Washington State Driver Guide PDF

EMERGENCIES All drivers, sooner or later, will find themselves in an emergency situation. As careful as you are, there are situations that could cause a problem for you. If you are prepared, you may be able to prevent any serious outcomes. There is always a chance of a vehicle problem while driving....

EMERGENCIES All drivers, sooner or later, will find themselves in an emergency situation. As careful as you are, there are situations that could cause a problem for you. If you are prepared, you may be able to prevent any serious outcomes. There is always a chance of a vehicle problem while driving. You should follow the recommended maintenance schedule listed in the vehicle owner’s manual. Following these preventive measures greatly reduces the chance your vehicle will have a problem. Possible vehicle failures and what you can do if they happen are listed here. Brake Failure If your brakes stop working: pump the brake pedal several times. This will often build up enough brake pressure to allow you to stop. if that does not work, use the parking brake. Apply the parking brake slowly so you will not lock the rear wheels and cause a skid. Be ready to release the brake if the vehicle does start to skid. if that does not work, start shifting to lower gears and look for a safe place to slow to a stop. Make sure the vehicle is off the roadway. Do not drive the vehicle without brakes. Tire Blowout If a tire suddenly goes flat: hold the steering wheel tightly and keep the vehicle going straight. slow down gradually. Take your foot off the gas pedal and use the brakes lightly. do not stop on the road if at all possible. Pull off the road in a safe place. 6-1 Power Failure If the engine stalls while you are driving: keep a strong grip on the steering wheel. Be aware that the steering wheel may be difficult to turn, but you can turn it with more effort. pull off the roadway. The brakes will still work but you may have to push very hard on the brake pedal. Headlight Failure If your headlights suddenly go out: try the headlight switch a few times. if that does not work, put on the emergency flashers, turn signals, or fog lights, if you have them. pull off the road as soon as possible. Gas Pedal Sticks The motor keeps going faster and faster: keep your eyes on the road. quickly shift to neutral. pull off the road when safe to do so. turn off the engine. Avoiding Collisions When it looks like a collision may happen, many drivers panic and fail to act. There is usually something you can do to avoid the crash or reduce the impact of the crash. In avoiding a collision, drivers have three options: stop, turn, or speed up. Stopping Quickly Many newer vehicles have an antilock braking system (ABS). Be sure to read the vehicle owner’s manual on how to use the ABS. The ABS system allows you to stop without skidding. 6-2 With ABS – If you have ABS and must stop quickly: press on the brake pedal as hard as you can and keep pressing on it. do not let up on the brake pedal. You might feel the brake pedal pushing back when the ABS is working. The ABS system will only work with the brake pedal pushed down. Without ABS – If you do not have ABS and must stop quickly: you can cause the vehicle to skid if you brake too hard. apply the brakes as hard as you can without locking them. if the brakes lock up, you will feel the vehicle start to skid. uickly let up on the brake pedal. as soon as the vehicle stops skidding, push down on the brake pedal again. Keep doing this until the vehicle has stopped. Turning Quickly You should consider turning in order to avoid a collision. In most cases, you can turn the vehicle quicker than you can stop it. Make sure you have a good grip with both hands on the steering wheel. Once you have turned away or changed lanes, you must be ready to keep the vehicle under control. Some drivers steer away from one collision only to end up in another. Always steer in the direction you want the vehicle to go. With ABS – If you have ABS, you can turn your vehicle while braking without skidding. This is very helpful if you must turn and stop or slow down. Without ABS – If you do not have ABS, you must use a different procedure to turn quickly. You should step on the brake pedal, then let up and turn the steering wheel. Braking will slow the vehicle, put more weight on the front tires, and allow for a quicker turn. Do not lock up the front wheels while braking or turn so sharply that the vehicle wheels start to skid. Generally, it is better to run off the road than to collide head-on into another vehicle. 6-3 Speeding Up Sometimes it is best, or necessary, to speed up to avoid a collision. This may happen when another vehicle is about to hit you from the side or from behind and there is room to the front of you to get out of danger. Be sure to slow down once the danger has passed. Dealing with Skids Any road that is safe under normal conditions can be dangerous when it is wet or has snow or ice on it. High speeds, under normal conditions, also increase the possibility of a skid if you turn or stop suddenly. Skids are caused when the tires can no longer grip the road. Because you cannot control a vehicle when it is skidding, it is best to avoid skidding in the first place. Skids are caused by drivers traveling too fast for conditions. If your vehicle begins to skid: Stay off the brake – Until the vehicle slows, your brakes will not work and could cause you to skid more. Steer – Turn the steering wheel in the direction you want the vehicle to go. As soon as the vehicle begins to straighten out, turn the steering wheel back the other way. If you do not do so, your vehicle may swing around in the other direction and you could start a new skid. Continue to steer – Continue to correct your steering, left and right, until the vehicle is again moving down the road under your control. 6-4 Protecting Yourself in Collisions You may not always be able to avoid a collision. Try everything you can to keep from getting hit. If nothing works, try to lessen any injuries that could result from the collision. The most important thing you can do is to use your lap and shoulder belts. Besides your seat belts, there are a couple of other things that could help prevent more serious injuries. Hit from the rear If your vehicle is hit from the rear, your body will be thrown backwards. Press yourself against the back of your seat and put your head against the head restraint. Be ready to apply your brakes so you will not be pushed into another vehicle. Hit from the side If your vehicle is hit from the side, your body will be thrown towards the side that is hit. Air bags will not help in this situation. Your lap and shoulder belts are needed to help keep you behind the wheel. Get ready to steer or brake to prevent your vehicle from hitting something else. Hit from the front If your vehicle is about to be hit from the front, it is important to try and have a glancing blow, rather than being struck head-on. This means that if a collision is going to happen, you should try to turn the vehicle. At worst, you hit with a glancing blow. You might miss it. If your vehicle has an air bag, it will inflate. It also will deflate following the crash, so be ready to prevent your vehicle from hitting something else. You must use your lap and shoulder belts to keep you behind the wheel and to protect you if your vehicle has a second collision. 6-5 Collisions Do not stop at a collision unless you are involved or if emergency help has not yet arrived. Keep your attention on your driving and keep moving, watching for people who might be in or near the road. Never drive to the scene of a collision, fire, or other disaster, just to look. You may block the way for police, firefighters, ambulances, tow trucks, and other rescue vehicles. You must obey all lawful orders given by police, firefighters, and other persons authori ed to direct traffic at the scene. It is against the law to drive over a fire hose. Doing this can damage the hose, injure firefighters or hinder their efforts. No matter how good a driver you are, there may be a time when you are involved in a collision. If you are involved, you must stop. If involved in a collision with a parked vehicle, you must try and locate the owner. If any person is injured or killed, the police must be notified. It is a crime for you to leave a collision site where your vehicle was involved if there is an injury or death before police have talked to you and obtained the information they need. You may want to carry a basic vehicle emergency kit. These kits have emergency flares, first aid supplies, and basic tools. At the Collision Scene For all collisions that only damage a vehicle or other property, the driver must move the vehicle off the road, freeway, shoulder or median to an exit ramp shoulder, frontage road, cross street or other suitable location as soon as it is possible to do so. For all other collisions, stop your vehicle at or near the collision site. If you can move your vehicle, get it off the road so that it does not block traffic or cause another collision. Do not stand or walk in traffic lanes. You could be struck by another vehicle. Turn off the ignition of wrecked vehicles. Do not smoke around wrecked vehicles. Fuel could have spilled and fire is a real danger. 6-6 If there are power lines down with wires in the road, do not go near them. Make sure that other traffic will not be involved in the collision. Use flares or other warning devices to alert traffic of the collision. If Someone Is Injured Get help make sure the police and emergency medical or rescue squad have been called. If there is a fire, tell the police when they are called. Do not move the injured unless they are in a burning vehicle or in other immediate danger of being hit by traffic. Moving a person can make their injuries worse. First, help anyone who is not already walking and talking. Check for breathing, then check for bleeding. If there is bleeding, apply pressure directly on the wound with your hand or with a cloth. Even severe bleeding can be stopped or slowed by putting pressure on the wound. Do not give injured persons anything to drink, not even water. To help prevent an injured person from going into shock, cover them with a blanket or coat to keep them warm. Reporting the Collision Get the names and addresses of all people involved in the collision and any witnesses, including injured persons. Exchange information with other drivers, motorcyclists, bicyclists, or pedestrians involved in the crash, including: name, address, driver license number, vehicle information (license plate, make, model and year of vehicle) and insurance company and policy number if available. Record any damage to the vehicles involved in the collision. Provide information to the police or other emergency officials if requested. 6-7 Should the collision involve a parked vehicle, try to find the owner. If you cannot, leave a note in a place where it can be seen with information on how the owner can reach you and the date and time of the collision. If the collision results in an injury, death, or property damage of 1, or more to one person’s property and a report is not made by a law enforcement officer, you must complete a Collision Report form within four days. To get a report form, go to www.wsp.wa.gov/driver/collision records or call -5 -2 55. Emergency Notification System (ENS) Every railroad grade crossing has an emergency dispatch number for contacting the railroad to report problems with the crossing, tracks, or train travel. The ENS number is typically located on a blue sign on the railroad crossing posts or the metal control box near the tracks. This sign also contains a USDOT number that identifies the railroad grade crossing’s physical location so emergency crews or railroad personnel can respond. By providing the USDOT number, the dispatchers will know exactly where the grade crossing is and can notify trains moving in that direction to either come to a stop, or be placed on an a speed restriction. 6-8 VEHICLE LICENSING Registration You must register your vehicle with us if you are a resident of Washington State and own and operate a vehicle on public roadways. If you are a new resident, you must register your vehicle within 30 days of becoming a resident. If you are a resident here and purchase a vehicle in another state with the intention of driving it on a Washington roadway, you must register your vehicle immediately. What You Need to Bring To title and register your vehicle, bring the following to a vehicle licensing office. The current Certificate of Ownership (title) and registration for your vehicle. If your title has been lost, you must apply for a duplicate from the state of issuance. If the title is issued by another state and the lien holder retains it, you must provide a copy of the current title to get a Washington registration. The personal identification of all registered owners. An odometer reading on a secure odometer form, if your vehicle is less than ten years old. Scale weight slip for trucks, trailers (except travel), and propane-powered vehicles, if not shown on the previous title or registration. Cash, personal check, cashier’s check, money order or certain credit/debit cards are accepted. We accept the following cards: American Express, Discover credit, VISA and MasterCard credit and debit cards. 7-1 When registering a vehicle, all registered owners of the vehicle must present an unexpired driver license unless they: are a Washington resident who does not operate a motor vehicle on public roads. have a driver license that is lost, stolen, confiscated, suspended, or revoked. are a licensee who is: – out of the area, state, or country. – incarcerated. – a divorcee who was not awarded the vehicle. – deceased. are exempt from driver licensing requirements. This applies to: – anyone in the Armed Forces. – any nonresident who is at least 16 with a valid driver license issued from their home state or country. – anyone operating special highway-construction equipment, a farm tractor, or a locomotive on rails. Certificate of Ownership (Title) We will issue a Certificate of Ownership (title) for vehicles, including mopeds, mobile homes, campers, trailers, certain electric vehicles, and off-road vehicles. Snowmobiles are not titled in Washington, but they are required to be registered annually. The title shows the registered and legal owner(s). Keep it in a safe place, but not in the vehicle. When ownership is transferred, the title must be signed and dated by all of the owners and then given to the purchaser. The purchaser must transfer ownership within 15 days to avoid penalty fees. If the vehicle is sold by a dealer, the transfer is the dealer’s responsibility. 7-2 Report of Sale When a vehicle is sold or traded to a private party or dealer, the owner must report the sale within five days. The Report of Sale is the upper portion of newer certificates of ownership or is available at any Washington vehicle licensing office or on our website. You can take a Report of Sale to any Washington vehicle licensing office to file it immediately for a small service fee, or you can file it electronically at www.dol.wa.gov. File a properly completed Report of Sale within five days of selling, trading, gifting, or disposing of your vehicle in any way. This can help protect you from certain civil liabilities if the new owner does not transfer the title. Vehicle License Plates License plates must be displayed on both the front and rear of motor vehicles registered in Washington. License renewal month and year tabs are required only on rear plates. Personalized License Plates – Prior to submitting your application for personalized license plates, verify the plate you want is available by going to our website www.dol.wa.gov. Specialty License Plates – A variety of license plates representing sports teams, colleges, military, and other special interests are available. Go to www.dol.wa.gov/ vehicleregistration/specialdesign.html to view the latest designs. Disabled Parking Privileges – You may get temporary or permanent disabled parking privileges and an identification card if you have a disability that limits or impairs your ability to walk. To apply, both you and your physician must complete the Disabled Person’s Parking Privileges Application form, available at any vehicle or driver licensing office or on our website at www.dol.wa.gov. Most vehicle licensing offices can process your application. 7-3 Safe. Secure. Convenient. Sign up for LicenseExpress Skip a trip. Go online at www.dol.wa.gov at www.dol.wa.gov to manage your vehicle renewals, boat registration, drivers license, change of address and much more! Regulatory Signs Speed Limit (55 mph) Yield No U Turn Stop Do Not Enter Do Not Pass Wrong Way Keep Right (except to pass) Slower Traffic Keep Right Disabled Parking No Right Turn School: Speed Limit 20 mph When Children Are Present Work Area Signs Detour Service Signs Flagger Hospital Destination Signs City and Mileage Exit Only/ Optional Exit Phone