Safe driving starts before you turn the key. Use the same routine on every trip, whether it's a few blocks or several hundred miles, and plan every turn well before you reach it.
Entering the car:
- Adjust the seat and mirrors; check that passengers are properly seated and won't interfere
- Buckle your safety belt before switching on the ignition, and see that passengers do too
- Manual transmission: push in the clutch before turning the key
- Automatic: be sure it's in park or neutral and press the brake as you turn the key
Seat and mirror setup:
- Sit upright, back against the seat, feet on the floor; slouching reduces restraint effectiveness
- Adjust seat and mirrors before you drive, leaving room for airbag deployment
- Your foot should pivot smoothly from brake to accelerator with your heel on the floor
- Top of the steering wheel: no higher than the tops of your shoulders and below chin level
Know the rule
Sit erect and grip the outside rim of the wheel with both hands, firmly but not so tight it restricts your reflexes. Remove a hand only to signal or operate the vehicle.
Handbook p. 22 ↗Know the rule
Leaving a parallel spot: look over your shoulder and in the mirrors, wait until clear, signal, enter the nearest lane and stay there until it's safe to change.
Handbook p. 22 ↗Know the rule
Drive within a single lane without weaving from lane to lane or straddling the lane marking.
Handbook p. 22 ↗Traffic lane
Part of a street or highway wide enough for safe operation of a vehicle or line of vehicles. Lanes exist whether or not they are marked.
Handbook p. 23 ↗Signal at least this far before turning; keep signaling until you turn
Handbook p. 23 ↗Rules for turns:
- Prepare before you get there; don't decide to turn at the last moment
- Get into the proper turn lane well ahead, making sure the change is safe
- Reduce speed before turning
- Check front, rear and sides for cars and pedestrians, and the street you're entering
- Keep both hands on the wheel while actually turning
- Always finish your turn in the proper lane
- Make sure your signal is off after completing the maneuver
Know the rule
Pedestrians have the right of way over the motor vehicle. Signals tell both pedestrians and drivers what you intend.
Handbook p. 23 ↗Know the rule
In the daytime you may add hand-and-arm signals to your signal lights, because bright sunlight can make flashing signals hard to see.
Handbook p. 23 ↗Know the rule
Right turn from a four-lane or divided highway: enter the right lane well in advance and make a tight turn into the right lane of the cross street.
Handbook p. 23 ↗Know the rule
Left turn: move to the lane nearest the center line or divider, turn from the inside lane, avoid a wide swing and enter just right of the centerline. Some intersections are marked for turns from more than one lane.
Handbook p. 23 ↗Put it into practice
You'll turn left from a divided four-lane highway in a quarter mile. Move into the lane nearest the divider well ahead, signal at least 100 feet before the turn, slow down, and turn from the inside lane to just right of the cross street's centerline.