Driver's Ed Manual - Albemarle County Public Schools

this game frequently until you can judge the proper distance
without counting.
5
LESSON
FIVE
Interstate Driving
On Sunday mornings between 7am and 9am the interstate
highway traffic volume is low. Interstate driving
requires the development of new skills: merging, lane
changes, maintenance of speed and exiting. AAA
recommends that merging vehicles on entrance ramps
should be traveling at 60 to 65 mph at the merge point.
Traveling at the highway speed requires less of a gap in
traffic to merge. The steps for merging are: Rear view
mirror check, side view mirror check, signal, and head
check behind the door post. If the driver is following
another car onto the interstate, the following distance
should be 4 seconds and the driver must employ rapid
eye movement between mirrors and the car in front.
Emphasize the danger of slowing below the speed limit
on an interstate highway. This is why cars do not slow
down on the interstate preparing to exit. Enter the
deceleration lane and then brake to slow down.
> Driving Tips
The following driving tips should be helpful to the parent
and student. Review these often to promote safe
driving.
1. Driving with your low beam headlights on during
the day decreases your chance of being involved in a
fatal crash by 28%. Drivers with their headlights on
can be seen from 4700 feet away as opposed to 2500
feet without headlights. Drivers are less likely to pull
out in front of you on those winding country roads.
3. Maintain a 3-second following distance behind the
vehicle in front of you. As the vehicle’s shadow in
front of you passes an object, start counting: one-thousand
and one, one-thousand and two, and one-thousand
and three. If you arrive at the spot before one-thousand
and three you are following too close.
4. On multi-lane highways avoid driving in the left
lane alongside other vehicles. Either slow down and
get behind the other car in the right lane, or pass the
vehicle and move to the right lane. Any time you are
traveling alongside another vehicle you are in danger.
5. Driver’s with airbags should position themselves
at least 10 inches from the steering wheel. An airbag
deploys in 1/5 of a second. You want to hit the airbag
in a crash, not the airbag hitting you.
6. Driver’s with airbags should use eight and four hand
position on the steering wheel. This steering technique
is called push-pull steering. The right hand moves
between the two and five position and the left hand
moves between the seven and ten position. This position
is safer than the old ten and two, or nine and three
position.
7. Driving is a full time job. Pay attention. AAA
research indicates that 37 % of drivers at any given
moment are not paying attention! You can prove it
the next time it rains. Thirty-seven percent of drivers
won’t have their lights on with their wipers as the law
requires.
8. Remember the four steps of lane change procedure.
1) check rear view mirror, 2) check side view mirror,
3) give a signal, 4) perform a head check behind the
door post, 5) move over to the next lane. Execute only
one lane change at a time.
2. Scan ahead of your vehicle 20 seconds or 1/3
of a mile at 60 mph; or 1.5 to 2 city blocks in city
driving. Such a habit will allow you to adjust speed
or position before you happen upon threatening
situations.
Albemarle County High Schools
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