5 RULES

 

Don’t Fixate at Vehicles – Means don’t focus on them and mind your own business. Staring at other vehicles will cause distraction. All vehicles are always visible to you in your peripheral vision, and you will easily react if it wrongly comes your way. Don’t focus on front vehicle and look much ahead of it. Maintain Visual Lead Time.

 

Correct Lane – Remain centered in your lane. Road surface near middle of the lane is typically a little different shade. It gives you alignment. On community roads, parking lane and driving lane are separate lanes. Every community road can be divided in 4 lanes. Your parking lane, your driving lane, opposite driving lane, opposite parking lane. On narrow roads, driving lanes are shared. Be courteous to others

 

Correct Speed – Drive closer to posted speed limit, whatever you feel comfortable and safe, as per road conditions, weather conditions and traffic conditions. Slow driving is not good. Community roads are 40 or 50 speed limits depending upon municipality. Roads divided by median are generally 60 or above. Always obey speed limit signs

 

Road Signs – Like an eagle. keep looking for road signs which are mostly posted on your right. These are located just before the intersections, at corner of intersections, immediately after the intersections, on top near the traffic lights. Road signs are generally missed out because you get too focused on checking other vehicles. A quick glance at surrounding traffic is enough—your main attention should be on the road ahead, traffic signals, and road signs

 

Scan Intersections – Casually scan every intersection or any passage joining your road. Keeping your eyes at ground level will help you to easily pick up any intersection coming your way. Sequence of actions when approaching intersection – from far, locate your road sign - when closer, locate pedestrian crossing you - when more closer follow your road sign and a CASUAL scan of intersection. If no road sign for you then try to locate who has a control sign in intersection. This will enable you to handle every uncontrolled intersection. Develope habit of scanning every intersection.

​

GENERAL TIPS

 

Right Turn – Slow, Close Turn Begin your turn slowly without accelerating or braking sharply. Do rolling turn without brake/gas paddle. Your subconscious mind will automatically push gas/brake paddle, if needed. On community roads, before turn, change lane from driving to parking to enable turn within 1 meter of curb. Upon right turn, try to turn into parking lane if it is available for upto approx. 50 meters, (5 car lengths, space to drive for 5 seconds). This habit will enable you to turn from and into correct lanes in downtowns. Right turns are from Your-Right-Most-Available lane into Your-Right-Most-Available lane.

 

Left Turn – Wide Turn without cutting Yellow Line Don’t curve towards your left turn. Left turns are almost 90 degree turns from Your-Left-Most-Available lane into Your-Left-Most-Available lane after the yellow line/median

 

Clear Intersection Quickly – There must be a perfect mental balance between slow turns and quickly clearing the intersection. You should not feel that you are dragging your feet in the intersection. The moment you get a safe and legal opportunity, quickly clear the intersection

 

Practice Ground Search, Visual Lead Time, Proactive Driving while driving

​

Mandatory Action at Intersections

​

Yield Sign- slow drifting into intersection for better view, stop if required, go if clear

Going Straight - slow, yield left & right traffic, go if clear

Right turn - slow, yield right pedestrian & left traffic, go if clear

Left turn - slow, yield left & right traffic, go if clear

 

Stop Sign - Stop & then Yield

 

No Sign - Scan intersection & keep going

​

Green Light

Going Straight – Look straight, go straight

Right turn – Yield right sidewalk & turn

Left turn – Yield Opposite traffic, yield left sidewalk & turn

 

Red Light

Right turn – do AS stop sign

 

Yellow Light

Can stop safely - SHOULD stop. If can’t stop safely- Just keep going

​

Sequency of Action when approaching Community Intersection

Locate road sign before intersection

Locate road sign on right corner of intersection

Locate front pedestrian

• Follow Sign of intersection

• No Sign – Scan intersection & keep going

Locate road sign after intersection

​

Sequency of Action when approaching Traffic Light Intersection

Locate road sign on top near traffic light & be in correct lane

Locate pedestrian timer near traffic lights

Locate road sign near intersection

• Follow Lights

Locate road sign after intersection