Helpful Driving Information

SPECIAL PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH CITY DRIVING

Urban or city driving involves a variety of complex driving situations. Drivers have to deal with pedestrians, bicyclists, delivery trucks, buses, parked cars, one-way streets, etc. The presence of these features makes city driving more challenging.

CITY DRIVING ENVIRONMENT

Space is limited on city streets, so you should reduce your speed when driving in the city. At slower speeds you can more effectively analyze road situations and predict what might happen, avoid dangerous conditions and vision limitations, and react to hazards.

SPECIAL PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH CITY DRIVING

Examples of problems associated with city traffic include:

• Parked cars blocking the view of oncoming traffic, cars entering or exiting parking lots, and doors opening
  
• Delivery truck drivers racing to and from their trucks; stopping suddenly
  
• Loading and unloading of passengers from buses
  
• Cars or bicyclists darting out of alleys
  
• Pedestrians crossing streets illegally
  
• Intersections spaced at shorter intervals
  
• Stop and go traffic

SPECIAL PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH CITY DRIVING

Parked cars block your view of pedestrian traffic and children playing. It is hard to see people getting out of cars so be alert when driving near parked cars.
You should drive slowly and keep a lookout for doors opening or people getting out of cars. You will be at fault if you hit a parked car or a person getting out of one.

SPECIAL PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH CITY DRIVING

In crowded downtown areas and in some residential areas, children play in the streets because of a lack of parks and playgrounds nearby. Always yield to children. If you don't exercise caution when children are present, you may hit a child. Remember the cost of hitting a child is very high—in dollars, grief, and guilt.

SPECIAL PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH CITY DRIVING

Delivery trucks are part of normal traffic on city roads. Sometimes delivery truck drivers jump out of their vehicles suddenly and cross your path or lane of traffic to make deliveries. If you are driving too fast and don't pay attention, you can hit the delivery person or make a sudden stop or maneuver which could cause other drivers to collide with your vehicle.

SPECIAL PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH CITY DRIVING

Drivers should take the following safety measures on city streets:

• Always observe and obey traffic rules, signs, and signals.
• Plan out route ahead of time.
• Watch for pedestrians.
• Be alert for traffic signals.
• Make sure to drive in the correct lane.
• Watch for brake lights.

COVERING THE BRAKE

In city driving, you should be prepared to stop or slow down suddenly. Cover braking provides a smooth transition from acceleration to braking and is effective for slowing in reduced stopping distances.

COVERING THE BRAKE

The cover braking technique involves taking your right foot off the accelerator and holding it over the brake pedal. If you have to stop quickly, your foot is already above the brake pedal and is in the perfect position to press the brake. This method will improve your reaction time. So, whenever you identify a hazard, cover the brake to prepare for sudden stops or slowing. When covering the brake, be careful not to rest your foot on the brake pedal (also known as riding the brake). Riding the brake is not recommended; it will only confuse other drivers and add unnecessary wear to the brakes.

COVERING THE BRAKE

Covering the brakes is recommended when:

• Passing parked cars, as they may pull out in front of you or swing open a door
• You see cars in front of you with their brake lights on
• Approaching a signal light in a busy intersection (look for traffic build up and flashing crosswalk lights as these indicate that the light is about to change)

ONE-WAY STREETS

One-way streets are common in city areas. You will recognize one-way streets from the signs and markings on the road. Broken white lines separate traffic lanes on one-way streets. You will not see yellow markings on a one-way street.

ONE-WAY STREETS

When driving on one-way streets with multi-lanes, always choose the lane with fewest hazards. Middle lanes usually have the best flow. Follow the speed limit and maintain a speed consistent with the traffic flow.
If you encounter an oncoming vehicle (going the wrong way on one-way street), don’t panic. Slow down and try to get the drivers attention by flashing your headlights and honking your horn loudly. If this does not work, pull over and let it pass.

ONE-WAY STREETS

When exiting a one-way street, look for signs which will indicate whether you are turning into a one-way or a two-way street. Use right lanes for making right turns and left lanes for making left turns. U-turns are not allowed on one-way streets.

HEAVY TRAFFIC IN CITY AREAS

When traffic is heavy, such as early morning or late afternoon rush hour, the lanes and spaces surrounding your vehicle are filled. This makes it more difficult to create a safe cushion of space around your vehicle. Sometimes traffic becomes so heavy that your car comes to a stop. This type of traffic is called gridlock.

HEAVY TRAFFIC IN CITY AREAS

It is very important to maintain a proper distance between vehicles in your front, side, and rear zones. This is even more critical—and more of a challenge—during heavy traffic. The space that you have the most control over is the zone ahead of you. In heavy traffic, maintain as large a space as you can.

HEAVY TRAFFIC IN CITY AREAS

If the gap is too large, other drivers will want to move into it, and this creates a new problem. Creating a cushion of space that is sufficiently large without tempting incursions on the part of the driver in an adjacent space is a complex driving task that all drivers face.

HEAVY TRAFFIC IN CITY AREAS

It is common on city streets for traffic to suddenly reduce to a crawl. Be extra vigilant when navigating through heavy traffic, and try to avoid being surprised when drivers ahead brake suddenly. If you are aware of the brake lights far ahead, you will know what to expect.