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Louisiana driving lesson · Night, Weather & Highways

Driving through the seasons

A 3-minute lesson from the Louisiana course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.

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Read time
3 minutes
Course unit
Night, Weather & Highways
Checkpoint questions
4
Source pages
56, 57, 58

Each season brings its own hazards: spring rain and potholes, summer heat and road trips, fall leaves and early darkness, winter ice and fog. Adjust both your car and your driving to match.

Spring:

  • Slow down and increase following distance even in mist; water mixes with oil and grease
  • Share the road: more motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians are out
  • Over-the-counter allergy drugs can impair driving
  • Go around potholes and avoid large puddles; keep tires properly inflated
Handbook p. 56 ↗

Summer:

  • Never leave pets or children waiting in a car; check your air conditioning
  • Service the car; check oil, transmission, coolant, brake, power-steering and washer fluid
  • Don't exceed your car's payload capacity
  • Watch for road construction, and for school zones as summer ends
Handbook p. 57 ↗

Know the rule

Tire pressure rises about one pound for every 10-degree Fahrenheit increase in air temperature.

Handbook p. 57 ↗

Fall:

  • Wet leaves are slippery; don't park over dry leaf piles, which the catalytic converter can ignite
  • The end of daylight saving time reduces visibility; watch for pedestrians and cyclists
  • Temperature swings make tires lose pressure; check them
  • Keep sunglasses handy for morning and late-afternoon glare
  • If you feel the car floating on water, steer straight and gently ease off the gas
Handbook p. 57 ↗

Winter:

  • Check brakes, wipers, defroster, headlights and heater
  • Stop gently; if your wheels start to lock, ease off the brake
  • Turn on headlights and keep them clean
  • Reduce speed and increase following distance; icy roads take longer to stop
  • Clear ice and snow from the hood, windows and roof before driving
Handbook p. 58 ↗

Know the rule

Bridges, overpasses and shaded areas freeze first and stay icy longer than the roadway.

Handbook p. 58 ↗

Know the rule

In wet conditions, don't drive faster than your wipers can clear the windshield. Replace wiper blades yearly.

Handbook p. 58 ↗

Know the rule

No snow tires let you drive on snow or ice at normal speeds.

Handbook p. 58 ↗

Know the rule

If you're stranded by weather, don't leave your vehicle. Carry blankets, food, water, spare fuses, a flashlight with batteries, an ice scraper, flares and a first-aid kit.

Handbook p. 58 ↗

Put it into practice

On a freezing morning the road just looks wet, and an overpass is coming up. Slow down before you reach it: bridges and overpasses freeze first and stay icy longer.

Check your understanding

Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.

Which surfaces freeze first and stay icy longer than the rest of the road?
  1. Freshly paved asphalt roads
  2. Roads next to parking lots
  3. Bridges, overpasses and shaded areas
  4. Long, straight open highway

Answer: Bridges, overpasses and shaded areas

Bridges, overpasses and shaded areas can freeze first and remain icy longer than roadways.

Handbook p. 58 ↗
In hot weather, tire pressure rises about one pound for every increase in air temperature of:
  1. 50 degrees Fahrenheit
  2. 10 degrees Fahrenheit
  3. 1 degree Fahrenheit
  4. 25 degrees Fahrenheit

Answer: 10 degrees Fahrenheit

For every 10-degree Fahrenheit increase in air temperature, tire pressure increases approximately one pound.

Handbook p. 57 ↗
If you become stranded by severe winter weather, you should leave your vehicle and walk for help.
  1. True
  2. False

Answer: False

Should you become stranded due to weather conditions, do not leave your vehicle.

Handbook p. 58 ↗
Why should you avoid parking over piles of dry leaves in the fall?
  1. Your catalytic converter could start a fire
  2. The leaves can hide potholes underneath
  3. Wet leaves can stain your car's paint
  4. Leaves can block your tailpipe

Answer: Your catalytic converter could start a fire

Avoid parking near leaf piles to prevent fires that could start from your vehicle's catalytic converter.

Handbook p. 57 ↗
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