high-beam headlights within 500 feet of oncoming traffic or 300 feet of a vehicle you are following
• Use your headlights when it is too dark to see 1,000 feet ahead, 30 minutes after sunset, until 30 minutes before sunrise, during adverse weather conditions, and when fog, rain, or snow require windshield wipers

Driving and Law Enforcement

• You can decline to answer questions about your immigration status
• You have the right to record interactions with law enforcement in public spaces
• Be clear about your recording
• You do not have the right to interfere with an officer’s lawful duties
• Officers cannot confiscate, delete, or destroy recording devices if they are not interfering with lawful duties
• You generally have the right to deny requests to unlock a phone or provide a password
• You can file a complaint against any law enforcement agency
• You have the right to be free from discrimination based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability, medical condition, or citizenship status

Important Roadway Information

• Do not smoke when a minor is in the vehicle
• Do not dump or abandon animals on a highway
• Do not drive a vehicle so overloaded it affects control, visibility, or safety
• Secure loads to prevent them from becoming a safety hazard
• Do not allow passengers to ride in the back of a pickup truck unless secure seats and seat belts are present
• Ensure animals in the back of a pickup truck are secured to prevent them from falling, jumping, or being thrown
• Do not operate a vehicle with a video monitor visible to the driver unless it displays vehicle information, navigation, media, or radio
• Do not throw lighted substances from your vehicle
• Do not obstruct windshield or rear window views with signs or objects
• Do not interfere with a funeral procession
• Do not operate a vehicle with an illegible license plate or altered license plate

Driving Tips

• Maintain your course and speed when a tailgater is behind you
• Be aware of what is on each side of you
• Avoid driving in another driver’s blind spot
• Avoid driving directly alongside other vehicles
• Make space for vehicles entering freeways
• Be ready for rapid changes in traffic and watch for signals from other drivers
• Keep space between your vehicle and parked vehicles
• Look both ways at intersections, even when traffic has a red light or stop sign

Blind Spots

• Every vehicle has blind spots
• Check your blind spots by looking over your right and left shoulders out of your side windows
• Check your blind spots before changing lanes, turning at an intersection, merging with traffic, backing up, leaving a parking space, parallel parking, pulling out from the curb, and opening your car door

Know What is Behind You

• Check traffic behind you using the rearview mirror, side mirrors, and by turning your head
• Check traffic before changing lanes, checking your blind spots, reducing your speed, turning, stopping to park, pulling up to the curb, and backing up

Darkness

• Use your high-beam headlights on open country roads or dark city streets
• Do not use high-beam headlights in areas where they are illegal
• Dim your high-beam headlights to avoid blinding oncoming drivers
• When it is raining, use low-beam headlights
• Remember that motorcycles, pedestrians, and bicyclists are harder to see at night
• Reduce speed in highway construction zones
• Drive slowly when leaving a brightly lit place until your eyes adjust
• Drive as far right as possible when a vehicle with one light approaches

Sun Glare

• Keep your windshield clean
• Wear polarized sunglasses
• Maintain space between your vehicle and others
• Check that your car visor works
• Be aware of pedestrians, as they may be hard to see
• Try to avoid driving during sunrise and sunset

Skids

• A skid is a loss of traction with the road, resulting in a lack of control
• Ice and snow can cause skids
• Drive slowly and leave space on slippery surfaces
• To prevent skidding on slippery surfaces, slow down as you approach intersections and curves, avoid fast turns and quick stops, shift to low gear before going down a steep hill, and avoid ice patches, wet leaves, oil, or standing water
• If you start to skid, slowly remove your foot from the accelerator, do not use the brakes, turn the steering wheel in the direction of the skid, and try to get a wheel on dry pavement
• Locked wheel skids are usually caused by braking too hard
• To get out of a locked wheel skid with a four-wheel antilock braking system, apply firm pressure to the brake pedal
• To get out of a locked wheel skid with a rear-wheel antilock braking system, ease up on the brake pedal to allow the front wheels to roll, stop braking, and turn the steering wheel into the direction of the skid

Test your knowledge on essential driving safety techniques, including one-hand steering, signaling, and the use of headlights and horns. This quiz covers various scenarios you may encounter on the road, helping to enhance your driving skills and awareness.