Hawaii · Handbook chapter 8 · 5 min read

Chapter 8: Safe driving techniques

Good and bad driving habits, distraction, defensive driving, seat belts, children in cars, backing, entering traffic, roundabouts, lane choice, following distance, turns, passing, braking, downshifting and parking in Hawaii.

Why this chapter matters

This is the longest part of the manual and the source of many test questions. Key figures: two seconds, 100 feet, 12 mph, 60 mph, five times, nine years old, five minutes, 18 inches, two feet and 12 inches.

Habits and distraction

The manual traces bad habits to laziness, impatience, inattention, arrogance and ignorance: skipping the head check, rolling through stops, tailgating, drifting attention. Good habits form the same way, by repeating the right action.

Avoid anything that takes your attention off driving. Keep the radio low enough to hear sirens, do not wear headsets or earphones in both ears, and remember that even hands-free phone calls distract you; pull over to talk. Pets belong in a carrier, never in the driver's lap.

Defensive driving

Stay alert and keep your eyes moving, look well ahead, always have an escape plan, keep a proper following distance and drive at a proper speed. Most of what you need comes from seeing, and higher speed narrows your field of vision.

Before a trip, check fluids, tires and lights if not done in the past week, and make sure you have enough fuel. When the engine starts, warning lights should go out; a yellow light that stays on is a warning, and a red light means danger. If the brake warning light comes on when you press the brake pedal, the brakes are defective.

Seat belts and children

• Belts keep you inside the car (your chance of death is five times greater if you are thrown out) and behind the wheel.
• With lap and shoulder belts you can survive crashes at up to 60 mph; without them you can be killed at 12 mph.
• The lap belt goes snugly across the hip bones; the shoulder belt should leave room for your fist.
• Never let a child ride on a lap or stand on a seat.
• Hawaii law forbids you or any adult passenger to leave a child under nine unattended in a vehicle for five minutes or longer.

Backing and entering traffic

• Check behind the vehicle before getting in, then turn around and look; mirrors show too little. Back slowly.
• The driver leaving a parking space has the main duty to avoid a collision.
• From a driveway, stop before the sidewalk area, then enter the nearest lane.
• Leaving a diagonal space means backing into traffic, which is more dangerous than leaving a parallel space.

Roundabouts

Slow down, yield to pedestrians and bicyclists, and yield to traffic already in the roundabout (look left). Drive counterclockwise, to the right of the central island, signal right to exit, and if you miss your exit, go around again.

Lanes and speed

• Two lanes your way in light traffic: use the right lane and pass on the left.
• Three or more lanes: use the center lanes.
• Signal at least 100 feet before a lane change, check your blind spot, and prefer to slow and move in behind a vehicle. Never change lanes approaching or in an intersection or crosswalk.
• Keep at least a two-second following interval and never less.
• Keep pace with traffic and slow down for poor road or weather conditions.

Turns and passing

• Get into the proper lane early; if you are in the wrong lane, go on and turn elsewhere.
• Waiting to turn left, keep the wheels straight until you can go. Stop fully before a right turn on red, and do not drive in a bike lane to turn right.
• Pass only when the vehicle ahead is below a safe speed. Signal, check behind, sound your horn, and return to your lane when you can see the passed vehicle in your inside mirror. If a conflict appears, brake and drop back.
• Never stop inside an intersection or crosswalk, and do not enter one unless there is room for your whole vehicle on the far side.

Brakes and downshifting

• Without antilock brakes, avoid locking the wheels: apply and release the brakes rapidly and steer to a clear area. For antilock brakes, follow the owner's manual.
• When stopped in traffic, stop where you can see the rear tires of the car ahead touching the road.
• Test your brakes after driving through water and press lightly several times if they are weak.
• Downshift before a steep downgrade. At 60 mph or more most automatic transmissions will not downshift. Do not downshift routinely to slow down, because it gives no brake-light warning.

Parking

• On a hill with a curb, set the parking brake and turn the wheels toward the curb; the manual says turn them to the right whether you face up or down.
• To parallel park, stop even with the front car about 18 inches from it, back in at about a 45-degree angle, and leave at least two feet between bumpers.
• Park parallel to the curb, facing traffic's direction, within 12 inches of the curb or inside the marked stall.

Signals

Electric signals are easy to see and leave both hands free; hand signals need an open window, are hard to see at night, and are not readily visible to drivers on your right. Start signaling before you slow down. Hazard flashers should never be used while moving.