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 DIAMOND CLOVERLEAF TRUMPET 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 ENTRANCE RAMP ACCELERATION LANE MERGING AREA

MAKE SURE CORRECT ENTRANCE STEPS FOR ENTERING MAKE SURE CORRECT ENTRANCE

LOOK AHEAD FOR A GAP ACCELERATE GRADUALLY DECIDE WHICH GAP

SMOOTH LANE CHANGE AT PROPER SPEED! CANCEL 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 FLASH BRAKE LIGHTS EARLY PULL ONTO SHOULDER AT END OF ACCELERATION LANE WAIT FOR A LARGE SAFE GAP SIGNAL 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: VOLUME OF TRAFFIC SIGNS AND SIGNALS ROADWAY MARKINGS CLOSED AND OPEN ZONES NEVER ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE TRAPPED!

STRATEGIES FOR DRIVING AN EXPRESSWAYS PREDICT: SUDDEN CHANGES IN SPEED AHEAD DRIVERS CHANGING LANES QUICKLY POINTS OF CONFLICT PARKED VEHICLES ENTERING QUICKLY

STRATEGIES FOR DRIVING ON EXPRESSWAYS DECIDE: FASTER DRIVING MEANS QUICKER DECISION OPEN ZONES VARY OFTEN OPEN ZONES CLOSE QUICKLY

STRATEGIES FOR DRIVING AN EXPRESSWAYS EXECUTE: EXECUTE SMOOTH DECISIONS AVOID SUDDEN MOVES SIGNAL EARLY MAINTAIN 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 KNOW YOUR DESTINATION READ SIGNS AND ROADWAY MARKINGS ALWAYS 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

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

LANE CHANGING CHANGE ONE LANE AT A TIME, SIGNAL EACH ONE CHECK MIRRORS AND BLIND SPOT WHEN CLEAR, ACCELERATE GENTLY AND MOVE CANCEL SIGNAL

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

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

CROSSING PATHS RAMP OVERFLOW SHORT DECELERATION LANE 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 ESPECIALLY 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 MAKES SURE YOU HAVE ROOM SIGNAL RIGHT MOVE TO SHOULDER, AS FAR AWAY FROM TRAFFIC AS POSSIBLE GET EVERYONE OUT AND AWAY FROM TRAFFIC TURN ON EMERGENCY FLASHERS CALL FOR HELP IF IT IS SAFE, THEN GET EVERYONE BACK INTO VEHICLE AND LOCK ALL DOORS ASK ANYONE WHO STOPS TO HELP YOU TO GO CALL FOR HELP DO 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 BE PREPARED TO STOP HAVE PASSENGER HELP WITH MONEY