Indiana · Handbook chapter 7 · 5 min read

Chapter 7: Weather, night and staying alert

Driving in Indiana winter, rain, fog, wind and floods; headlight rules; drowsy, distracted and aggressive driving; rural roads; interstate merging; tires and fuel economy.

Why this chapter matters

Conditions change fast in Indiana, from snow and ice to flash floods and fog. The exam asks for exact headlight distances and for what you should do when the road turns dangerous.

Winter driving

• Clear all windows before you drive, and brush snow off your lights.
• Bridges, ramps and overpasses can freeze before the rest of the road.
• Watch for drifting snow in rural areas and ice at intersections. Use your headlights.
• Stay a safe distance behind snowplows.
• Keep a full tank and consider a winter kit: sand or carpet strips, booster cables, blankets, a shovel, a flashlight, extra clothing, snacks and water.

Rain and hydroplaning

• Roads are slickest just after rain starts, when oil and dirt mix with water.
• At higher speeds your tires can ride on the water and lose contact with the road (hydroplaning). Then you cannot brake, steer or speed up with control.
• Slow down in heavy rain, standing water or slush, and never drive on bald tires.
• After driving through puddles, pump the brakes gently to help dry them.

Fog, wind and floods

• In fog, slow down and use low beams; high beams reflect back and make it harder to see. If visibility drops to near zero, pull off as far as possible and stop. Use your headlights and hazard flashers.
• High winds push tall vehicles such as vans and SUVs.
• Flash flooding kills more people than any other road weather event. Never drive around barricades or through water over the road. If your car stalls in rising water, leave it right away.

Night driving and headlights

• Slow down at night, especially on unfamiliar roads.
• If oncoming lights glare, look toward the right side of the road, not into the lights.

Drowsy driving

• About 17.6 percent of fatal crashes nationally involve a tired driver.
• Going 18 hours without sleep impairs you as much as a .08 BAC.
• Drivers aged 16 to 29 are at the highest risk.
• Warning signs: yawning, heavy eyelids, missing exits or signs, drifting onto rumble strips, not remembering the last few miles.
• The only real cure is sleep. Pull over somewhere safe for a short nap, or let a rested person drive.

Distracted driving

• Distraction takes your eyes off the road, your hands off the wheel or your mind off driving.
• Reading or sending a text takes your eyes off the road for about five seconds: at 55 mph that is like driving the length of a football field blind.
• Indiana law bans using a phone or other telecommunications device while driving unless it is hands-free or you are calling 911 in an emergency. Probationary drivers have a stricter rule: the manual allows them only a 911 emergency call.

Aggressive driving

Under Indiana law, a driver is driving aggressively when, in one continuous episode, they commit at least three of these: following too closely, unsafe operation, passing on the right by leaving the roadway, unsafe stopping or slowing, needless horn use, failing to yield, disobeying a traffic control device, unsafe speed, or repeatedly flashing headlights. About one-third of Indiana traffic deaths come from dangerous driving.

Rural roads

• On gravel, traction is lower: slow down earlier before turns and stops.
• Dust on dirt roads cuts visibility; use low beams.
• Watch for narrow bridges and be ready to stop for oncoming vehicles.
• Before the crest of a steep hill, slow down, keep right and never pass.
• Tall crops such as corn can hide vehicles at intersections.

Interstate highways

• On the on-ramp, stay right and build up speed in the acceleration lane. You must yield to vehicles already on the interstate.
• Never back up to reach a missed exit and never make a U-turn across the median. Go to the next exit.
• Do not stop on the shoulder except in an emergency.
• Trucks must use the right lane where there are two lanes each way, and the right two lanes where there are three or more.

Tires and fuel

• Check tire pressure once a month, with tires cold, against the number on the driver's door jamb sticker or owner's manual, not the tire sidewall.
• Use the penny test: push a penny head-first into the grooves; if the tread always hides part of the head, you have enough. Below about 1/16 inch, grip in bad weather drops sharply.
• Fuel use rises above 45 mph; cars use about 50 percent more fuel at 75 mph than at 55 mph.