This is the largest section of the handbook, and it covers the everyday skills of safe driving: right-of-way, speed and following distance, lane use, intersections and turns, parking, and using your lights and signals. It starts before you even move — checking that you have your license, proof of insurance and registration, that the car works, and that your seatbelt, seat and mirrors are set. Because there is so much here, it helps to study these topics in groups.
Right-of-way rules tell who goes first: yield to pedestrians and to whoever arrives first at a four-way stop, and when two drivers arrive at the same time the driver on the right goes first. Manage your space with the Four Second Following Distance Rule, adding a second for each adverse condition like rain, snow or ice. Watch your speed — unless otherwise posted, the limit is 25 mph in residential areas, 15 mph in a school zone when children are present, and 35 mph in outlying parts of cities and villages — and remember you can be ticketed for driving too slow as well as too fast.
For lane use and turns, signal in advance, move one lane at a time, and check the blind spot over your shoulder before you change lanes. Before any turn, check mirrors and surroundings, stay in your lane without crossing the center line, and yield the right-of-way; for a left turn, keep the wheels straight while you wait so a rear-end hit won't push you into oncoming traffic. Parking includes setting the brake and turning your wheels — toward the curb when facing downhill, and away from it when facing uphill with a curb. Finally, use headlights from a half hour after sunset to a half hour before sunrise and when you cannot see 500 feet ahead, and switch from high to low beams when a vehicle comes toward you.
What is the Four Second Following Distance Rule?⌄
Pick a stationary object ahead and count 'one thousand one' to 'one thousand four'; if you reach the object before you finish counting, you are following too closely. Add a second for each adverse condition such as rain, snow or ice.
Which way do I turn my wheels when parking on a hill?⌄
When parked downhill, turn your wheels all the way to the right and set the emergency brake. When parked uphill with a curb, turn them all the way to the left; uphill without a curb, turn them all the way to the right.
When do I need to turn on my headlights?⌄
Use your headlights from a half hour after sunset to a half hour before sunrise, and whenever you cannot see a vehicle or person 500 feet away. Using low beams is also recommended when it is rainy, snowy or foggy.