Safe Driving in Diverse Conditions

Chapter Objectives

• It explains how to prepare for challenging driving conditions like rain, snow, ice, fog, smog, sun glare, wind, low light, and nighttime, reducing risk in each.
• Prepares for driving in urban/city, rural/country, mountain/high-altitude, and desert environments.
• It helps drivers identify and safely navigate temporary work zones and incident management zones.

Introduction

• Weather conditions and environmental factors affect driving, requiring additional knowledge for safety.
• Chapter describes common conditions/environments affecting driving, requiring extra knowledge to stay safe.

Conditions

• Drivers must maintain vehicle control despite weather & conditions altering roadway variables.
• This section addresses wet, snow/ice, fog/smog, sun glare, wind, low light, and nighttime conditions.

Wet Conditions

• During wet conditions, adhere to the Basic Speed Law, and adjust speed for safety.
• Risk of hydroplaning exists; should be covered in the next chapter, and caution advised for standing water.

Risk Reduction

• Vehicles with electronic stability control (ESC) aid traction on wet surfaces, using sensors to detect loss and regain control.
• ESC assists in reduced-risk driving, but doesn't replace it.

Strategies for Reducing Risk on Wet Surfaces

• Regularly check windshield wiper blades for fresh, flexible rubber; replace rear window wiper blade occasionally.
• Apply glass treatment to windows for better visibility during rain.
• Use low-beam headlights whenever your vehicle is moving, even in good conditions, especially wet ones.
• Use low-beam headlights when wipers are needed, failure to do so can result in a traffic citation.
• Exercise caution when it first starts to rain, road surfaces are extra slippery from collected environmental dust, fluid droplets and rubber dust.
• "summer ice" is the term for the slick mixture of oil and water on roads during and after rain.
• Stay alert to pedestrians avoiding rain without caution.

Flooding and Standing Water

• Avoid driving through flood water, large puddles, and water ponding due to engine stall as well as hidden potholes.
• Water streaming across a road could carry a vehicle downstream
• Ignoring detour barricades in flood conditions can lead to charges for emergency response expenses if vehicle is removed.
• When encountering water on the road, follow the NOAA's advice to "Turn Around, Don't Drown™".
• Avoid driving through flooded areas post-storm, especially if water moves fast, as 6 inches can cause loss of control, and 2 feet can carry a car.
• Drownings happen as a result of driving through water.

Snow and Icy Conditions

• Whether snow is common or rare, drivers will likely encounter winter conditions.
• Driving in snow and ice isn't recommended, knowing how to reduce risks is valuable.
• Icy areas are more slippery near 32 degrees and wet ice is slipperier than dry ice.

Ice Locations on the Road

• Beware of intersections (more polished,) bridge surfaces, ramps, overpasses, and shaded areas.
• Wind gusts and crosswinds make steering on ice more difficult.
• Buildings can cause sudden wind changes/block sunlight from melting ice.
• Patches cause instability if there are vehicles with unequal traction.

"Black ice"

• Known as extremely slippery patches and often difficult to see.
• Reduce speed at all times when you see road ice.

Visibility

• Making sure that you are able to be seen is the most important thing about driving in adverse weather conditions.
• Drive with low-beam headlights in snow/icy conditions.
• Low-beam headlights make drivers more visible from further away.

Clearing Snow from a Vehicle

• When driving on wet, snowy streets, road grime can heavily soil lenses-clean headlight periodically.
• Clear the car well and Remove all snow & ice before driving from your windshield, all windows, and car.

Risk of Flying Frozen Materials

• Flying ice chunks from vehicles can strike people or damage property.
• Some areas subject drivers with snow/ice on vehicles to police stops and citations.

Defrosting and Clearing Windows

• Keep the car's windshield and rear window defrosters properly working.
• Before using defroster and fan, always set the temperature control to "hot" and start engine, to prevent window frost.
• If the windshield and side-windows fog, open the car's window slightly and move the defroster fan to high speed.

Snow and Sleet

• Snow and sleet can block windshield wipers, restricting view.
• Extremely cold temps could freeze washer fluid on your windshield.
• Make sure your vehicle's levels of washer fluid are adequate - do not dilute

Tips for reducing risk when driving in snow:

• Store sand or cat litter and traction mats in your car's cargo area, in case you get stuck.
• Brake, accelerate, and steer gently and smoothly.
• Be patient around plows and salt trucks; allow them space and do not pass.

Smog, Smoke, and Sandstorms

• Suburbs may have smog, effective action when visibility is affected enough is to increase space from other cars
• When driving, using hazard flashers can help be more visible. In severe weather, move off the highway until better conditions exist.

Sandstorm Tactics to Implement as Needed

• Check your cooling system fluids and hoses before any journey.
• Measure tire pressure in the morning or when tires are cold.
• Regularly check your car's engine gauges.
• Drive for moderate time periods, preventing tire pressure buildup.
• Move your car to a safe spot to allow your car's tired to cool.
• Check your engine oil level when you fuel your vehicle.

Sun Glare Conditions

• Sun glare can prevent drivers from seeing, creating risk.
• Driving eastward at morning sunrise and westward at sunset can blind drivers, even with the sun visor.
• On bright winter days, snow on the ground increases glare.

Risk Reduction for Sun Glare

• Maintain a clean windshield.
• Adhere to the Basic Speed Law.
• Wear polarized sunglasses.
• Consider window tinting within state laws.
• Pivot the driver's sun visor 90 degrees in order to address glare coming from the side.
• Consider replacing windshields, in older vehicles they will have micro-pitted windshields, this reduces risk

Wind Conditions

• Strong winds can push vehicles to the side.
• Larger profiles cause cars to be more susceptible.
• Headwind decreases fuel economy; tailwind increases it.

Reducing Risk of Wind Conditions

• Reduce your appropriate for your vehicle's needs.
• Maintain a firm grasp on the steering wheel.
• Avoid other cars when there is a tail wind or head winf as much as possible.
• Try to travel routes that does not have trees that are overhanging the road.
• Doors act as sails, when your car is parked, guard as you open the doors of any car from hitting nearby cars.

Low-Light and Nighttime Conditions

• Visibility is reduced in darkness - drivers limited by headlight distance and no color contrast.
• As with any adverse driving, honor the Basic Speed Law and be very wary.

Advantages and Disadvantages

• New drivers need special awareness, less traffic is around at this time but more impaired drivers.
• Roads can seem narrower.
• Most teenager accidents happen between 9pm and 12am.
• Some states restrict teenagers from driving between midnight and early morning.
• Dim headlights make vehicles easier to see, changing lanes is easier.

Seeing in the Dark

• Seeing in the day does not mean you can see well in the dark, it takes one hour for your eyes to adjust.
• Some people cannot see well at night and reduce their night driving.

Reducing Glare

• Avoid driving around your bedtime, stay alert at all times and stay in the moment.
• Physiological downtime between 2pm and 4pm.

Improving Visibility

• Your body decreases in time when you are typically asleep.
• Make sure that your windows are extra clean and extra clear from dirt.
• Keep windows extra important to properly all light up.
• Keep properly aligned high-beam headlights shine 350-500ft ahead.
• Compensate for reduced night vision to 4+ seconds.

Work Zone Crash Risks

• Flaggers will control certain lanes and roadways that are blocked or under construction.
• Rear end crashes are common so stay focused.
• Stop
• Keep focused and sharp the driving task ahead.

Work Zone Laws

• Fines will be doubled along these construction zones.
• Drivers need low lights to be able to see in work zones - drivers may even be cited.

Tips for Reducing Risk

• Stay alert.
• Obey speed limits.
• Conditions change quickly.
• Minimize distractions and honor signs.
• Search for workers and merge carefully.

The Environment

• Driving conditions and techniques depend on the environment and what the requirements are needed.
• It also discusses zones of construction or incident management that may impact driving.

The City

• Must be able to navigate through very crowded streets.
• City environments must provide certain levels so that you, the driver, does not get distracted.
• Often times, there can be very high congestion because of increased drivers and also slower moving traffic.

Vehicles

• Bicycles will increase safety of your fellow drivers.
• Passengers increase alert driving conditions but awareness for you will increase accidents.
• Drivers increase the alert system in the road and are more likely to pedestrian accidents.
• High density traffic can result.

Country Environments

• Country zones are different because there aren't as many light signals.
• Your brain and eyes should be more active to make maneuvers.

Rural Driving

• Young drivers face risks on country roads known to be hazardous.
• The edge of Pavement aren't always marked.
• Objects are very close such as poles an trees, this increase the risk.
• Curves and hills narrow the drivers field of vision, very risky to new drivers.
• Sight can be reduced so school bus stops must be at a closer range.
• Roads consist of softer surfaces such as gravel and dirt, which decreases traction.

Mountain Driving

• These areas make roads steep and unique.
• The higher you go the less oxygen there is.
• High or low depending on the engine power and drivers need to adjust there is.
• If so, remain in the left lane, which allows other drivers to make it up.
• Mountain often times future climbing and climbing slow moving cars.
• Searching and adjusting your car can cause a car to hit you.

Driving risks in Mountain or Rural

• Reduce your speed and be cautious.
• Mountain roads are narrower and can be harder for other drivers or vehicles to drive on.
• Maintain space for cars and others for emergency situations.
• Travel at the right speeds for other drivers and circumstances.

Desert Environments

• Limit your travels early or late in the morning when temperatures are low.
• Regularly check those gauges.
• Most of the time you should travel near smaller towns, it makes assistance more likely.
• The temperature should always be taken into consideration and that can impact visibility.
• Consider limited desert travel at other times,

Desert Storrms

• Most times, sand will hit the desert bringing strong rains.
• If you encounter dust, check traffic and start to slow down.
• Stop with your lights off, do not wait until it it's so hard to see to pull over!
• The more you are aware of oncoming vehicles reduces potential rear collisions in you.

Temporary Work Zones

• Can be traffic or construction or many types of things that may be going into work zones.
• Accidents and injuries occur in high in volume driving through work zones.
• Always approach work zones with great thought and care.