HORN, HEADLIGHTS, AND EMERGENCY SIGNALS

Use of Horn

• Sound your ONLY horn when necessary to avoid accidents. Don't honk at other times
• Try to get "eye contact" with other drivers. Sometimes it may be necessary to tap your horn to alert another driver who may want to turn in front of you
• On narrow mountain roads, drive as far to the left as possible and sound your horn where you cannot see at least 200 feet ahead or on steep curves
• If a driver is going slowly, don't honk just to make a slow driver hurry. The driver may be ill, lost, or may be having problems with the car
• Never honk if slowing or stopping your car will prevent an accident. It's safer to use the brakes than push the horn
• Don't honk simply to show other drivers that they have made a mistake. Your honking may upset them so much that they may make more mistakes
• Never honk because you are angry or upset
• Honking IRRITATES drivers and increases noise pollution. If you drive safely and courteously honking will not be required

Use Your Headlights

• When it is cloudy, raining, snowing, or foggy
• On frosty mornings when other drivers' windows may be icy or "foggy"
• Any time you have trouble seeing other cars. Other drivers will be having trouble seeing you, too
• On small country or mountain roads. It is a good idea to drive with your headlights on, even on sunny days. This will help other drivers see you. Your headlights may help you avoid a head-on crash. Don't forget to turn them off when you park! You may have to flash your headlights under certain circumstances to get the attention of another driver who may not see you

Use Your Emergency Signals
When your car breaks down on the road, make sure that other drivers can see it. Many accidents happen because a driver didn't see a stalled car until it was too late to stop. If you are having car trouble, and have to stop, follow these rules:

• If at all possible, pull off the road away from all traffic
• If you cannot get completely off the road, try to stop where people can see you and your car from behind. Don't stop just over a hill or just around a curve
• Turn on your emergency flashers to show a hazard or accident is ahead. You should also use your emergency flashers if you are not moving. If your car doesn't have flashers, turn signals may be used instead
• If it is safe, lift the hood to signal an emergency
• Give other drivers plenty of warning. If you have them, place emergency flares or triangles 200 to 300 feet behind the car. This allows other drivers time to change lanes, if necessary. Be very careful when using flares. They may cause fires, especially when used near flammable liquids
• If you don't have emergency flares, follow the rules listed above and stay in your vehicle until help arrives. Be careful for your safety and stay off the road. Remember, don't even try to change a tire if it means you have to stand in a traffic lane

Signal When You Change Direction
Signal to let other drivers know your plans and watch for other drivers' signals too. Always signal before pulling next to or away from the curb, before turning and changing lanes. Use arm signals or the signal lights on your car. On sunny days, signal lights may be hard to see. If the sun is bright, use arm signals as well as signal lights. Even though you signal, do not automatically assume that the space you wish to occupy is clear. Look over your shoulder to check your blind spot, before making a lane change.

Signal during the last 100 feet before turning and on the freeway, it is best to signal at least five seconds before changing lanes. Always signal when you change direction even when you don't see any vehicle around as the vehicle may be in your blind spot. If you plan to turn beyond an intersection, don't signal until you are actually in the intersection. If you signal too early, another driver may think you will turn before you reach him or her and might pull into your path. If you plan to turn at an intersection (for example), which is close to a business driveway, be especially careful. People leaving that business may think you are turning into the driveway when you really intend to turn at the intersection. These drivers may pull out right in front of you. In a case like this, it might be better to signal after the driveway but before the intersection.

Check your signal after turning. Turn it off if it hasn't clicked off by itself.

Signal When You Slow Down Or Stop Suddenly
Never stop on the road, blocking traffic, unless necessary for safety or to obey a law. If you can see an accident ahead, warn drivers behind you of any stop you must make. Turn on your emergency flashers or tap the brake pedal quickly three or four times as a warning. You can also use the hand signal for slowing and stopping. When slowing, you should start braking early as a signal to the cars behind you.

FOLLOWING DISTANCE
When another driver makes a mistake, you need time to react. You can give yourself this time by keeping enough space between your car and the vehicles around you. Keep a "space cushion" on all sides of your car. It will give you space to brake or maneuver if you need it. The shaded areas in the picture illustrate the area around the car that should be empty whenever possible.

Keep A Cushion Ahead
Many drivers don't see as well as they should because they follow too closely, and the vehicle ahead blocks their view of the road. Good drivers keep a safe following distance so they can see better. The more space they allow between their car and the car ahead, the more time they will have to see a hazard or accident down the road. They will have more time to stop, or to avoid the hazard.

Keep enough space between your car and the car ahead so that you will have "a bigger picture" of what lies down the road and steering to avoid trouble will be easier. You can travel in the center of the lane instead of hugging one side or the other to let you see ahead.

Most rear end accidents are caused by following too closely and to avoid this, use the "three-second rule". When the vehicle ahead of you passes a certain point, such as a sign, count "one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two, one-thousand-three". This takes about three seconds. If you pass the same point before you finish counting, you are following too closely.

Sometimes you will need more than a "three-second" cushion so give yourself a "four-second or more" cushion in the following situations:

• When you are crowded by a tailgater: You should allow extra room between your car and the car ahead. Then, if you need to slow down you can do so gradually. You will be able to avoid braking suddenly-and being hit from behind by the tailgater!
• On slippery roads: If the car ahead should slow or stop, you will need more distance to stop your car
• When following motorcycles: If the motorcycle falls, you'll have to avoid hitting the rider. Motorcycles fall more often on wet or icy roads, on metal surfaces such as bridge gratings or railroad tracks, and on gravel
• When the driver behind you wants to pass: Slow down to allow room in front of your car so the driver will have space to move into
• When you are pulling a trailer or carrying a heavy load: The extra weight makes it harder to stop
• When following large vehicles that block your view ahead: You need the extra room to see around the vehicle and to the sides
• When you see a bus, school bus, or vehicle carrying hazardous materials: These vehicles must stop at railroad crossings. Expect the stops; slow down early to allow plenty of room

When you follow too closely and another driver "cuts" in front of you, the normal reaction is to slam on your brakes and swerve out of the way. Swerving out of the way most often results in cutting someone else off or possibly driving off the roadway. It might also result in the car behind you crashing into you or other cars around you.

If another driver "cuts" in front of you, it would be better if you just take your foot off the gas. This will give you space between your car and the other driver without swerving into another lane. Don't overreact if you are cut off. Plan your emergency escape route before an emergency happens.

Keep A Cushion To The Side
Keep a space cushion on each side of your car.

• Don't drive in the blind spot of another driver. The other driver may not see your car and could change lanes and hit you
• Avoid driving alongside other cars on multilane streets. Someone may crowd your lane or try to change lanes and pull into you. Move ahead of the other car or drop back
• Keep as much space as you can between yourself and oncoming traffic. On multilane streets, stay out of the lane next to the centerline, if you can. That way you will have more room to avoid an oncoming car that suddenly swerves toward you. This is very important at intersections where another driver could turn left without giving a signal
• If possible, make room for vehicles entering freeways even though you have the right-of-way
• At freeway exits, don't drive alongside other cars. A driver on the freeway may pull off suddenly or a driver leaving may swerve back on
• Keep a space between yourself and parked cars. Someone may step out from between them. A car door may open. A car may start to pull out suddenly
• Be careful when riding near bicycles. A bicycle rider could be seriously hurt in an accident. Always leave plenty of room between your car and any bicycle. Watch carefully for bicycles before turning

Keep A Cushion Behind
Watch for tailgaters! If one is following you, be careful! Brake slowly before stopping. Tap your brake lightly a few times to warn the tailgater before you slow down. Your brake lights will flash. "Lose" the tailgater as soon as you can by changing lanes. If you can't change lanes, slow down enough to encourage the tailgater to go around you. If this does not work, pull off the road when it is safe and let the tailgater pass.

Splitting The Difference
Sometimes there will be dangers on both sides of the road. For example, there may be parked cars to the left and oncoming cars to the right. In this case, the best thing to do is "split the difference". Steer a middle course between the oncoming cars and the parked cars. If one danger is greater than the other, give the most room to the worst danger. Suppose there are oncoming cars to the right of you and a child on a bike to the left. The child is most likely to make a sudden move. Therefore, give him or her a lot of room. It may mean moving closer to the oncoming cars.

Allow A Cushion For Problem Drivers
There are certain people you should give a lot of room to. Here are some of them.

• Drivers who cannot see you: Someone who cannot see you may enter your path without knowing you are there. People who have trouble seeing you include:
  • Drivers at intersections or driveways, whose view is blocked by buildings, trees, or other cars
  • Drivers backing out of driveways or parking spaces; drivers whose windows are covered with snow or ice; people with umbrellas in front of their faces or hats pulled down over their eyes
• People who are distracted: Even when others can see you, allow extra room if you think they may be distracted. People who may be distracted include:
  • Delivery persons
  • Construction workers
  • Children, who often run into the street without looking
  • Drivers talking on cellular telephones
  • Drivers or people who are talking to each other, taking care of children, or looking at maps
• People who may be confused: A person who is confused is very likely to make a move without looking. People who may be confused include:
  • Tourists, often at complicated intersections
  • Drivers who slow down for what seems to be no apparent reason
  • Drivers looking for a house number
• Drivers in trouble: If another driver makes a mistake, do what you can to help him or her out. Drivers who need help include:
  • Drivers who pass you as you approach a curve or an oncoming car
  • A driver who is about to be forced into your lane by a vehicle, a pedestrian, a bicyclist, an obstruction, or fewer lanes ahead