Pennsylvania · Handbook chapter 3 · 9 min read

Chapter 3: Learning to drive

Pennsylvania driving basics: vehicle checks before you go, distraction and fatigue, space cushions and the 4-second rule, choosing a safe speed, headlights at night and in bad weather, wet roads, snow, fog and signaling your intentions.

Why this chapter matters

Most crashes come from human error, and drivers with under five years of experience make the most of those errors. This chapter covers the habits the knowledge test checks most: following distance, speed for conditions, headlight rules and what to do in rain, snow and fog.

Before you drive

• Tires: check pressure with a gauge while the tires are cold (before driving or at least three hours after), using the figure in the owner's manual or the driver's door jamb. Check tread monthly with the penny test: put a penny head-first into a groove, and if the tread covers part of the portrait's head, the depth is safe.
• Fluids: oil, washer fluid and fuel.
• Seat and mirrors: adjust the seat first so you can reach the pedals and see clearly, then set the mirrors. Set side mirrors so that leaning left or right you can just see the side of your car.
• Seat belt: lap and shoulder belt on every trip. Wearing it is the single most effective way to cut your risk of death or injury.
• Loose items become projectiles in a crash. Put heavy items in the trunk and never on the rear window deck.
• Nothing may hang from the rearview mirror while the vehicle moves, and nothing may block your view through the windshield.
• Head restraint: the top should be at least as high as the top of your ears.
• Glasses: wear corrective lenses if you need them; no sunglasses or tinted lenses at night.
• Fresh air keeps you alert and guards against carbon monoxide.
• Lock the doors. Being thrown from a vehicle raises your chance of death by 75 percent.

Driver factors

Distraction

A distraction is anything that takes your attention, your eyes or your hands away from driving: eating, drinking, smoking, adjusting audio, phone calls (hands-free or not), passengers, reaching for objects, reading or texting, grooming, rubbernecking and looking at things off the road. Headphones or earpieces may be used in one ear only, for communication. Teen drivers carrying teen passengers have a higher crash risk than when driving alone or with adults.

Fatigue

Being awake for 18 hours affects driving about as much as a blood alcohol level of .05 percent; 24 hours awake is like .10 percent. Teens who sleep under eight hours a night face higher crash risk. If you get tired, the best thing to do is stop driving.

Health

Have your vision checked every one or two years. Hearing warns you of sirens, trains and vehicles in your blind spot. Seizure disorders, diabetes and heart conditions are among the most dangerous health problems, and Pennsylvania physicians must report drivers with conditions that could impair safe driving.

Alcohol and drugs are covered in their own chapter.

Managing space

Picture six areas around your car: ahead, the two sides, behind, and the left-rear and right-rear blind spots. Keep a cushion in all of them.

Ahead: the 4-second rule

On dry pavement, keep at least four seconds behind the vehicle ahead. Count from when its rear bumper passes a fixed point until you reach it. Leave more room when:

• The road is wet, slippery or unpaved.
• Someone behind wants to pass.
• You follow a truck, bus, van or trailer that blocks your view or cannot see you, or a vehicle with a heavy load.
• You approach slow vehicles, including bicycles.
• You follow school buses, taxis, buses or hazardous-material trucks, which stop unexpectedly or at railroad crossings.
• You are going downhill, or stopped on an uphill where the car ahead may roll back.

To the sides

Side space is your escape path. Avoid driving alongside other vehicles on multi-lane roads, give parked cars room, and make room for merging traffic. If you do not have at least 8 feet of space on at least one side, increase your following distance. With hazards on both sides, such as parked cars and oncoming traffic, slow down and split the difference.

Behind

Keep a steady speed and signal early. If someone tailgates, move right if you can; if not, wait until the road ahead is clear and tap your brakes gently to slow down and encourage them to pass. Always turn your head to check blind spots before changing lanes, and do not linger in another driver's blind spot.

Looking ahead, to the sides and behind

• Scan 12 to 15 seconds ahead: about one block in town or a quarter mile on the highway.
• At intersections use left-right-left: left first because those vehicles are closest, then right, then left again.
• Before changing lanes, signal, check mirrors and look over your shoulder. Do not take your eyes off the road ahead for more than a second.
• Before backing, check behind the vehicle before you get in, then turn your head to look through the rear window. Mirrors and sensors alone are not enough.

Managing speed

• The maximum speed limit in Pennsylvania is 70 mph. Interstate limits are posted after each interchange.
• School zones: 15 mph when the lights flash or at posted times.
• Posted limits are for ideal conditions. You can be ticketed for driving too fast for conditions even below the limit, and that is the number one crash cause for 16- and 17-year-olds.
• Drive with the flow of traffic within the limit. Dropping 2 or 3 mph can free you from a pack of vehicles.
• Handle one hazard at a time: with a cyclist on your right and an oncoming car, slow down, let the car pass, then move left to pass the cyclist with at least 4 feet of space.

Night driving

Traffic death rates are three to four times higher at night. Glare, poor vision and tired or impaired drivers all add risk, and pedestrians are the hardest things to see.

Pennsylvania law requires headlights:

• When light is too poor to see, including gray days and heavy traffic.
• In rain, snow, sleet, hail, fog, smoke or smog (low beams only).
• When you cannot see people or vehicles 1,000 feet ahead.
• From sunset to sunrise.
• In work zones.
• Whenever your wipers are on because of weather. Daytime running lights are not enough; tail lights must be on too. The fine starts at $25, and with costs comes close to $100.

Dip to low beams within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle and when following within 300 feet. If an oncoming driver keeps high beams on, flash yours briefly, then look toward the right side of the road. Low beams light only about 250 feet, and stopping from 55 mph takes more than that, so on a dark road keep to 45 mph or less to avoid overdriving your headlights. Clean headlights at least weekly: dirty ones may give half the light.

Wet, snowy and icy roads

• Roads are slickest in the first 10 to 15 minutes of rain, when oil rises to the surface. Shaded spots and bridges freeze first and dry last.
• Hydroplaning can start at speeds as low as 35 mph in water just 1/10 of an inch deep. If it happens, keep both hands on the wheel, ease off the gas, do not brake hard or turn suddenly, and brake gently only if you must.
• On wet roads slow by 5 to 10 mph and leave 5 to 6 seconds. On packed snow cut your speed in half; on ice, slow to a crawl and leave about 10 times the normal space.
• Do not use cruise control on slippery roads.
• Watch for black ice: the road looks wet but no spray comes from other tires. Near 32 degrees Fahrenheit, water on ice is slicker than ice alone.
• Clear all snow and ice from the vehicle before driving. If snow or ice from your moving vehicle kills or seriously injures someone, you face a fine of $200 to $1,000.

Fog, snow and snow squalls

• In fog, slow down enough to stop within the distance you can see and use low beams (and fog lights). High beams reflect back and make it worse. If fog is too dense, pull completely off the road, ideally into a parking lot, with hazard lights on.
• In snow, clear windows, roof, hood, trunk and all lights, let the engine warm up, use wipers and defroster, and turn on low beams.
• Snow squalls bring sudden near-zero visibility. Check forecasts, change plans, exit and wait if one is coming. If caught, slow down gradually and turn on hazard lights; do not slam the brakes.

Slow vehicles

An orange triangle marks farm vehicles and horse-drawn vehicles designed for 25 mph or less. Stay well back and do not honk. Trucks on long grades often use their flashers.

Communicating with other drivers

• Brake lights warn that you are slowing. If you will stop where others will not expect it, tap the brake pedal three or four times.
• On a limited access highway, use hazard flashers if you must drive below 40 mph.
• Turn signals: by law, signal at least 100 feet before turning when below 35 mph, and at least 300 feet at 35 mph or more. Use hand signals if your lights fail. A signal does not give you the right to turn.
• If you break down, signal, pull well off the road, put on the hazard flashers and lift the hood.
• Use the horn when someone may not see you, such as a child running toward the street, or when you lose control.