Driving

Gah I have to do this. Not for public consumption. California laws 2022 DL600 R7 2022.

Consequences

Not licensed

If unlicensed person is drivnig your car, it maybe impounded for 30 days
Hired to drive interstate commercially need to be older than 21, also need to be older than 21 to transport hazardous materials

Class C License

Driving #knw

Two axle vehicle with a GVWL of 26,000 lbs or less
Three axle vehicle weighing 6,000 lbs or less
House car < 40 feet or less
Three wheel motocycles
Vanpool vehicle designed to carry between 10 and no more than 15 people

Towing #knw

Single vehicle of 10,000 or less
Vehicle weighing 4000 lbs or more unladen
- Trailer coach under 10,000 lbs
- Fifth wheel trailer exceeding 10,000 lbs but under 15,000 lbs, with endorsement

Mor ethings

Class C drivers can’t tow more than one
Motor vehile weigning under 4000 lbs cannot tow more than 6000 lbs

Getting in trouble

Get a traffic ticket and fail to show up to court: suspend driving
One at fault collision or one at fault traffic violation: may take action?
Two of either at fault collision or violation conviction: no driving for 30 days unless accompanied by 25 year old adult
Three of “”: no driving for 6 months, on probation for a year.
Drugs or alcohol between 13-21: suspension for a year

Minor driving

Not sure if this applies

Practice for 50 hours, 10 hours at night #knw
Pass knowledge test
Pass driving test
Cannot drive between 11P and 5A during the first year #knw
Cannot drive with under 20 Y/O unless 25 Y/O licensed accompanied #knw

Unless—

Medical need with doctor’s note and end date
School and dean’s note
Work and employer’s note and employment status
Family need and parent’s note

Minors can’t use a phone while driving.

Safe car #knw

Working driver’s window, brake lights, horn, parking brake, turn signals
Safe tire (1/32 inch tread)
Full windshield
Two rear view mirrors, incl. one on left side
Working seatbelts

Check: clean windows and mirrors, adjust seat and mirrors, check tires.

Safe personage

Vision
Hearing
Not tired
Not medicated
Health: no
- Lapses of conciseness
- AD
- “related disorders” — anything the doctor reports to DMV

Steering

Hand to Hand

hands 9/3 or 8/4 oclock
Push and pull, hands stay where they are

Hand over hand

Start 9/3 or 8/4
Turn, but leave wheel sliding under
Sliding under hand reach over, pull the wheel up

One-hand

Turning or backing up to turn back
Hand at 12 oclock
Limeted use

Signaling

Arm signals when lights are hard to see because of bright sun
Motorcyclists use these signals, and bikers point their hand straight up to turning direction

When to signal #knw

Signal when: turn, change lanes, slow down, stop.

100 feet before turning
Before every lane change: look over and check blind spot
5 seconds before lane change on highway
Pulling next to or away curb
Signal even if no cars around you

Horning

“It is safer to slow down or stop instead of honking your horn.”

When to horn #knw

Avoid collisions
Alert hazard
Alert oncoming traffic on narrow mountain roads when you cannot see at least 200 feet in front of vehicle

Don’t use horn to move people along, or “express anger.” The more ya know.

Headlights

They are bright.

When to headlight #knw

When its too dark to see: if you can’t see a person 1000 feet away
Beginning 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise
Adverse weather: windshield wipers on = low-beam headlights on
Clouds dust smoke or fog prevent seeing other cars
On sunny days on country or mountain roads
When a white regulatory sign says so
To help others see your car, when sun is low on horizon

When not to high-beam headlight

Dim when 500 feet of car coming towards you or 300 feet of a car you are following

Emergency flashers

If you can see a collision ahead, do:

Turn on flashers #knw
Lightly tap brake pedal three/four times
Use hand signals

How to stop in a middle of the road during an emergency #knw

Start breaking early.

Give drivers warning
Turn on emergency flashers if you earn’t moving, or use turn signals
Pull off the road
Stop not on the road or, if isn’t possible, stop where people can see
Don’t stop just over a hill
Lift the hook to signal an emergency
Place emergency triangles 200-300 feet behind vehicle; use flares if needed but be careful b/c they may cause fire
Call for roadside assistance
63, 92

Lanes!

Reading ’em

Yellow: different directions

Single yellow is the center of the road; cannot cross into oncoming traffic
Double solid yellow line: not to be crossed
- …except
  - hov entrace lane which has a left entrance
  - Instructed to cross because the road is blocked
  - Entering or exiting a driveway, private road, or making a u-turn
- 2 double yellow line groups spaced 2 feet or more apart are considered a barrier; under no circumstance is to cross
Broken yellow line: you may pass if the broken line is next to you

White: same directions

Single solid white line: traffic lanes in the same direction
Double solid white lines: not to be crossed, regular use vs. preferential use lanes (carpool, etc.)
Broken white lines: separate roads with two or more lines in the same direction

White triangles: yield lines

A line where you should yield. Triangles point to the direction of oncoming traffic (“towards you.”).

Choosing ’em

Leftmost lane is lane 1, rightmost is lane n

Use the left lane to pass or turn left
Use the right lane to enter or exit traffic

Change lanes when

Moving from one lane to another
Entering freeway
Exiting freeway
Entering the road from curb or shoulder

Protocol for lane change #knw

Signal
Look in all mirrors
Check traffic beside and behind you
Look over solder in direction of desired lane change
Check blind spots for other vehicles, motorcyclists, and bicycilsts
Ensure room

Tips

stay in one lane
don’t weave
if you start a change, finish it

Types of them

Lane closest to the center divider is the “passing lane”
HOV lanes is for high occupancy

Center left turn lanes

The center of some two-way streets has a left turn lane; marked on both sides by two painted lines. Inner line is broken and outer line is solid.

You may only drive 200 feet in the center left turn lane #knw

Protocol for using this lane
- Look for other vehicles coming towards you in the center left turn lane
- Signal
- Look over shoulder
- Merge completely into the center left turn lane
- Turn when its safe.

Turnouts

Areas or lanes for turning that are marked? Use when:

Driving slowly on a two-lane road where passing is unsafe, AND
There are 5 or more vehicles following #knw

Bike lanes

Bike lanes
Buffered bike lanes: uses chevrons or diagonals to buffer the bikes
- Bike route: shared road markings to designate a preferred route
- Bike boulevard: bike travel on streets with cars
- Seperated bikeways: completely different
- Bikes share the road “sharrows!”

Cannot drive in bike lane unless….

Parking
Entering or leaving road
Turning (within 200 feet of intersection)

Turning

Right

Drive close to the edge
Drive in a bike lane, wait until about 200 feet to make turn #knw
Watch for everybody
Signal about 100 feet before #knw
Look over sholder
Stop behind limit line (/before entering crosswalk or intersection)
Look both ways and turn when its safe; don’t turn into another lane
Complete turn

Details:

Can’t turn when red arrow, but you can turn against red light
You could cross a bus lane to make a right turn, but you can’t drive in it
There could be designated right turn lanes which let you make a “free right turn”

Left

Drive close to the center divider or left turn lane
Signal about 100 feed
Look over sholder
Stop behind limit line (/before entering crosswalk or intersection)
Look left, right, then left
Turn

Details

only can turn against light when single-lane-to-single-lane

U

Conditions

Across double-yellow line
In a residential district
- No cars for 200 feet
- Whenever a sign or light protects against approachng cars
At an intersection
On a divided driveway, if opening provided

Anticonditions

WHen “no u-turn” is posted
At a railroad crossing
On a divided highway if needed to cross things
Cannot see 200 feet in each direction
When other cars may hit you
On a one-way street
In front of a fire station
ooo. scary
- In business districts, including churches apartments and buildings (except for schools); turn only at an intersection or opening if allowed.

Merging

Highways

Enter at or near traffic speed
Merge onto highway when safe to do so, don’t stop unless needed
Merge into a space large enough for your car to join the lane
Use mirrors and turn signals
Watch for cars
Leave three seconds of space (“three second rule”) between you and the car in front of you

Exiting

Know the exist
Signal, look over sholder, etc.
Change lanes
Signal intention for 5 seconds
Leave

Space for entering

You will need about a half a block on city streets
Or, a full block on the highway

Passing

If anybody wants to pass, let them pass

Space for passing

Don’t pass if…

You are approaching a hill and cannot see oncoming traffic
Within 100 feet of an intersection #knw
At crossroads or driveways

Condition of Passing

You pass on the left, unless…

Open highway with two or more lanes going in your direction
Driver ahead of you is turning left, and you don’t have to drive off the road to pass
You are on a one-way street

Never drive off the road to pass.

Protocol for passing

Signal
Shoulder
Turn
Speed up and pass
Retturn

Parking

Find a space #knw three feet longer that your vehicle
Turn on turn signal
Pull up alongside the vehicle in front; leave about two feet between you and the car to your right. Stop when you rear bumper is aligned with the front of the space
Check rearview mirror, look over sholder, keep foot on break and reverse
Back up, 45%
When rear view is within 18 inches from the curb, straighten out
Set parking break. Leave when safe.

Parking on a hill

“Your car may roll when you breaks fail.”

Downhill: wheels towards the curb
Uphill: wheels away from curb
No curb: turn towards the sholder of the road

“towards the sholder, except when uphill with curb”

Colors

White curb: stop for picking up or dropping off passengers or mails
Green curb: park for limited time
Yellow: load and unload, staying in the vehicle
Red: no stopping
Blue: disabled—fine of $1,000, 6 months in county jail #knw

Can’t park when

No marking
Unmarked or marked crosswalk
Sidewalk, partially blocking sidewalk, or in front of driveway
Within 3 feet of disabled sidewalk ramp #knw
On diagnal lines next to disabled space
Within 15 feet of a fire hydrant #knw
Double parking

On the wrong side of the street or freeway, except: 1) emergency 2) law enforcement officer 3) specificaly permitted stop.

To stop and park then, park off the pavement, stay with the car and lock the doors until help arrives; visibility is 200 feet in each direction required. #knw

Lights

Flashing red: stop sign–stop and go when its safe
Flashing yellow: yield sign—proceed with caution
Flashing yellow arrow: unprotected turn

Broken traffic lights become a four way stop sign.

Signs

Stop sign is stop; there should be a limit line; if no limit line, stop before intesection
Yield sign is to yield; slow down

Right of Way

Without stop/yield signs

Whomever gets to the intersection first has right of way

T intersection without stop/yield signs

The through road have right of way

Stop signs

Stop first, then follow right of way rules as if no intersection

Turning left

Right of way to anyone approaching that’s “close enough to be dangerous”

Turning right

Check for pedestrians crossing the street, and bikes and motors next to you

Green light

Pedestrians

Divided highways

Vehicles coming in the lane you are about to enter

Entering traffic

The traffic you are entering

Roundabouts

The logistics of using a roundabout

Slow down
Yield to traffic
Watch for signs
Travel in counter-clockwise direction, don’t stop or pass
Signal when you change lanes or exit
If you miss your exit, try again

Choosing lane

Rightmost for turning right
Either lane (“middle”, if exists) for straight
Innermost for left turn or u turn

Pedestrians

Pedestrians have right-of-way
Pedestrian crossing need to cross first, you yield or slow to them

Which means…

Do not pass a stopped vehicle
Don’t drive on a sidewalk except to cross it or enter/exit it
Don’t stop in a crosswalk
If people make eyecontact, they are crossing the street
Obey pedestrian’s signs

Watch for seniors, people with disabilities, young children.

Crosswalks

Crosswalks are marked (but not all)
School crossings have yellow lines
Pedestrians have right of wall in all crosswalks
Flashing light crosswalks exists to, just be prepared to stop regardless

White canes and guide dogs have absolute right of way
- Stop at all stop walks
- Don’t stop in the middle of stop walk
- Don’t give verbal directions to blind pedestrian
- Don’t turn right w/o looking for pedestrians
- Don’t honk at a blind person
- Don’t block sidewalk
- Pulling in cane + stepping away: you may go

Mountain roads

Uphill car has right of way
Downhill car has more control backing up the hill

Roadsharing

Large cars

Average passenter car at 55mph has 400 feet before stopping
Large car takes 800 feet

Don’t move in front of a large car and suddenly stop.

Look at turn signals: large vehicles may swing their back, say, left in order to turn right.

Don’t

Change lanes in front of them to reach an exit or turn (tight spaces around large vehicles is dangerous)
Drive next to them (unless passing); after you pass, move ahead of it
Follow too closely: that’s tailgating. Give more space
Underestimate the size and speed of the vehicle

“If you can’t see a truck’s side mirrors, it can’t see you.”

always pass it on the left side

Buses and rails

when loading is happening without a safety zone, stop behind the nearest door
Stopped busses can only be passed at 10mph
Don’t pass on the left side, unless…
- you are on a one-way street
- tracks are so close to the right you can’t pass on the right
- traffic officer directs you to
Never turn in front of a light rail vehicle
Check for traffic lights (light rails can interrupt them)

Motocycles

4 second following distance
Given a motocycle a full lane; its legal to share but its unsafe
Don’t try to pass a motorcycle in the same lane
When possible, move to one side of your lane
Check for motocyclists

Emergency vehicles

Give them right of way: drive to the edge until they’ve passed
…except in intersections: never stop in an intersection (continue through and stop)
Obey loudspeaker orders
Illegal to follow 300 feet of any emergency vehicles with flashing siren

Slow cars

Slow down for them

NEV LSV

Like gold carts

They have max speed 25mph
They can’t drive in roads with speed limit larger than 35 mph

Bikes

Front lamp with white light visible for 300 feet
Rear red reflector (visible from 500 feet)
White or yellow reflector on each pedal (visible for 200 feet)

Travel lanes

Must ride to the curb if slow, unless

Passing in the same direction
Preparing to turn left
Avoiding a hazard/road condition
Approaching right turn
On a one way road with two or more lanes (if so, bikers may right next to left curb)

Passing bikers

3 feet clearance

School buses

Yellow lights flashing is to slow
Red lights flashing is to stop
If you fail to stop, you can be fined up to $1,000 and driving maybe suspended for a year

Workzone fines

Traffic violations have fines of $1,000 or more
Assulting a worker has a fine of $2,000 plus imprisonment for up to on year
Some regions are double-fine zones

Speed Limit

“Basic speed law”: you may never drive faster than its safe.

10mph to pas a roadcar
15 mph in blind intersections (cannot see 100 in both directions when within 100 feet)
- if your view is blocked in a blind intersection, inch forward until you can see
15 mph also in some school, alleys (roads no wider 25 feet), 100 feet of railroad tracks if visiblity less then 400 feet
25 mph when you are 500-1000 feet of a school, when crossing the street, residential
55 mph on two lane undivided highway
You cannot block traffic flow
Drive far-right lane of you are towing

Railroad

Look in both directions
Except train anytime
Don’t stop in traintracks
Watch for other cars
Stop between 15-50 feet from the neearest tracks

Fines and Stuff

Smoking with a minor: $100
Dumping animals: $1,000, six months in jail
Evading law enforcement:
- state prison up to 7 years, county jail for 1 year
- Fine between $2,000 and $10,000
- Or both
Evading law enforcement and commiting manslauter
- Imprisonment for 4-10 years
Speed content and reckless driving: fine and imprsionment
Texting
Wear earplugs in bot hyears
Carry anything that extends beyond the fenders on the left side, or more then 6 inches on the right side
Cargo more the 4 feet must display a 1 feet red or flourencesnt flag
Transport animals unless secured
Allow a person to be in a back of a pickup truck unless secured
Drive a car with a video monitor except when it doesn’t face driver
Throw a cig from the car
Cut signs that block the windshiled
Don’t hang objects on the mirror
Don’t sticker, unless
- 7 inch square on lower corner of passengers or rear window
- 5 inch square on the lower corner of the driver window
- Side windows behind driver
- 5 inch located in the center uppermost portion
Funeral pocessions have right of way

Points

36 month record
Suspension when: 4 points in 12 months, 6 in 24, or 8 in 36
Once 18 months to earn back points via traffic school

Best Practices

Scan road 10-15 seconds ahead of you
Don’t stare
Don’t tailgate: 3 seconds between you and the car ahead passes
- Allow extra space when…
  - If you have a tailgator, (and move! if you can)
  - The driver behind you wants to pass
  - Slippery
  - Following on icy or wet
  - Towing a trailer
  - Followiing a car that blocks you ahead
  - Merging onto freeway
  - Following
Don’t stay in the blind spot
Don’t driving alongside cars
Make space when possible
Keep space between you and parked cars
Be careful when nearing motorcyclists and bicyclists
At intersections
- Look both ways
- Look left first (vehicles coming from the left are closer)
- Look right
- Take one more look to the left
5-10mph on wet road, reduce speed by half on snow, tiny very slow on ice
Don’t use breaks if starting to hydroplone
If you can’t see farther than 100 feet, its unsafe to drive faster than 30mph

Seat belts

Click it or ticket
Under 16 years old, you may also get ticket

Child safety

Under 2 years old: secure in a real facing child restraight system (unless child weighs more than 40 pounds or is more that 3 ft 4 inches taller)
Childen under 8 years old, less than 4 feet 9 inches tall: secure in a front-facing restraight system
Could use front seat if there’s no rear seat or if they are side facing jump seat
8 years old or older, or 4 feet 9 inches tall: use seat belts
6 y/o or younger unattended illegal to leave in car; supervision could be 12 year old.
Hot vehicle can kill

Emergencies

Skids

Slippery surface

Slowly remove foot from gas pedal
Don’t use breaks
Turn the steering wheel in the direction of the skid

If your breaches get wet, dry them by pressing gas and brake at the same time.

Lock wheel

Breaking too hard when going to fast: skid no matter steering wheel

Remove foot from break
Straighten front wheel

If ABS not working, step on brake gradually until safe speed. If the brake petal sinks to the floor, bump the brakes.

Driving off pavement

Grip wheel slowly
Remove your foot from gas
Brake gently
Check for traffic
Steer back

Accelerator mallfunction

Shift to neutral
Apply breakes
Look for traffic
Honk horn and emergency flashers
Drive car off the road
Turn of ignition

Collision

If collision causes more than $1000 in property damage, you msut report to DMV
Driving is suspended for 4 years of no insurance

Disabled Vehicle

Safely pull over
Exit on the right side
Find assistance
Return no vehicle
Stay inside with your seat belt
Uuse flashers