CHAPTER 9 DRIVING IN URBAN TRAFFIC 9.1 ADJUSTING TO URBAN TRAFFIC 9.2 FOLLOWING AND MEETING TRAFFIC 9.3 MANAGING SPACE IN TRAFFIC 9.4 SPECIAL URBAN SITUATIONS

FACTORS THAT MAKE URBAN DRIVING DIFFICULT MORE DENSE cars, buses, trucks,

HOW MANY REGULATORY SIGNS CAN YOU SEE?

HAZARDS ARE CLOSER TOGETHER Mile per mile cities have more hazards

FACTORS THAT MAKE URBAN DRIVING DIFFICULT PATH CAN BE BLOCKED QUICKLY

OR JUST BE BLOCKED! IS THIS LEGAL?

PEDSTRIANS

THERE ARE MORE PEDESTRIANS VERY UNPREDICTABLE BE PREPARED TO STOP!

FACTORS THAT MAKE URBAN DRIVING DIFFICULT CLOSED ZONES EVERYWHERE! CAN YOU LEAVE YOURSELF AN OUT?

CAN YOU LEAVE YOURSELF AN OUT?

SO WITH ALL THESE HAZARDS WHAT MUST DRIVERS DO? If you cannot increase the distance between your vehicle and a hazard, you must change your lane position, slow, or stop to give yourself time to solve the conflict

USING THE IPDE PROCESS MANY LINE OF SIGHT RESTRICTIONS YOU WILL HAVE TO SLOW AND GIVE TIME TO OTHERS THIS GIVES YOU TIME TO REACT

FOLLOWING TRAFFIC 3 SECOND FOLLOWING DISTANCE PROVIDES ENOUGH TIME TO REACT TO SITUATIONS

MEASURING 3 SECONDS PICK A FIXED POINT LIKE THE POLE OR SIGNS AHEAD WHEN VEHICLE AHEAD PASSES IT, START COUNTING STOP COUNTING WHEN YOUR VEHICLE PASSES THE SAME POINT

LOOKING BEYOND VEHICLE AHEAD LOOK THROUGH WINDOWS UNDER VEHICLE AROUND VEHICLE PREDICT WHAT COULD EFFECT VEHICLE IN FRONTOF YOU

AREAS FOR SUDDEN STOPS BUSINESS DRIVEWAYS WITH HIGH TRAFFIC VOLUME

AREAS FOR SUDDEN STOPS APPROACHING INTERSECTIONS

AREAS FOR SUDDEN STOPS DRIVING NEXT TO PARKED CARS

WHEN TO LOOK AWAY IF LOOKING FOR AN ADDRESS MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AMPLE ROOM IN FRONT BE SURE NO ONE IS TAILGATING LOWER YOUR SPEED KEEP YOUR EYES MOVING IF YOU HAVE A PASSENGER ASK THEM TO LOOK

HOW TO MANAGE TAILGATERS FLASH BRAKE LIGHTS INCREASE FOLLOWING TO AT LEAST 4 SECONDS MOVE SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT SIGNAL EARLY FOR STOPS AND TURNS CHANGE LANES OR EVEN PULL OVER AND STOP

ONCOMING TRAFFIC REASONS FOR CROSSING OVER THE CENTER LINE DRIVER IMPAIRMENT POOR JUDGEMENT POOR VISIBILITY REDUCED SPACE SUDDEN MOVES BY OTHERS VEHICLE FAILURE TURNING BUSES AND TRUCKS DOUBLED PARKED VEHICLES

AVOIDING CONFLICTS SLOW AND GIVE OTHER DRIVER TIME FLASH HEADLIGHTS HONK HORN IF ROOM, MOVE TO THE RIGHT

PARKED VEHICLES COVER BRAKE MOVE TO THE LEFT LOOK FOR BRAKE LIGHTS, EXHAUST, OR WHEELS TURNED OUT TAP HORN IF NEEDED BE READY TO STOP OR SWERVE

PARKED VEHICLES LOOK AHEAD WHAT WOULD YOU PREDICT? THERE IS A DRIVER IN THIS CAR

Driving Next to Parked Cars What would you do?

MANAGING SPACE LOOKING AHEAD WHILE STAYING BACK COVERING THE BRAKE ADJUST YOUR SPEED TO TRAFFIC

APPROACHING RED LIGHT SLOW AND CHECK FOR PED’S STOP FAR ENOUGH BEHIND CARS SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THEIR REAR TIRES

APPROACHING TRAFFIC SIGNALS IF GREEN PREDICT IT WILL TURN YELLOW STOP FAR ENOUGH BEHIND CARS SO YOU CAN SEE THEIR REAR TIRES

ADJUSTING YOUR SPEED FOR CITY DRIVING DRIVE WITH TRAFFIC FLOW STAY WITHIN SPEED LIMIT ADJUST SPEED AND POSITION AHEAD OF TIME FOR OTHER DRIVERS WHO MIGHT BLOCK YOUR WAY

SELECTING THE BEST LANE LEFT LANE IS FOR TURNING CENTER LANE IS FOR THROUGH LANE RIGHT LANE IS FOR TURNING

CHANGING LANES USE YOUR MIRRORS TO CHECK FOR TRAFFIC! SIGNAL EARLY QUICKLY CHECK BLIND SPOT MOVE OVER WITHOUT SLOWING DOWN (UNLESS YOU MUST) CANCEL SIGNAL

SPECIAL LANES TWO WAY TRAFFIC

SPECIAL URBAN SITUATIONS

ONE WAY STREETS YOU MUST ALWAYS TURN INTO THE FIRST AVAILABLE LANE GOING IN THE CORRECT DIRECTION.

ONE WAY STREETS HOW DO YOU KNOW? BROKEN WHITE LINES ONLY ALL SIGNS FACE SAME DIRECTION

PARKED CARS SAME DIRECTION

CARPOOL LANES SPECIAL LANES

SPECIAL LANES BUS LANES

WRONG WAY DRIVERS SLOW COVER BRAKE SIGNAL WITH LIGHTS AND HORN GET OUT OF THE WAY!