MODULE 5 Objectives: Students will learn to recognize moderate risk environments, establish vehicle speed, manage intersections, hills, and passing maneuvers Topics Covered: — Processing Information — determine roadway position, establish speed, and communicate with other roadway users — Intersections, Curves, and Hills — develop space management concepts for controlled and uncontrolled intersections, hills, and curves — Passing — select and safely execute speed and position for passing another vehicle

Space Management and Visual Search Process  Visual search—the first space management skill-- drivers need to know—involves classifying traffic elements into four major groups to organize search patterns — Where to look—involves using your eyes and searching seconds ahead of your vehicle and possible alternative paths seconds in advance—this allows you to identify objects or conditions for an open path of travel (POT) — Monitor your immediate path of travel 4-8 seconds ahead—4 seconds ahead represents following the interval and 8 seconds provides a safe stopping zone

Space Management and Visual Search Process  When to search (involves timing, monitoring the conditions all around your vehicle) — Driver should look for specific kinds of information such as road characteristic—construction zones, roadway surface conditions, signs, signals, markings, and motorized vehicles  How to search—involves looking in a pattern that goes from far ahead, near, left, right and rear of the vehicle

Using Information to Manage Space  Space Management includes the ZONE Control process-- the driver monitors 6 zones around the car — Adjust lane position — Time management (time arrival) — Control speed  A Zone--the areas of space around a car that is at least the width of a lane — Open zone is a space a driver can drive in without a restriction — Closed Zone –is when an area around a car is not available to the driver because the space is already occupied or there is a restriction to the driver’s line of sight  A red traffic light is an example of a closed zone closed zone

Roadway Positions  A car positioned 6 inches from the left line is in lane position 2 –vehicle position is a is in lane position 2 –vehicle position is a method of communicating with other drivers method of communicating with other drivers — Lane position 2 is not recommended when approaching the crest of a hill  If the left front zone is closed and the right front zone is open, lane position 3 would be a better choice  Staggered stop lines — Allows wider turning radius — Increases visibility  When stopped in traffic behind another car, the driver should: — Be able to see the rear tires of the vehicle ahead touching the pavement

 Before turning right on RED, the driver in this diagram must — Stop — Yield to pedestrians — Yield to traffic approaching from the left  To cross a two-lane road at 30 mph takes a gap about 1/2 block Roadway Positions

 You should not drive more than 150 feet in a shared left turn lane  Once you have reached the apex of a curve, you should accelerate—excessive steering you should accelerate—excessive steering in a curve can result in either over-steering or in a curve can result in either over-steering or under-steer skids under-steer skids  Intersections are the highest risk areas drivers will encounter— never enter an intersection until you identify an open space for your car on the other side of the intersection  Communication—using turn signals, emergency flashers, brake lights, lane selection, horn, and the speed of the vehicle — Before stopping, defensive drivers tap their brakes to warn traffic behind them Intersections, Curves, and Hills

Passing  When passing another vehicle on a two-lane road, you should — Return to your lane only when you can see the front of the vehicle behind being passed in your rear view mirror  A vehicle traveling 40 mph will take about 13 seconds to pass another car traveling 30 mph — A vehicle traveling 40 mph, is going approximately 60 feet per second  It is illegal to pass another vehicle on — Hills — Curves — Railroad crossing — Or when you are crossing a solid white line

 When determining a safe passing area, the driver must take into account the closing rate of approaching vehicles — Passing is legal only when passing a vehicle traveling slower than the posted speed limit — It is necessary to signal before returning to your lane after passing another vehicle  Passing on a multi-lane roadway is usually safer than on two lane roadways  Without headlights, an approaching vehicle may not become visible until it is within 2500 feet  Braking distance is the distance a car will travel from the point where the brakes are full applied when it comes to a complete stop Passing