Chapter 4 Anticipating Hazards in Driving Environment PDF

Only use ibj; lijshts when visibility is i 00 metres or less. Always drive so that you can stop safely within the distance you can sec to be dear on your own side of the r...

Only use ibj; lijshts when visibility is i 00 metres or less. Always drive so that you can stop safely within the distance you can sec to be dear on your own side of the road.. this is the area lit by your lieadlights unless there is rull street lighting. Even in the best conditions your ability to: Chapter 4 the.speed and position of oiieoming vehicles is reduced at ight. so allow an extra safety margin. Anticipating hazards in the driving environment If you use sat navat night, move the equipment to a position where it doesn’t obstruct your vision in the dark, anc screen doesn’t daz2le you. Experiment with different modes and liiid a way of using it that causes you least distrac darkness. Following other vehicles at night Learning outcomes When you follow another s’ohicle, dip your headlights and leave a long enough gap so that your iighl.s don’t dazzle 'Hie learning in this chapter, along svith driver training, should enable you to: driver in front. When voii overtake, move out early with your headlights still dipped. If you need to warn the oihe that you’re there, flash your lights instead of using the horn. Return m full beam when you’re along.sidc the other ’ demonstrate awarene.ss of hazards that you may meet at night, in poor weather conditions and on the roadsurfa If you are overtaken, dip your headlights when the overtaking vehicle drasvs alongside you and keep them dipped you can raise tliem svithout dazzling the other driver. take appropriate steps to reduce or avoid potential dangers from these haz.irds show that you make full use of road signs and markings, your own local road knowledge and observation links t anticipate hazards. Information from other vehicles’ light.s Vou can gel a great deal of useful inforin-aiion from the front and rear lights of other vehicles: tor example, the StVt the headlights of vehicles ahead approaching a bend can indicate the sharpness of the bend, and the brake liglits o Nieht CD driving & vehicles in front can give you an early warning to reduce speed. It is harder to see in anvihing less than full daylight and so your vision gives you less information. This section gr. advice on what you can do to make the be.sl of what you can see at night. You As the light fades, there is less contrast, colours fade and edges become indistinct. Yonr body naturally wants to si dorvn as night draw.s on and you are moie likely to grow tired. Night driving puls extra strain on your eyc.s. Even a slight eyesight irregularity can cause.stress and tiredness. If y< vou arc inc.xpectedly tired from diiving, esjieti.iliy at night, gel your eyes tested as soon as possible. Your vehicle Intslllgom usa of inforrnalion given by lights can hslo your driving. Make sure that all windows, mirrors, and the lenses of lights and indicators are clean to give yourself the best pos.- visibility. Ilie.slightest film of moisture, grease or dirt on windows or mirrors will break up light and increase glar making it harder to see what is going on. Check your lights arc correctly.iligned and adjusted for llie vehicle load, Dazzle bulbs should all work and the switching equipment should function propeily. Are your windscreen washers, wipe demisters all working properly? Headlights shining directly into your eyes may dazzle you. This can happen on sharp right-hand bends and sleep Sfi' liyo M'hiilf III l>t drivt?. J.*.‘ and when the lights of oncoming vehicles are undipped or badly adjusted. The iiiteiisily of the light bleaches the r> your eyes so that you can see nothing for some moments. Your lights To avoid dazzle, look towards the nearside edge of the road. Tliis enables you to keep your road position but doesi you what is happening in the road ahead, so reduce your speed. If you arc dazzled, slow down or stop ifnecc.ssary On unlit roads pul your headiigiits on main beam and only dip them for other road users. you can see properly again. Use dipped headlights: in built-up areas witli street lights Reflective studs and markings in situations when dipped headlights are more etTective than the main beam - for example, when going round a Retlective studs and markings are a good source of information about road layout at night. To get the most out of hand bend or al a bump bridge you need to be lamiliar with the Hielm-ny rv closely, and only overtake other traffic wh< can see that it is absolutely safe to do so. This is seldom passible in logon a two-way road. At junctions when visil low, wind down your window and listen for other vehicles, and consider using your horn. Weather conditions Micro climates Bad weather is often blamed for causing collisions when the real cause is inappropriate driving. Careful observatii good anticipation, the correct speed and adequate braking distances are crucial for safe driving in difficult weathe Look out for evidence of micro climates. Tlicsecan cause frost and wet patches to linger in.some areas after they h conditions. disappeared elsewhere. Ice can linger in landscape features such a.s valley bottoms, shaded hillsides and shaded sU large areas of shadow cast by trees or buildings, and result in sudden loss of traction. Bridge surfaces are often col the surrounding roads because they are exposed on all sides, and can be icy when their approach roads are not. P; In extreme weather conditions, ask yourself: Ts my journey really necessary?’ fog is particularly dangerous and is a common cause of multiple collisions. The weather affects how far you can see, and your vehicle’s road holding, so it is central to your obser\’ation, antic and driving plan. When weather conditions reduce visibility, reduce your speed and regularly check your actual sj the speedometer. You should ahvays be able to stop within the distance you can see to be clear. If it is foggy, follow Highway Code advice on driving in fog. Examples of weather conditions which reduce visibility are; heaw rain Ice and wetness snow and sleet can linger in I See Chapter 4, AnCkipiiling hnzariis in the driviiig environment, page 72, Weather conditions. Bad weather reduces visibility and tyre grip so is more dangerous at high speed because you need a much greater safe stopping distance. You should always be able to stop safely in the distance you can see to be clear on your own side of the road. When you can’t see clearly, reduce your speed and consider using headlights and fog lights. You must use them if visibility drops below 100 metres. Tlie gap between motorway marker posts is about 100 metres so use these to as; how far you can see. Bear in mind that fog lights can mask your brake lights and dazzle the driver behind so switc off as soon as visibility improves. Fog Fog reduces your perception of speed due to the lack of visual reference points. In poor visibility, some drivers mt educe their following distance in order to keep the vehicle lights ahead in view. Be aware also that not all vehicles displaying the appropriate lights. Fog reduces your perception of speed and risk because you can’t see. At the same time it encourages you to drive close enough to keep in sight the vehicle lights ahead. , djust your speed to ensure that you can stop within the range of visibility. The denser the fog, the slower your sp 1 Jriving in fog can be very tiring and stressful. If you start to feel tired, take a break at the next available rest area. lain I ligh speed increases the risk created by rain and standing water lying on the road surface. This is because your v< t Tes have to displace water more quickly. If they are unable to do this, a wedge of water will form between the tyr tl le road, resulting in aquaplaning. During such conditions, remain vigilant to the possibility of unexpected sectio ( eep water and adjust your speed on the approach. ske Chapter ,7 Maintaining vehicle stahility, page 141, Aquaplaning, for further advice. After a long, hot, dry spell a deposit of tyre and other dust builds up on the road surface. These deposits create a s s irface especially during and after rain. Avoid hea\q' braking, steering or accelerating or you could lose tyre grip.  I I I 11 I t  bright sun Bright sun low in the sky can cause serious dazzle, especially on east/west sections of road: use your visors to redv lazzle. If the sun is shining in your mirrors, adjust them to give you the best visibility with minimum glare. Ifyou lazzled by bright sun, other drivers may be too, so allow for this when overtaking. Dther hazards )ebris legularly scan the road surface for debris which may have fallen from vehicles. Tliis can damage tyres and cause ( 'chicles to suddenly alter position. Lane closures foadworks are a regular feature of motorway Journeys. Contraflow systems are not dangerous in themselves but 1: langerous when drivers ignore advance warnings. All roadworks are signed on approach and you should know th equence of signs. Keep to the mandatory speed limits through roadworks, even when conditions seem to be suitt I higher speed. Merging with other traffic requires judgement and courtesy. It is sensible for vehicles from each lane to merge alte in collisions. Allow a reasonable foUowing gap and never close ^ut these situations often create conflict and result prevent other vehicles merging. Matrix signs and signals warn of lane closures or other changes in driving conditions ahead. You may not immedi able to see the need to slow down or change lanes but don’t assume the sign is a mistake. The incident may be son listance further along the motorway. Additional hazards on fast-moving multi-lane carriagew; Ipn multi-lane carriageways you need to watch out for a range of additional hazards that are not present on motor slow-moving traffic traffic lights roundabouts right-hand junctions crossroads traffic moving into the right-hand lane to turn right traffic entering the carriageway from the central reservation traffic crossing the carriageway pedestrians crossing the carriageway entrances and exits other than road junctions (to services, petrol stations, restaurants, pubs) left-hand junctions with only a short (or no) slip road public footpath crossing the carriageway - indicated by an overlap in the central reser\'ation safety barrier. H I I I I. 1 I I t