TRAFFIC LAWS

RULES OF THE ROAD

CHAPTER 3

Traffic Laws1. Safety

2. Right of Way

3. Lane Usage

4. Special Stops

5. Parking

Safety – Seat Belts Seat Belts – Active Restraints

1. Laws -- $75 fine – All drivers and front seat passengers– All passengers under 19 (anywhere – 1/1/06)– Nationwide – “Click it or Ticket”

2. Restrictions specific for You– # of passengers must equal the # of seatbelts

– EXCLUSION – siblings and people over 20– New Law – During the first six months, new drivers

can only have 1 other person in the car with them.

Safety -- Projectiles Hidden Dangers in Your Car – Reader’s Digest

1. “Researcher determined that the risk of death for front-seat passenger rose 400% when some one in the back was not wearing a seat belt.”

Masao Ichikawa, U. of Tokyo

2. “…many injuries and deaths aren’t the results of the collisions, but of unrestrained cargo, pets, and passengers.”

NHTSA Website

3. “A front seat passenger becomes a crude airbag for a person in back,”

Charles Hurley, National Safety Council

Safety – Airbags Passive Restraint

Safety – Airbags

Safety – Speed Maximum

1. What is the REAL speed limit?

2. What if you miss a speed limit sign? Minimum

1. Expressways

2. Why? Left Lane Law

1. In order to drive in the left lane of multi-lane expressways, you must be passing another vehicle.

Are you going the Speed Limit?

Safety – Cell Phones Illinois allows communities to ban usage No one under 18 can use while driving Distract Drivers from the driving task

Are Headsets or Hand Free devices safer?

Safety – Cell Phones

Safety – Cell Phones

Right of Way Yield the Right of Way – give the Right of

Way to another driver Situations when you must Yield

1. Vehicles

2. Pedestrians

Right of Way Vehicles

1. Right turn on Red

2. Yield signs

3. Stop signs All-way Side roads

4. Left turns

5. Reduction in lanes

6. Fresh green lights

7. Funeral processions

8. Construction zones

9. Police and other emergency vehicles

Right of Way We are waiting to turn right on red, the car

approaching from our left has its right turn signal on. Is it safe to go? Why or why not?

Why is it important to scan the intersection when we have a stop sign facing us?

We are sitting at a red light when the light turns green. Is it safe to go? Why or why not?

Pedestrians 1. Intersections/Crosswalks – walk signal and green

light for all traffic moving in the same direction Look for people when you are turning left or right on

a green light

2. Turning onto a side road

3. Emerging from an alley or driveway

4. In between parked cars

Right of Way

Lane Usage Passing

1. On the Right Multi-lane roads Additional lane to the right Illegal to cross a solid white line in order to pass on

the right

2. Procedure Mirror, Blinker, Blindspot (MBB)

Lane Usage Passing

1. On the Left Three questions

Safe? Legal? Worthwhile? No passing situations

Curves. Solid yellow line. Road widens. Can you exceed the speed limit?

Lane Usage – Passing

Lane Usage Signals

1. Business/Residential – 100 ft.

2. Rural – 200 ft. Turns

1. Right turns

2. Left turns1. Always turn from the closest to the closest

Lane Usage Is it legal to pass on the shoulder? What if the

shoulder is wide and paved? What are the 3 questions we should ask

ourselves before starting to pass?

Special Stops School buses

1. Amber and red lights flashing and stop arm extended you must stop.

Exception – cars traveling on the opposite side of a divided highway

2. Penalties First offense -- $150 and a 3 month suspension Second offense -- $500 and a year suspension

Special Stops Railroad

1. Warning signs Advanced Warning Sign Crossbuck = Active Tracks

2. You must stop between 15 and 50 feet

3. Penalties $500 or 50 hours of community service

Special Stops Railroad

4. Ways to violate the law at a RR Going around the gates Running thru the flashing red lights before the gates

go down Going after the gates start to raise and before the red

light stop flashing Pedestrians

Parking Parallel Parking

Vehicles must be parked in the direction of traffic

Tires must be within 12 inches of the curb

Handicapped Parking You must have…

Handicapped license plate or placard

A physical disability

Penalties $100-$250

Is this car parked legally?

1-800-SCHWINN