Starting, Steering, and Stopping

Basic Driving Skills

Turning and Parking

Before You Start!!!

• Seat Belt Laws:– NJ Law: All front seat

passengers must wear!– Under 18: Driver is at

fault– 18 and older:

Responsible for themselves

– Permit/Probationary License Holders: ALL passengers seated ANYWHERE in the vehicle must wear!

Why Wear Seatbelts?• Keeps motorists/passengers

from being thrown from the vehicle in a crash

• Keeps motorists/passengers from sliding on seats

• Keeps you from hitting the dashboard or windshield (slows the body down with the vehicle)

• Keeps the motorist in a position so that they can maintain control of the vehicle

**Improves chances of surviving a crash by 60%

**Airbags are only a supplement – not a substitute!

Child Restraint Laws

• Car Seats:– Infants should be in a rear facing car seat in the backseat– Children ages 1 to 4 should be facing forward in the backseat

• Children:– Under age 8 and under 80 pounds: booster seat in the backseat– Under age 8 but over 80 pounds: seat belt in the backseat

• Failure to comply? $54 fine and court costs!

Starting Checklist

• Look around!

• Clean windows

• Adjust seat

• Adjust mirrors

• Seat belts buckled

• Automatic car – Park

• Manual car – Neutral

• Doors locked

Adjusting Mirrors

• Blind spots: areas to the SIDES and BEHIND the vehicle that your mirrors don’t show

• Adjust to REDUCE!• Outside mirrors

should just see the tip of the side door handles in the lower corner

Steering

• Hand Positioning – 9:00 and 3:00

• Hand Over Hand Steering – Slight curves: keep the 9

and 3 positioning– Larger curves: push the

wheel in the direction of the turn to 12:00, then cross the opposite hand over, and return to 9 and 3

• Your car will have a tendency to stay straight around curves!

• Stay to the center of the lane unless passing, being passed, or turning!

Hand Over Hand

Stopping

• Use your right foot for both the brake and gas pedal!

• Most common mistake? SLAMMING ON THE BRAKES!

Stopping Distance will also depend on:

-Reaction Time-Weather and Road Conditions-Vehicle Weight-Brake Conditions-Condition/Type of Tires-Roadway Conditions-Speed

Driving in Reverse

• Reversing in a Straight Line Body/Hand Positioning

– Place your right hand and arm over the back of the front passenger seat

– Left hand should grasp the top of the wheel at 12:00

Driving in Reverse

• Backing up and Turning– Head and body should be turned to the right until you can see

clearly through the back window without the use of mirrors– Drive SLOWLY! The front of the car will swing in the opposite direction!

• Direction of the Vehicle– Turn the wheel in the direction you want the car to go; turning the wheel

to the right will direct the car to the right, etc.

Turn/Hand Signals

• A motorist should turn on their turn signal at least 100 feet before a turn, and be sure to cancel the signal after making the turn

• Stop or Slow Down – hand and arm downward, palm facing to the rear

• Right turn – hand and arm upward

• Left turn – hand and arm straight out

• Horns – warning signal that calls attention to what the motorist is doing

Turning

• Decide well in advance if you want to turn

• SIGNAL! (at least 100 feet)• The faster the traffic is moving,

the sooner you should plan your turn – never back up!– Use mirrors, decide if its safe

to turn– Signal, then move into proper

lane– Slow down before reaching

the intersection– Follow the pavement markings– Stay in the same lane– Cancel your signal after the

turn is complete

The 3-Point Turn (K-Turn)

• Start on the right edge of the road• Signal left, move forward slowly while turning the wheel to the

left• Stop several inches before the left curb or street edge• Signal right, and back slowly while turning the wheel to the right• Stop several inches before the right curb or street edge• Signal left, and move forward while turning the wheel to the left• Straighten the wheel as you face the direction you want to go

Parking• Set the hand brake and

put the vehicle in park (or reverse or low gear in a manual vehicle)

• Parking on Hills:– Facing downhill? Set the

hand brake and turn the wheel toward the curb

– Facing uphill? Set the hand brake and turn the wheel away from the curb

– No curbs uphill OR downhill? Set the hand brake and turn the wheel away from the ROAD

Angle Parking

• Used in parking lots of shopping centers and sometimes at curbs

• Sharp turns!• Watch the sides of the

cars parked around you!• Backing out of a space?

– Slowly inch your way out– When you can see past the

top of the vehicles parked next to you, stop again and look

– Frustration!

Parallel Parking

• Most common type of parking on city streets

• PRACTICE! (place cones or flags 25 feet apart)

• Drive SLOWLY!

• Must be able to parallel park in order to pass the MVC’s road test

Parallel Parking

• Find a parking space large enough to fit the vehicle• Signal for a stop and signal to the right to alert motorists

that the vehicle will back up to the right• Pull up alongside (parallel) about two to four feet from the

vehicle in front• Turn and check to see that the way is clear behind the

vehicle before backing up• Turn body to look out the rear window; begin backing up

slowly for about two feet and turn the wheel all the way to the right

• When you see the bumper of the other car out of your triangle window, turn the wheel straight and back up straight into the space a few feet

Parallel Parking

• When the front of the vehicle has cleared the rear bumper of the vehicle in front, stop and check the angle

• Make sure the right back wheel has not hit the curb• Turn the wheel all the way to the left while beginning to

back up slowly• Make sure the vehicle can clear its back bumper• When the vehicle is in line, stop. Be sure not to hit the

vehicle in the back• Turn the wheel straight, and drive to the center of the

space• Tires should be no more than 6 inches from the curb!

Parallel Parking

• Parallel Parking

• APEX Driving School

• Epic Fail