CHAPTER 11 EXPRESSWAYS CHAPTER 11 11 1 CHARACTERISTICS

CHAPTER 11 EXPRESSWAYS

CHAPTER 11 11. 1 CHARACTERISTICS OF EXPRESSWAY DRIVING 11. 2 ENTERING AN EXPRESSWAY 11. 3 STRATEGIES FOR DRIVING ON EXPRESSWAYS 11. 4 EXITING EXPRESSWAYS 11. 5 SPECIAL EXPRESSWAY PROBLEMS

ADVANTAGES OF EXPRESSWAYS

FEWER COLLISIONS BECAUSE: 1. NO CROSS TRAFFIC 2. MEDIAN OR BARRIER

FEWER COLLISIONS BECAUSE: SIGNS HELP DRIVERS ANTICIPATE

FEWER COLLISIONS BECAUSE: WIDE UNDERPASSES WIDE SHOULDERS

NON MOTORIZED VEHICLES NOT ALLOWED

TYPES OF INTERCHANGES CLOVERLEAF TRUMPET DIAMOND ALL DIRECTIONAL

SAFE DRIVING STRATEGIES PREPARING YOURSELF AND YOUR VEHICLE

SAFE DRIVING STRATEGIES BUILD EXPERIENCE GRADUALLY

SAFE DRIVING STRATEGIES CONCENTRATE ON DRIVING TASK

SAFE DRIVING STRATEGIES COOPERATE WITH OTHER DRIVERS

ENTERING AN EXPRESSWAY MERGING AREA ACCELERATION LANE ENTRANCE RAMP

STEPS FOR ENTERING üMAKE SURE CORRECT ENTRANCE

ü LOOK AHEAD FOR A GAP ü ACCELERATE GRADUALLY ü DECIDE WHICH GAP

üSMOOTH LANE CHANGE AT PROPER SPEED! üCANCEL SIGNAL AND ADJUST

PROBLEMS WHILE ENTERING DRIVER BACKING UP ON ENTRANCE RAMP

PROBLEMS WHILE ENTERING SIGNALS AND LIGHTS ON RAMP DESIGNED TO CONTROL THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC ENTERING EXPRESSWAY

PROBLEMS WHILE ENTERING RUSH HOUR: LARGE NUMBER OF VEHICLES ENTERING MAKE AN EFFORT TO ENTER WITHOUT STOPPING

IF YOU CANNOT ENTER TRAFFIC AND MUST STOP üFLASH BRAKE LIGHTS EARLY üPULL ONTO SHOULDER AT END OF ACCELERATION LANE üWAIT FOR A LARGE SAFE GAP üSIGNAL AND ACCELERATE QUICKLY TO JOIN TRAFFIC FLOW

MERGING PROBLEMS • YOU MAY HAVE TO ACCELERATE OR BRAKE QUICKLY TO FIT INTO A GAP • BE PREPARED TO SELECT ANOTHER GAP IF YOUR CLOSES QUICKLY

LEFT SIDE ENTRANCE RAMPS SINCE THE LEFT LANE IS USUALLY THE HIGH SPEED LANE, IF ENTERING FROM THE LEFT BE PREPARED FOR FASTER TRAFFIC AND QUICKER LANE CHANGE.

STRATEGIES FOR DRIVING AN EXPRESSWAYS IDENTIFY: üVOLUME OF TRAFFIC SIGNS AND SIGNALS üROADWAY MARKINGS üCLOSED AND OPEN ZONES üNEVER ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE TRAPPED!

STRATEGIES FOR DRIVING AN EXPRESSWAYS PREDICT: üSUDDEN CHANGES IN SPEED AHEAD üDRIVERS CHANGING LANES QUICKLY üPOINTS OF CONFLICT üPARKED VEHICLES ENTERING QUICKLY

STRATEGIES FOR DRIVING ON EXPRESSWAYS DECIDE: üFASTER DRIVING MEANS QUICKER DECISION üOPEN ZONES VARY OFTEN üOPEN ZONES CLOSE QUICKLY

STRATEGIES FOR DRIVING AN EXPRESSWAYS EXECUTE: üEXECUTE SMOOTH DECISIONS üAVOID SUDDEN MOVES üSIGNAL EARLY üMAINTAIN SAFE FOLLOWING DISTANCE

LANE CHOICE §LARGE VEHICLES AND TRUCKS REQUIRED TO DRIVE IN RIGHT LANES §LET TRAFFIC DICTATE WHICH LANE TO USE §LEFT LANE IS FOR PASSING §CENTER LANE IS FOR CRUISING §RIGHT LANE IS FOR EXITING AND ENTERING

SIGNALS, SIGNS, AND ROADWAY MARKINGS ØKNOW YOUR DESTINATION ØREAD SIGNS AND ROADWAY MARKINGS ØALWAYS THINK AHEAD

SPEED LIMITS • MINIMUM SPEED LIMIT: KEEPS TRAFFIC FROM MOVING TOO SLOWLY • COMMON SPEED: THE SPEED USED BY MOST DRIVERS • WOLF PACKS: BUNCHES OF VEHICLES MOVING TOGETHER

FOLLOWING DISTANCE INCREASE YOUR FOLLOWING DISTANCE TO AT LEAST 4 SECONDS WHEN CONDITIONS ARE LESS THAN IDEAL • BEING TAILGATED • DRIVING A HEAVY VEHICLE OR PULLING A TRAILER • OPERATING A MOTORCYCLE • ENTERING OR EXITING

• FOLLOWING A MOTORCYCLE

• BAD WEATHER OR ROAD CONDITIONS

• FOLLOWING LARGE VEHICLE

BLIND SPOTS CHECK OFTEN FOR CARS THAT MAY BE PREPARING TO PASS YOU

LANE CHANGING üCHANGE ONE LANE AT A TIME, SIGNAL EACH ONE üCHECK MIRRORS AND BLIND SPOT üWHEN CLEAR, ACCELERATE GENTLY AND MOVE üCANCEL SIGNAL

PASSING A SLOWER VEHICLE üUSE SIGNALS AND CONSTANTLY CHECK TRAFFIC WHILE CHANGING LANES üREMEMBER YOU MUST BE ABLE TO SEE HEADLIGHTS OF VEHICLE IN REAR VIEW MIRROR BEFORE MOVING IN FRONT OF THEM

EXITING EXPRESSWAYS DECELERATION LANE LEADS TO EXIT RAMP ADJUST TO RAMP SPEED

EXITING PROBLEMS §CROSSING PATHS §RAMP OVERFLOW §SHORT DECELERATION LANE

SPECIAL EXPRESSWAY PROBLEMS HIGHWAY HYPNOSIS: BEING LULLED INTO AN INATTENTIVE OR DROWSY STATE.

SPECIAL EXPRESSWAY PROBLEMS FALL ASLEEP COLLISIONS: SLEEPINESS IS A PREVENTABLE CAUSE OF COLLISIONS

SPECIAL EXPRESSWAY PROBLEMS VELOCITATION: BEING FOOLED BY HOURS OF DRIVING INTO BELEIVING THAT YOUR VEHICLE IS TRAVELING SLOWER THAN IT REALLY IS üESPECIALLY DANGEROUS AROUND EXIT RAMPS

SPECIAL EXPRESSWAY PROBLEMS EXPRESSWAYS THROUGH CITIES: AVOID RUSH HOURS, TRY AND TAKE ALTERNATE OR BYPASS ROUTES

SPECIAL EXPRESSWAY PROBLEMS DISABLED VEHICLE: IF PASSING SLOW AND MOVE TO LEFT TO GIVE VEHICLE ROOM

SPECIAL EXPRESSWAY PROBLEMS DISABLED VEHICLE: IF ITS YOU üMAKES SURE YOU HAVE ROOM üSIGNAL RIGHT üMOVE TO SHOULDER, AS FAR AWAY FROM TRAFFIC AS POSSIBLE üGET EVERYONE OUT AND AWAY FROM TRAFFIC üTURN ON EMERGENCY FLASHERS üCALL FOR HELP üIF IT IS SAFE, THEN GET EVERYONE BACK INTO VEHICLE AND LOCK ALL DOORS üASK ANYONE WHO STOPS TO HELP YOU TO GO CALL FOR HELP üDO NOT STAND IN EXPRESSWAY OR IN DIRECT TRAFFIC

SPECIAL EXPRESSWAY PROBLEMS CONSTRUCTION: BE AWARE OF CONSTRUCTION AND OBEY POSTED SPEED LIMITS

SPECIAL EXPRESSWAY PROBLEMS TOLL BOOTHS üBE PREPARED TO STOP üHAVE PASSENGER HELP WITH MONEY