No driver manual can teach you how to operate a vehicle or be a safe driver. Driving requires skills you can only gain through instruction and practice. The following offers some basic driving information. Starting Check the vehicle owner's manual to determine the best way to start the vehicle. Make sure the parking brake is on before you start the vehicle. If the vehicle has a manual transmission, it must not be in gear. In most vehicles, the clutch must be depressed. For a vehicle that has an automatic transmission, you must have the shift selector in "park." Accelerating Accelerate gradually and smoothly. Starting too fast can cause your wheels to spin, particularly on slippery surfaces, and cause the vehicle to slide. With a manual-shift vehicle, practice using the clutch and accelerator so the engine does not over-rev or stall when accelerating or shifting gears. Steering Place your hands on opposite sides of the steering wheel (left hand between 8 and 9 o'clock and right hand between 3 and 4 o'clock). This position is comfortable and on high-speed roads, allows you to make turns without taking your hands off the wheel. It also positions your hands out of the way of the air bag. Leaning against the door, putting your elbow out the window, or driving with one hand can keep you from reacting quickly in an emergency.
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Look well down the road, at least 15 seconds, and look to both sides of the road and the rear, not just at the road in front of your vehicle. Look for traffic situations where you will need to steer before you get to them. Being aware of line-of-sight blockages that may conceal a pedestrian, bicyclist, or another vehicle. A driver can look in, under and around parked cars for feet, wheels, shadows, and movement. When looking far enough ahead, it allows you to see all potential situations before they create a surprise. This way, you have time to steer smoothly and safely. When turning sharp corners, turn the steering wheel using the "hand-over-hand" technique. When you complete a turn, straighten out the steering wheel by hand. Letting it slip through your fingers could be dangerous. Speeding and Speed Limits Speeding is defined as traveling above the posted speed limit or too fast for conditions. Heavy rain, snow or ice on the roadway, or limited visibility due to fog are a few examples of conditions when you may need to adjust your speed below the posted speed limit to drive safely. If you speed, you are substantially increasing injury and fatality risk for yourself and for others on the road. Speeding is a factor in nearly 40% of all traffic fatalities in Washington.
The best way to avoid speeding is to know your speed and the speed limit. Check the speedometer often. People are not very good at judging how fast they are going. It is easy to be traveling much faster than you think. This is especially true when you leave high-speed roads and are driving on much slower local roads. Be prepared to accelerate, decelerate, slow down, or stop based on traffic, traffic control devices, or other road conditions. Obey speed limit signs. They are there for your safety. Speed limits, unless otherwise posted, are: • 20 mph in school zones. • 25 mph on streets of cities and towns. • 50 mph on county roads. • 60 mph on state highways. • Parts of interstate highways may be posted with higher maximum speeds. Stopping Be alert and aware of the traffic conditions around your vehicle and along your intended path of travel. Stopping suddenly is dangerous and usually points to a driver who was not paying attention. Developing an awareness of how to stop safely in traffic is a valuable skill to have. When you brake quickly, you could skid and lose control of your vehicle. You also make it harder for drivers behind you to stop without hitting you. Try to avoid sudden stops by scanning ahead well in advance, most collisions happen when someone wasn't aware of the changes in traffic around them. The sooner you begin the braking process the more time you have to control the situation. By slowing down or changing lanes, you may not have to stop at all, and if you do, you can make a more gradual and safer stop.
