REDUCED VISIBILITY WHENEVER VISIBILITY IS REDUCED DRIVERS NEED MORE TIME TO USE THE IPDE PROCESS. YOU CAN MAINTAIN A SAFE INTENDED PATH OF TRAVEL BY: SLOWING DOWN TO GIVE YOURSELF MORE TIME SCANNING IN AND AROUND YOUR PATH OF TRAVEL TO THE TARGET AREA TO IDENTIFY HAZARDS EARLY DECIDING TO POSITION YOUR VEHICLE AHEAD OF TIME WITH EXTRA SPACE CUSHION AROUND IT. EXECUTING DRIVING ACTIONS GENTLY TO MAINTAIN CONTROL SO OTHERS KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING
YOUR VEHICLE WINDOWS THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE FOR YOUR VEHICLE S GLASS IS KEEP IT CLEAN! IF DIRTY WINDOWS BECOME A LINE OF SIGHT RESTRICTION, YOU WILL HAVE A MUCH HARDER TIME USING THE IPDE PROCESS EFFECTIVELY. TO ELIMINATE MOISTURE FORMING ON THE INSIDE OF THE WINDOW TAKE THESE STEPS: TURN ON YOUR FRONT WINDOW DEFROSTER SWITCH ON YOUR REAR DEFOGGER USE AIR CONDITIONING AND/OR HEATER IF IT WILL HELP ( WHY AC?) OPEN WINDOWS AS NEEDED
CLEAN ALL WINDOWS AND LIGHTS AHEAD OF TIME IN BAD WEATHER. KEEP A CLOSE CHECK ON ANY ICE SNOW OR DIRT BUILD UP ESPECIALLY ON HEADLIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS. EVEN IN GOOD WEATHER, CLEAN WINDOWS CAN BE A PROBLEM. THE PLASTICS USED IN MANY VEHICLE INTERIORS CAN GIVE OFF VAPOR THAT COAT THE INSIDE OF THE WINDOW OVER TIME. CIGARETTE SMOKE ALSO CAN CREATE A DIRTY WINDOW PROBLEM. BY KEEPING YOUR WINDOW CLEAR, YOU IMPROVE YOUR ABILITY TO IDENTIFY, ESPCECIALLY AT NIGHT.
SUN GLARE AT TIMES THE SUN CAN CREATE SEVERE AND BLINDING GLARE CONDITIONS. SUN GLASSES AND A SUN VISOR CAN HELP, BUT TRY TO AVOID LOOKING TOWARD THE SUN. BY DRIVING WITH LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS ALL THE TIME, YOU CAN HELP OTHER DRIVERS SEE YOU. THE BRIGHTEST DAY WILL CREATE THE DARKEST SHADOWS. WITH SEVERE-GLARE SITUATATIONS AND THE SUN BEHIND YOU, BE PREPARED FOR OTHER DRIVERS TO MISS YOUR SIGNAL OR EVEN SEE YOU.
DAWN AND DUSK AT THESE TIMES, DRIVING CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS. THE LOW VISUAL CONTRAST BETWEEN MOVING VEHICLES AND THE DRIVING SCENE CAN BE DECEIVING. NOT LIGHT ENOUGH TO SEE CLEARLY, NOT DARK ENOUGH THAT YOUR HEADLIGHTS HELP. AGAIN, DRIVING WITH YOUR LOW-BEAMS ON HELPS OTHERS SEE YOU.
NIGHT LOW LEVELS OF LIGHT AT NIGHT SEVERELY LIMIT YOUR ABILITY TO USE THE IPDE PROCESS. YOU CAN ONLY SEE AS FAR AS YOUR HEADLIGHTS ALLOW YOU TO SEE. HEADLIGHTS USE HIGH BEAM TO SEE FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD, ALSO LOOK BEYOND YOUR HEADLIGHTS IF POSSIBLE TO GATHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION. BE READY TO TURN BACK TO LOW-BEAM WHEN ONCOMING VEHICLES COME WITHIN ½ MILE. DO NOT APPROACH ANOTHER VEHICLE FROM BEHIND WITH YOUR HIGH- BEAMS ON. USE YOUR LOW-BEAM LIGHTS IN BAD WEATHER, FOG, HEAVY SNOW SO IT ILLUMINATES THE ROAD AND NOT THE WEATHER.
FOG WHEN YOUR HEADLIGHTS SHINE INTO THE FOG, LIGHT IS REFLECTED BACK AT YOU. THE BRIGHTER THE LIGHTS= THE MORE FOG YOU WILL SEE. USE YOUR LOW-BEAM LIGHTS TO ILLUMINATE THE ROAD AND SEARCH FOR THE FOG LINE TO USE AS REFERENCE TO KEEP YOU IN YOU LANE.
RAIN HEAVY RAIN REDUCES YOUR ABILITY TO SEE AND BE SEEN. KEEP YOUR WINDSHIELD CLEAR YOU USING YOUR WIPERS AND DEFROSTER ON HIGH. HEADLIGHTS SHOULD BE ON LOW-BEAM SO YOU DO NOT ILLUMINATE THE RAIN ITSELF BUT RATHER THE ROAD INSTEAD. REDUCE YOUR SPEED DRIVE WITH CAUTION
SNOW WIND DRIVEN SNOW CAN REDUCE YOUR VISION, COVER ROADWAY MARKINGS, AND MAKE STEERING MORE DIFFICULT. BE PREPARED TO SLOW AND STEER CAREFULLY. HEAVY SNOW CAN BLOCK YOUR SIGHT OUT OUR BACK WINDOW, BE SURE TO REMOVE THIS BEFORE YOU DRIVE. ANYTIME YOU ARE DRIVING IN SNOW CONDITIONS DRIVE TO THE CONDITIONS! SLOW DOWN, BRAKE EARLY, ACCELERATE SLOWLY. IN WINTER DRIVING YOU CAN NEVER BE TOO CAUTIOUS. GET UP EARLY TO PROVIDE YOU TIME TO CLEAR YOUR CAR, WARM YOUR CAR AND GET TO WHERE YOU ARE GOING ON TIME.
MEETING OTHER VEHICLES-TAKE THESE ACTIONS IF AN ONCOMING VEHICLE FAILS TO USE LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS AFTER YOU SWITCH TO LOW-BEAMS. IF THE ONCOMING DRIVER IS FAR ENOUGH AWAY, BRIEFLY FLICK YOUR HEADLIGHTS FROM LOW TO HIGH TO REMIND THEM TO CHANGE THEIRS. IF THEY STILL HAVE THEIR HIGH BEAMS ON: SLOW MOVE TO LANE POSITION 3 FIND AND USE THE FOG LINE AS YOUR REFERENCE SO YOU DO NOT HAVE TO LOOK DIRECTLY INTO THE LIGHTS AND TEMPORARILY BLIND YOURSELF. OVERDRIVING HEADLIGHTS- THIS TERM MEANS: DRIVING AT A SPEED THAT MAKES YOUR STOPPING DISTANCE LONGER THAN THE DISTANCE LIGHTED BY YOUR HEADLIGHTS. YOU SHOULD HAVE A 4 SECOND STOPPING DISTANCE (USE THE TECHNIQUE WE LEARNED FOR DEVELOPING A CUSHION)
SECTION 1- REVIEW WHAT ACTIONS SHOULD YOU TAKE WHEN USING THE IPDE PROCESS IN LIMITED-VISABILTY SITUATIONS? SLOW DOWN, SEARCH AGRESSIVELY, PREDICT OTHERS WILL ENTER YOUR PATH OF TRAVEL, AND USE AN EXTRA SPACE OF CUSHION. WHAT STEPS CAN YOU TAKE TO HELP OTHERS SEE YOU AT DAWN AND DUSK? TURN ON YOU LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS WHEN SHOULD YOU USE LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS AT NIGHT? SWITCH TO LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS WHEN ANOTHER VEHCILE IS APPROACHING OR IF YOU ARE FOLLOWING SOMEONE. WHAT STEPS SHOULD YOU TAKE WHEN AN ONCOMING DRIVER FAILS TO USE LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS? BREIFLY FLICK YOUR LIGHTS LOW TO HIGH BACK TO LOW TO REMIND THE ONCOMING DRIVER.
REDUCED TRACTION TRACTION ALLOWS YOUR TIRES TO GRIP THE ROAD SO THAT YOU CAN CONTROL YOUR VEHICLE. RAIN, SNOW, ICE, SAND AND OTHER MATERIALS CAN LIMIT YOUR TRACTION. REDUCED TRACTION CAN CREATE HIGH-RISK DRIVING SITUATIONS.
WET ROADWAYS RAIN-SLICK ROADS CAN CREATE A PROBLEM FOR ANY DRIVER BUT YOU CAN AVOID TROUBLE BY KNOWING THE RIGHT ACTIONS TO TAKE AHEAD OF TIME. WHEN RAIN STARTS- IT MIXES WITH THE DUST AND OIL ON THE ROAD AND CAN MAKE IT VERY SLIPPERY UNTIL MORE RAIN WASHES IT AWAY. REDUCE SPEED TO MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR LIMITED TRACTION ON WET ROADS. BY FOLLOWING THE TIRES TRACKS OF THE CAR IN FRONT OF YOU, YOU CAN GET A LITTLE BETTER TRACTION.
HYDROPLANING WHEN THE TIRE LOSES ROAD CONTACT BY RISING ON TOP OF WATER. CAUSED BY A COMBINATION OF STANDING WATER, SPEED, AND TIRE CONDITION. A DEEP TREAD OF NEW TIRES AND PROPERLY INFLATED TIRES WILL CUT THROUGH THE WATER. EVEN WITH GOOD TIRES, HYDROPLANING CAN OCCUR AT 35 MPH. IF YOU MUST DRIVE THROUGH STANDING WATER, TAKE THESE STEPS: REDUCE YOUR SPEED USE PROPERLY INFLATED TIRES WITH A GOOD TREAD.
DEEP WATER WHEN YOU DON T KNOW HOW DEEP THE WATER IS, DO NOT DRIVE THROUGH IT. FLOODS CAUSE MORE DEATHS THAN ANY OTHER WEATHER CONDITION AND 60% ARE VEHICLE RELATED. IF YOU MUST DRIVE THROUGH DEEP WATER: ESTIMATE THE DEPTH BY WATCHING OTHER VEHICLES OR LOOK AT OBJECTS LIKE FIRE HYDRANTS, FENCE POSTS, OTHER PARKED VEHICLES. IF THE WATER COMES UP TO THE BOTTOM OF YOUR CAR- STOP AND DO NOT PROCEED. IF THE WATER IS JUST OVER YOUR RIMS, DRIVE SLOWLY IN LOW GEAR AFTER LEAVING THE WATER, SQUEEZE YOUR BRAKE PEDAL LIGHTLY TO SEE IF YOUR BRAKES ARE WORKING NORMALLY. IF IT PULLS TO ONE SIDE, KEEP YOUR LEFT FOOT ON THE BRAKES LIGHTLY WHILE YOU DRIVE TO DRY THEM OFF AND HEAT THEM UP.
SNOW DIFFERENT TYPES OF SNOW CAN PRODUCE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF TRACTION. WHEN FRESH SNOW FALLS AT LOW TEMPERATURES, TRACTION CAN BE FAIRLY GOOD. WHEN SNOW BECOMES PACKED (LIKE AT INTERSECTIONS) IT CAN BE REDUCED. IN SUBZERO TEMPERATURES, EVEN THE MOISTURE FROM THE VEHICLE EXHAUST CAN FREEZE INTO DANGEROUS ICE ON THE PAVEMENT.
DRIVING TECHNIQUES FOR SNOW GENTLE ACCELERATION, STEERING AND BRAKING ARE THE KEYS TO VEHICLE CONTROL IN SNOW. PUT YOUR VEHICLE IN MOTION BY GENTLY ACCELERATING- DO NOT PUSH HARD ON THE GAS THE TIRES WILL JUST SPIN IN PLACE. TO IMPROVE YOUR TRACTION, USE ALL SEASON TIRES OR TIRES WITH STUDS IN THEM. ROCKING A VEHICLE IF STUCK KEEP WHEELS STRAIGHT GENTLY ACCELRATE FORWARD DON T SPIN YOUR TIRES LET UP AND PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE CONTINUE BACKWARD, FORWARD ROCKING MOVEMENT UNTIL YOU VEHILCE HAS CLEARED TRACKS THAT ARE LONG ENOUGH TO DRIVE OUT. *** BUT IS THIS REALLY THE BEST WAY??????
ICE BE ESPECIALLY ALERT IF TEMPERATURES DROP BELOW FREEZING AND ITS RAINING. ICY ROAD ARE THE MOST DANGEROUS BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE LEAST AMOUNT OF CONTROL. SQUEEZE YOUR BRAKES LIGHTLY TO CHECK YOUR TRACTION IN ICY AREAS. ONLY DO THIS AT SLOW SPEEDS. BE EXTRA ALERT FOR: ICE ON BRIDGES BLACK ICE ICE IN TIRE TRACKS
OTHER REDUCED-TRACTION SITUATIONS GRAVEL ROADS LEAVES CONSTRUCTION AREAS THESE AREAS ARE OFTEN COVERED IN MUD, DIRT, OR SAND ON THE ROAD. SLOW, STEER GENTLY OBEY WORKERS DIRECTIONS USE EXTRA SPACE CUSHION WHEN FOLLOWING. MANY STATES HAVE FINES THAT DOUBLE WHEN BROKEN IN CONSTRUCTION ZONES.
OTHER WEATHER CONDITIONS