MULTIPLE LANE TRAFFIC

[Music] this might be called the good old days of motoring when automobiles were few and far between and the maximum speed was around 25 miles an hour now there is more speed more drivers more cars and more and better highways there are millions of automobiles traveling hundreds of millions of miles every week the old narrow roads with one lane of traffic in each direction are no longer capable of handling this tremendous upsurge in automotive travel to expedite this increased flow of vehicles multiple lane traffic has become a necessity these roadways are known by different names throughout the country they are called Turnpike's expressways freeways limited access highways raceways and parkways some have separating areas between opposing lanes of traffic and some are merely divided by a centerline fundamentally they are all alike in that they are engineered to handle a large volume of traffic at higher speeds and with greater safety unfortunately these new super highways have not reduced the number of accidents they have merely changed the type of accident we are still averaging 38,000 traffic fatalities every year and 1,350,000 injuries wrecked car yards are a common sight along all of our highways most of these wrecks were powered with 100 horsepower or less just think how much more complete the destruction will be with today's 150 to 300 horsepower engines capable of speeds well over a hundred miles an hour to survive it is not how fast we can go but how quickly we can stop at 60 miles an hour you will need 336 feet from the time you see an emergency before you can bring your car to a stop this is about the same distance as that separating the two goal posts of a football field there are four basic rules to remember in multi Lane travel first change lanes with caution second keep a safe distance between cars third keep in step don't drive too fast or too slow fourth be courteous yield to the other driver to move safely from lane to Lane you should first be sure you have adequate space ahead this gives you room to accelerate and it also provides an added safety factor while your attention is divided keep checking your rearview mirror until a safe opening is visible before pulling over quickly glance over either your right or your left shoulder depending on which way you're planning to move this action is to check the blind spots on either side of your car not covered by your rearview mirror or your forward vision this blind area is more than large enough to contain an approaching car after you have determined it is safe to do so give the proper signal and then pull into the adjoining Lane maintaining a safe distance behind the car ahead this distance should be predicated on your rate of speed allow a space of at least one car length for each 10 miles per hour of speed on modern highways such as this the average driver travels at about the posted speed limit the troublemakers are the ones who don't keep in step those who drive too fast or too slow slower moving vehicles should always keep to the right-hand lane a slow moving vehicle in the left lane creates a dangerous situation by forcing the higher speed traffic to use the right lane to pass when making a right turn from a high speed highway get in the right lane well in advance of the turnoff give adequate signals and slow down gradually so that you may safely negotiate the turn-off curve most highway outlets lead directly into the business or residential streets with a more restricted speed when the volume of traffic warrants it overpasses are often provided for making left turns follow the same procedure as used in making a right turn when using this type of facility making a left turn on a high-speed highway requires extreme caution start signaling and slowing well in advance remember it is not only your car that must slow down or stop but also all of the cars immediately behind you at busy intersections signals and turn out lanes are often provided for cars to wait until approaching traffic is stopped occasionally these lanes are not adequate and a backlog of cars will build out into the main roadway be alert for these danger spots at intersections where there is a turnout but no signal wait until you can safely cross an approaching car traveling at 55 miles an hour is covering 78 feet a second it will take you at least four seconds to get rolling and clear of the highway on highways where there is no dividing section a left turn is extremely hazardous use extreme caution slow gradually giving adequate signals well in advance of your turning point you are building up a potential accident situation behind you when you see this sign slow down and proceed with caution merging traffic occurs where two main roadways join at an angle and the traffic is absorbed into a single roadway resulting in a reduction in the number of lanes the three lane highway on the left and the two lane on the right merge into a four lane highway this means that each driver will have to use courtesy and caution in order to share the road with other drivers there is no right-of-way preference in the situation like this merging traffic at night requires an even greater degree of caution because of your Lord visibility and the angle of approach of the other cars when entering a freeway from an entrance Road you again have the problem of merging traffic this requires timing and good judgment you must advance from a slow speed to a much faster speed in order to merge into the flow of traffic if you are driving on the freeway give the entering driver a break dropping back a few car lengths will only delay you a second or two in some places because of engineering limitations you will find entrance traffic merging it to the inside high-speed lane watch out for this type of entrance where the entering cars are into the high-speed Lane in only a few seconds and are generally not travelling as fast as the freeway traffic when traveling long distances on super highways you may be lul into a sense of false security because of the long uninterrupted straightaways your speed can gradually creep up without your noticing it and drowsiness is induced by the steady drone of the engine this unconscious lowering of your caution and reflexes can lead you into a disastrous accident when driving long distances it is wise to stop every few hours relax walk around and get the kinks out of your muscles have something right to eat never have a large meal just before driving there are many hazards that demand constant alertness when you are travelling at high speed one of the greatest of these is the slow-moving vehicle this is especially true where there are up or down grades a grade you would hardly notice in your automobile will slow a truck down to a walk it is not only on the upgrade you must be cautious but on the down grades as well on long down grades trucks must use their engines to break with this holds them down to a speed very little faster than they would use on an upgrade another danger spot as where a super highway ends and joins with a narrower roadway of these the most dangerous is the three lane road where the center line is used for passing by cars traveling in either direction never use the center lane until you are sure an approaching car won't pull out an attempt to use it at the same time using the center lane on a curve is almost as foolhardy as passing on a curve on a two-lane road many people are involved in accidents simply because they did not drive at a speed that was safe for existing conditions wet or icy roads will stretch out your stopping distance from three to twelve times lowered visibility caused by rain fog or nightfall is cause for a decided reduction in speed you should never exceed a speed that is greater than your ability to stop within the distance you can see at night with your headlights in proper adjustment and if there is no conflicting glare to blind you you're safe seeing distance will permit a speed of not over 40 miles an hour multiple lane traffic within cities is more confusing to the driver because in most cases existing streets have been adapted to handle the greater volume of traffic multiple Lane streets require constant alertness although the traffic moves at a slower pace the same care should be observed in changing lanes and in following the car ahead as you would use on a high-speed road it is illegal to park on some arterial streets during the peak rush hours the curb lanes are used to handle the extra flow of cars never use the curb or parking Lane for passing or travel except at the designated times if you are planning on remaining on a street for any great distance keep to the center lanes leaving the outside lanes for those who wish to turn when turning from a one-way multiple lane street always use the Lane nearest the curb make your approaches for a left turn into a two-way street very slowly you do not have much clearance and your angle of turn is very sharp you must also be prepared to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians to make our superhighways deliver the safety that is built into them we must use them properly remember change lanes one at a time and then only when you are sure it is safe to do so allow sufficient space between your car and the car ahead at high speed things can happen quickly protect yourself by dropping back a safe distance keep in step with the flow of traffic don't drive too fast or too slow slower moving vehicles should always use the right-hand Lane courtesy is as important this caution if we are to safely share our highways with one another speed is still the number one killer when you exceed a safe speed you will pay for it one way or the other