1. Driving In Urban Traffic
Adjusting to Urban Traffic

2. What are 2 factors that can make city driving Difficult?
Dense traffic & hazards are closer together

3. It takes time to see, react and adjust (IPDE) to hazards
Mile for mile, city roads have the highest number and variety of hazards
deal with hazards
more frequently
It takes time to see, react and adjust (IPDE) to hazards

4. IPDE Process I – be more aggressive (look everywhere)
P – predict possible pts of conflict
D – be ready to reduce speed and change
position
E – be prepared to use car’s controls in an
instant

5. How can you adjust to complex situations?
Focus on driving not on ?
Cell phones, music, others in the car
Slow down and give yourself more time and space.
What is a space cushion?

6. Driver Distractions

7. 19 How old do you have to be to use a cell phone when driving?
Let the cell phone take a message or pull over

8. What should your following distance be? ____ seconds
How do you check your following distance? (I’ll give you 10 seconds Ask your driving partner)

9. Slow Down

10. When do you increase your following distance?
Following a motorcycle or truck
Carrying a heavy load or pulling a trailer
Traction is poor
You have a tailgater
You are learning to drive

11. Why do you increase your following distance when the tailgater is behind you?

12. Managing tailgaters
If you slow or stop, do it slowly & give the tailgater more time to respond

13. Move to the right to give the tailgater a view to see around you.
Signal early for turns, stops, & lane changes.
Flash brake lights; increase following distance 4 or more seconds

14. Managing Space Look ahead while staying back
Approaching Traffic Signals
What is a Fresh Green Light?
Stale green light?
Never speed up to get thru a green light before it changes.
Cover the brake

15. Managing Space Riding brake – resting foot on brake Adjust speed
Select best lane –
Right – slow moving
Left – faster, turns
Center – fast, straight moving traffic

16. Managing Space Lane changes – Check traffic in both lanes and mirrors
Signal
Check blind spots
Change lane w/out slowing down
Cancel signal

17. Responding to Oncoming Traffic
May cross your path because
Driver impaired
Poor judgment
Poor visibility
Reduced space
Sudden moves
Vehicle failure
Turning buses and trucks
Double parked cars

18. How to avoid conflicts Slow down Flash lights Turn on lights
Move to right
Honk horn

19. What does a flashing Don’t Walk Sign mean to a driver?

20. Driving past parked cars.
How far away from parked cars??
About a door width away. (6 feet)

21. You are going the wrong way on a one way street!!

22. How do you Identifying One-Way Streets?
One way signs (Arrow, Do Not Enter, Wrong Way)
Traffic moving and parked are facing the same direction
Broken white lines instead of yellow
Signs facing the same direction
Stop line – curb to curb

23. One way streets

25. Carefully look at the worksheet and draw lines & arrows for each turn.