Washington · Handbook chapter 10 · 8 min read

Chapter 10: Risks, conditions and emergencies

Washington Driver Guide Chapter 5: fatal crash factors, hazard management, speed and conditions, space and following distance, merging and the zipper merge, timing turns, vision, night driving, curves, wet and icy roads, skids, hydroplaning, vehicle failures and what to do after a collision or near power lines.

Why this chapter matters

You cannot remove risk from driving, but you can manage it. The test asks what to do in a skid, a blowout or a crash, how much space to keep and how to drive at night or on ice. These answers could also save your life.

The dangers

The common factors in fatal crashes are speed, impairment, distraction, unbuckled occupants and inexperience. In Washington, crashes are a leading cause of death for people aged 16 to 25.

• Risk awareness: keep scanning ahead, beside and behind, and leave space in front so you can see what is coming.
• Hazard perception: a hazard is anything that requires you to make a change, from a child running into the road to a trash can, a speed limit sign or your own driveway. Hazards can be still or moving, and when there are several you must decide which needs the quickest response.
• Situational awareness: watch what is happening all around and predict what comes next. The drivers behind you may be the most affected by what you do.

A routine for hazards

1. Plan: scan, including your rearview mirror, and decide whether the change is safe.
2. Communicate: signal so everyone knows your intention.
3. Check: set your speed and position so you need no more than medium braking, recheck mirrors and look over your shoulder.
4. Execute: make the change smoothly, ready to change plan.
5. Evaluate: think about how it went.

Speed

Speed limits are the maximum for ideal conditions. You must also drive at a speed that is safe for the conditions, and you can drive below the limit. High speed makes seat belts less effective, leaves less time to scan and react, weakens traction, lengthens stopping distance and makes injuries worse.

Slow down for sharp curves and hills with limited view, slippery roads, areas with pedestrians, children, cyclists or animals, parking lots, heavy traffic, narrow bridges and tunnels, and residential streets.

Space and following distance

Keep a cushion of space all around your car. In traffic, the gap to the car in front should be two or more of your own car lengths.

Merging

• Drivers already on the interstate have the right-of-way. Use the whole on-ramp, your signal and your mirrors, and adjust your speed to fit into a safe gap without making anyone swerve or brake.
• Zipper merge when a lane is closed in slow traffic: use both lanes up to the merge point, then take turns. It improves traffic flow by about 60 percent and reduces sudden lane changes and line-cutting.

Time

• Eye-lead time means looking far ahead so you have time to see, think and respond. Seeing hazards early is safer than relying on quick reactions.
• Practice judging time by picking a marker you think is 15 seconds ahead and counting until you reach it.
• When turning in front of oncoming traffic, remember that approaching traffic has the right-of-way. Give yourself too much time rather than too little.

Focus and vision

• Your brain can focus on one thing at a time, so remove distractions.
• You use three kinds of vision: central (detail straight ahead), fringe and peripheral (to the sides). All three get worse at higher speeds.

Night driving

• Drive at a speed that lets you stop within the reach of your headlights, usually about 400 feet.
• Use high beams when no one is coming, and low beams when following another vehicle or when traffic approaches.
• Do not stare into oncoming lights; if a driver has high beams on, look toward the right side of the road.
• Do not wear sunglasses or tinted lenses at night or on overcast days.
• Leave a bigger following distance, especially on unfamiliar roads.

Curves

• Before the curve: slow down, look ahead to judge its sharpness, and position yourself slightly toward the outside of the lane.
• In the curve: keep a steady speed, steer smoothly and avoid sudden braking or acceleration.
• Leaving the curve: accelerate gently and check your mirrors.
• Inertia tries to keep the car going straight, higher speed means more kinetic energy, and wet or icy roads cut friction.

Slippery roads

• When rain starts on a hot day, the road is especially slippery for the first few minutes because oil rises from the asphalt.
• Snow needs a much bigger following distance and much lower speed. Use chains or snow tires when required; chains or studded tires improve winter traction.
• Shady spots and bridges and overpasses can be icy when the rest of the road is not.
• Ice warming to near freezing becomes wet and even more slippery.
• Black ice is a thin coat that is hard to see. Take care whenever temperatures are near or below freezing.

Skids and hydroplaning

The best protection against hydroplaning is to slow down on wet roads.

Vehicle failures

• Get off the road if you can. If not, stop where others can see you clearly, never just over a hill or around a curve.
• Turn on your flashers and headlights, place flares 200 to 300 feet behind the car, and raise the hood or tie a white cloth to the antenna, mirror or door handle.
• Tire blowout: grip the wheel firmly, keep straight, take your foot off the gas and do not brake hard; let the car slow, then pull off.
• Engine dies: hold the wheel firmly (it will be harder to turn, but it will turn), brake with steady pressure and pull off.
• Headlights fail: use hazards, turn signals or fog lights and pull off as soon as possible.
• Accelerator sticks: keep your eyes on the road, shift to neutral, pull off when safe and turn off the engine.

Collisions

Collisions usually come from too much speed, too little space or poor situational awareness.

• Do not drive away. If anyone is hurt or killed, call 911; police must be told.
• Move the vehicles to the side, near the scene, as soon as you can. Do not stand in traffic lanes. Use flares or warning devices. Turn off wrecked vehicles and do not smoke near them.
• If you hit a parked vehicle, try to find the owner. If you cannot, leave a note where it is easy to see with the date, time and your contact details.
• Exchange names, contact details, license numbers, insurer and policy numbers, and take photos.
• File a collision report within 4 days if an officer does not file one.

Helping the injured

• Call 911 and do not move injured people unless they are in a burning vehicle or other immediate danger.
• Help anyone not already walking and talking: check breathing, then bleeding. For bleeding, apply pressure, then a dressing, then a tourniquet if needed.
• Give nothing to drink, not even water, and keep the person warm to help prevent shock.
• On the phone to 911, give your location with landmarks or mile markers, describe the crash, follow the dispatcher and stay on the line until help arrives.

Power lines

• If a power line touches your vehicle, stay inside, turn off the engine and call 911. Assume every line is live, and keep others at least 35 feet away.
• If you drive over a line, stop: moving forward or back could electrocute you.
• Only if there is a fire: open the door, jump clear with your arms at your sides and both feet together, without touching the car, then shuffle 35 feet away.

Witnessing a crash

Do not block responders, follow the directions of police and firefighters, and do not slow down to stare.

Emergency kit

A first aid kit, flashlight, blanket, water, jumper cables, tools, a backup phone charger, a spare tire with jack and wrench, and reflective triangles or flares. Keep a paper list of important phone numbers in case your phone dies.