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Show 8A Emery County Progress, Castle Dale. Utah Tuesday. August 10, 1999 More tips on teaching your teen how to drive: (Continued from page 7A) ond space margin in front of the vehicle. Position the vehicle to maintain space equal to at least one vehicle width on at least one side of the drivers vehicle. folMaintain at least a fola rear. If to the lowing space lowing vehicle tailgates, allow more space to the front. Identify a 4 - to stopping zone. Meeting Other Traffic - A reasonable driving speed depends on road, visibility and traffic conditions. Timing, like positioning, is a way to prevent conflicts with other drivers. You cannot control other drivers, but you can better manage risk with proper steering, signaling, braking and mirror checks. Avoid Meeting: merge adjusting speed to join ing distance when behind large vehicles, when approaching or at railroad crossings and when tired or upset. Driving on a Freeway - Except for interchanges, driving on a freeway is not much different from driving on any multiple-lan- e highway. The new driver needs to learn to enter, drive through and exit freeways at interchanges. Skills needed are gap selection, timing and speed the flow of traffic. Driving Through an Inter- The greatest risk of a collision on a limited access highway occurs 500 to 1,000 feet before and after an interchange. The most common risks occur from drivers who have not positioned themselves correctly to exit or enter traffic. To protect change yourself, check traffic well in advance. If it is safe to do so, sig- nal and move one lane left or right away from the exit or entrance ramp. Exiting a Freewray - (New drivers are likely to make the mistake of slowing down before reaching the deceleration lane.) To exit a freeway, the driver should identify the appropriate exit two or three exits in advance, check following traffic, adjustments. Where and How to Practice Choose freeways with moderate traffic, preferably not during rush hour or twilight. The prac- -- tice session should include driving on underpasses, overpasses, entrance ramps, exit ramps and lanes. Merging Onto a Freeway Drivers must blend into highspeed traffic smoothly. Drivers are required to adjust speed and position at the entrance ramp and in through lanes by identifying the desired entrance or exit well in advance. Drivers need to check mirrors for following traffic, signal and position speed-adjustme- -- Trucks and buses in areas of reduced space, such as bridges, Other motorists as you ap- proach pedestrians, cyclists and disabled vehicles, Vehicles on slippery surfaces such as bridges which may be icy in winter; Vehicles when strong winds make steering difficult. Choosing the Best Following Distance - Increase the follow signal intentions 4 seconds in advance, select the proper lane, enter the speed change lane as soon as possible, enter the exit ramp at the speed posted and check traffic ahead and behind while proceeding onto the ramp. e Roads Passing on Safely passing other vehicles e on highways is an important skill to master. Impa3-- Two-Lan- appropriately, adjust speed, check traffic ahead on the entrance ramp, select a safe gap, signal and adjust speed and two-lan- tience, bad timing and poor judgment kill more than 8,000 people in head-o- n collisions every year. Where and How to Practice divided and Include four-lanundivided highways as well as e rural lightly traveled highways for this lesson. Make sure the driver uses headlights if the vehicle is not equipped with daytime running lights. For practice sessions on two lane roadways, select a section of straight, level, -- behind the vehicle, and you return to your lane when you can see the complete vehicle in your two-lan- low-bea- m one-mi- le unobstructed highway. Passing - When the new driver spots an oncoming vehicle, ask them to begin counting (one, one thousand, two, sand, etc.) until the oncoming vehicle is opposite your vehicle. Determine if the driver would have had time to safely pass a one-tho- u- vehicle? If you are moving 40 mph and the vehicle you want to pass is traveling 30 mph, it takes about 13 seconds to complete the pass. At 50 mph and 40 mph respectively, it takes about 16 seconds to pass. At 60 mph and 50 mph, it takes about 19 seconds. These examples assume you are driving 10 mph faster than the vehicle you want to pass. You start your pass two seconds mirror. rear-vie- w If you are traveling at the e, same speed as the vehicle you want to pass, you must accelerate at least 15 mph faster than the speed of the vehicle you are e highways, passing. On a new driver should simulate passing by employing this two-lan- counting procedure several times. When the new driver has demonstrated the ability to accurately assess, have a relative or friend drive another vehicle ahead of you at speeds of 30 mph and 50 mph while the new driver practices passing maneuvers under controlled condi- tions. Being Passed - When being passed, keep to the right, maintain a constant speed or slow down to allow the other driver to pass. Night Driving, Coping with Fatigue Where and How to Practice Practice after dark on familiar streets or rural highways. Risks Related to Night Driving - Risks include headlight illumination of road and d areas ahead, inability to spot parked vehicles, pedestrians and other objects on or beside the roadway, effects of street lights on drivers vision, driving through curves and over hills on country roads and glare from -- cff-rca- oncoming headlights. Preparing for Night Driving Get ready for night driving by cleaning windows and lights, locating headlight, dimmer; emer- -- gency flasher and windshield wiper switches, checking for bumed-ou- t bulbs and checking headlight alignment. Using Headlights Dim high-beaheadlights at least 500 feet from oncoming vehicles. Use parking lights only when parked or standing stilL Use - m emergency warning lights or hazard lights during emergency stops. Adjusting Speed for Night Driving - Increase your following distance at night. Maintain a speed that allows stopping within the distance illuminated by headlights. Drive slower than you would in daylight dur- ing good weather. Night Visibility The ability to see in low illumination and recover from glare varies from per-- son to person and decreases with age. People who do not see well at night should avoid night d driving except in well-lighte- areas. Coping with Fatigue Three types of fatigue may affect your lack of rest or sleep, driving operational fatigue brought on by driving long hours, driving in heavy traffic or adverse condi- tions and personal circadian rhythm or your bodys natural down time. Tb avoid fatigue: Take breaks and plan rest stops every two hours. Exercise when you stop Vary your speed, posture and seat adjustment. If you have air conditioning keep the vehicle cool Be aware of your down time and schedule a rest stop or nap. Slippery Surfaces - More than percent of reported crashes involve skidding. While most drivers are cautious on icy or 20 roads, they frequently do not slow down when driving in rain and fail to notice eany clues they are about to lose directional control. When they do begin to skid, many drivers do not know proper braking or steering procedures. Where and When to Practice - Practice in snow, rain or icy conditions in a parking lot or lightly traveled roadway. Start at slow speeds mph). Apply brakes and steer gently. When the driver understands snow-covere- d (5-1- 5 these road conditions, increase speed. If you can do so safely, allow the new driver to recognize the point at which they are about to lose directional control. Driving on Wet Surfaces Hyof loss total droplaning is the vehicle control. A vehicle can hydroplane at 35 mph if water on the pavement reaches a depth of only a inch. Standing water on the pavement is always a risk factor for hydroplaning. A good indication of standing water is when rain drops bubble as they strike the road surface. For safetys sake, reduce your speed whenever you travel a wet road. In a hard, driving rain, keep your speed at or be- low 35 mph. Steering or Braking on a Slippery Surface - Maintaining control is key in steering and braking situations on slippery surfaces. Look and steer in the direction you want to go, not at objects you want to miss. Avoid sudden moves or over--c erections. Be sure you know whether or not the vehicle is equipped brake system. with an anti-loc- k Consult the owner manual and follow the braking directions. d Recovery Maneuvers - More than 50 percent of all vehicle occupant fatalities e occur in crashes. For drivers under 25, the number increases to over 60 percent. These crashes occur when two or all four wheels drop onto the shoulder of the road. Depending on the speed of travel condition of the tires and the type of road shoulder, a drop of just two inches can cause the driver to lose controL Often when this happens, the to driver panics and return to the pavement or locks the brakes. The vehicle then either slingshots across the road, skids into a fixed object or begins to rolL Where and When to Practice - To practice d recovery maneuvers, find a lightly travOff-Roa- single-vehicl- over-stee- rs off-roa- two-lan- e d eled, with road country good shoulder maintenance, clear of obstacles but with occasional edge drops of 4 inches. Begin the lesson by selecting a section of roadw-awith pavement and shoulder surfaces at the same height with no obstacles. Then gradually work up to more sighard-surface- 2-- y nificant edge drops. Off-Roa- Recovery Maneu- d vers 1. Check for following or oncoming traffic. 2. When clear, slow to a speed of 10 mph by lifting your foot from the accelerator. Do not place it on the brake. 3. SignaL 4. Steer gradually off the road until the center of the vehicles hood is in line with the edge of the pavement. Maintain a speed of 1 0 mph. Signal your intention to return to the roadway. 7. Check for oncoming and following traffic. 8. Steer the wheels inches out from the road edge. (This allows the wheels to roll freely.) 9. Turn the steering wheel qo more than 18 of a turn back toward the roadway. 10. As the front tire touches the edge of the road, 5. 6. off-roa- d 12-1- 8 off-roa- d immediately turn the steering wheel turn back in the opposite direction. 11. Immediately turn the steering wheel back to the center position. 12. Cancel signal. Repeat this maneuver at slow speeds, gradually increasing the speed to 30 mph. Once the driver feels at ease, reduce the speed to mph and select an area with edge drops of 2 inches. Practice at speeds no faster than 30 mph and drops no greater than 4 inches. 10-1- 5 Ferron Fire Department receives share of grant Utah very small budgets," said State Forester Art DuFault. These grants help fill the ora AogosS t 1 fire departments, both big and small, including the Ferron Volunteer Fire Department have shared $180,000 in Fire Department Assistance Grant money. The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and 4, 1 9 (111 f S3s- f' ' I I V 1VCJ l , ft n- -J I y V1 f J'f -- i m-- i . ft! 1 .f ; State Lands administers the program which helps fire departments provide training and purchase needed equipment. The funds primarily come from the Utah Fire and Rescue Academy and some from the federal government. Fire departments, especially in our smaller communities, often struggle with gap, improve fire protection, and aid in making our communities safer." Ferron Volunteer Fire Department received $2,000 of this money. Although targeted primarily at rural or volunteer fire departments, all fire departments in the state are eligible for up to $3,500 for training or equipment, and up to $1,000 for a computer system. The program covers 100 percent of training costs and 50 percent of equipment purchases. |